The Journey ((Vivid and MM))

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona did not know how many days had passed since she fled from the Kingdom of Athelstan. Day and night merged into one, long, continuous cycle as she moved across the land to escape the tyrannical desires of the Emperor. There was a legend that stated a woman from a far off country would appear as the goddess, and that whoever controlled her, controlled the fate of the world. After seeing Iona perform, he had gotten into his head that she was the one. That she held the key to the goddess’ power. While it was true that she was from a different country and the magical abilities that she displayed were unique, Iona was sure that he was mistaken. He had only been taken by her beauty, as so many had before, and only wished to try and force himself on her to claim some nonexistent force. There was no choice for the talented minstrel; she had to run and not only run, but find the woman who was actually the incarnation of the goddess before he did.

During her travels she heard of a young man with an extraordinary power. With him at her side, Iona was positive that she would be able to stop that wicked ruler from his plans, and be able to return the goddess to her rightful realm. This world was no place for her while there were those around that would use her powers for evil instead of good. So, she had decided to go in the direction of that town.


Finally she had come to her destination. Lowering the hood of her brown travelling cloak, she took in the sight before her. Long white waves of hair tumbled forth and landed at her waist. She was at the mouth of a small, yet prosperous town. The wooden arc above her head read the name of the town and a smile crossed her full, pink lips. Carefully she pulled her hair back up to stuff into the cowl and returned the hood to its proper place. All she needed to do now was find the man that she had heard rumors about. Everything in her prayed that the people she overheard were speaking the truth; that this was just not some exaggeration. It was not uncommon for such tales to turn up stretched and twisted into great, amazing things when they were unspectacular.


Twilight was setting in on the land but the village was still fairly busy. Fairy lights were being strung up from one tree to another, from businesses came the owners with carts filled with the best ale or the most delicious food they had to offer, dancers twirled about a beautiful statue depicting the kind and gentle form of their goddess. Sweet perfume from censors swung by priestess and acolytes filled the air as they filed out of the temple. It seemed that Iona had walked in on a festival of sorts. A grin crossed her lips. Perhaps, after she met up with this skillful man, she could convince him to buy her a drink and something delicious. Although she had been eating and drinking during her travels, it had been a very long time since anything cooked touched her lips or since she imbibed anything other than water (stale from a skin).


Asking around about the miracle man proved very worthwhile. Apparently he had his house set up to take visitors that were in search of his peculiar skills and the townspeople wasted no time in pointing out which building he resided in. She began to walk over there, finding it easy as the main bulk of the crowd was near the town square, watching the other minstrels.

 

[Mr Master]

"Merrick, it's the Goddess Festival!" Cedric complained, balancing back on the rear two legs of his desk chair. "It's already starting!"

The older man sat at a smaller desk farther in the back of the rented house's front room, reading a thick book. "Master Tulane, I do believe that's the eighth time you've mentioned that fact," he said in a bored tone. "I don't think I need to respond again."

"Office hours were a stupid idea, anyway," Cedric muttered.

"Then I suppose you shouldn't have come up with it, then, sir."

The younger man snorted, and lifted his feet off the ground, his arms rising to help with his balance. "If I went out to the festival, people would still know where to find me."

"The locals, yes, sir, but you get many visitors from out of town. I daresay your choosing this place to settle veritably tripled the visitor traffic."

"How could I not come here? The place is called 'Paradise Bottoms,' for the Goddess's sake!"

"I assure you, I could have told you it was because of the climate and the valley floor location. Whatever your prurient imagination came up with, sir, is entirely on your own head."

"Yeah, yeah. So, how much longer?"

Merrick sighed, closed his book with a clap of paper on paper, and turned to look at the large hourglass (technically, it measured several hours at a turn, but the name was for the type of device, not the increment it measured). It was turned at noon, or as closely thereabouts as possible, to give the young Cedric Archimedes Tulane, hereditary keeper of the Power of Power, some sort of structure to his day. "By my estimation, at least fifteen minutes, sir."

"Nobody's going to come in in the next fifteen minutes!" Cedric scoffed, all four limbs waving carefully in the air, balancing him on the chair legs.

Just then, the door opened with an inadvertent bang. Though that always happened, the door being lighter than it appeared, it nonetheless surprised Cedric, and he toppled backward with a clatter. Merrick, however, rose smoothly from his chair and straightened his tunic, bowing to the luminously beautiful young woman who had just entered. "Welcome, my lady. The master will see you immediately."

Cedric's hand grabbed the back edge of the desk. His other arm came up, and he levered himself up, his face rising into view. As soon as he caught sight of the woman, he stopped grumbling and cursing under his breath. "Well... hello!"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona lowered the hood of her travelling cloak again and her hair tumbled free once more. Large, almond shaped violet eyes took in everything around her. This hardly seemed like a place that a world famous man craft master would set up shop. For some reason she was imaging more pomp. Instead she was met with a rather modest looking shop. At least, she mused, the guy was humble or didn’t quite understand the amazing abilities he possessed. No matter.

At first she assumed that the old man who introduced himself was the person she was looking for. Bright eyes widened in shock but soon, she realized that this was just a door man of sorts. A sigh of relief escaped her lips and she placed a delicate hand to her forehead. It was easy to see why someone would confuse her for the Goddess. With her pale skin, white think wavy hair, and impossible eyes, she certainly did come off that way.

As soon as she met who was supposed to the one she was looking for, she had wished it was the old man. Rising from behind a desk, muttering curses beneath his breath was a flustered young man. Instantly his disposition changed when he saw her and she placed her hands on her hips, revealing a pale arm with slender golden bangles going up the length. For a few moments she simply stood there and blinked at him.


“Um… hello,” she said. Her voice was soft and stroking. There was little confidence in it, however. This was clearly not turning out the way she thought it would. Closing her eyes she cleared her throat and placed her hands behind her back. “I have traveled all of the way from Athelstan to see you, I guess. I heard that you have an ability that is very unique; one that allows you to push energy of your own into an object… I am not exactly sure what that means but everyone I have come across on the Pass is simply impressed. I was wondering if you could possibly show me?”


The minstrel may have been a fool for coming all of this way on rumor alone but she was not going to delve into why she was there unless he proved himself. The less people that knew she was doing this, the better.

 

[Mr Master]

Cedric stood and straightened his clothes as she spoke, and when she asked for proof, his brow furrowed with indignation. However, Merrick stepped forward, speaking quickly.

"Master Cedric's skills and reputation are not as widespread as his father, Lord Alewyn Tulane of the Realm, who may have been the one you initially heard of, but the elder Tulane is many leagues away in the capital of this kingdom. I assure you, Tulane the younger's skills are entirely up to task. If you came all the way from Athelstan, it's better we help you. Master Cedric, perhaps you would be so kind as to provide a demonstration or two?"

Cedric had gotten hold of his temper as Merrick had talked; he was prepared now, when her attention shifted back to him, to smile courteously and nod. "Indeed, madam. A demonstration is simple. I absorb energies from the world around me, and store them within me. And I can invest them in other objects, to whatever ends I desire. For example, you see this common writing quill?"

He held up the quill from beside the inkpot on his desk. Gesturing to it as a magician would, he invested the quill with energy, tuning it to release itself slowly as illumination. The quill began to glow, shedding light like a lantern. "I've invested enough energy to allow this to glow for several hours. I can invest energies to produce other effects, as well. However, I can perform even more startling effects." He handed the quill to her, so she could feel how it was no different from before, but for the light. He reached into the desk drawer, and pulled out... a child's stuffed doll.

He put the doll on the table, and held it a moment. When he let go, it wavered, but stood. Slowly, it lifted a cloth leg, and stepped forward. Then it twisted and spun, shifting feet to do a little dance on the tabletop. "I have set the energies in a certain path, here, to do the actions I ask it to, but I can also invest enough to make the doll react as if actually alive, though that takes a lot more."

He put his palms on the desk and leaned across it, over the dancing doll, and gazed at the lovely woman. "These are parlor tricks, madam. All they do is show that I do have an ability. However, the uses of the power depend on the needs of the job. If you would care to have a seat, right here," he gestured to the comfortable chair set beside his desk, "we will consult, and I will do what I can to help you."

His eyes flicked to the window, where some festival patrons in bright, celebratory clothing raced by. He sighed, and looked back at the young woman. Not that she was at all difficult to look at, but he would much rather have been talking to her out in the festival.

 

[Vivid Fizz]

The words of the older gentleman were shrinking the confidence that she had in her plan. So there were two people in this world that had that power and it was likely she heard about the father and mistaken him for the son. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. A nearly audible groan sounded from her throat. At least she was pointed in the right direction now. Still, it meant a long way to travel, and she was become weary from the time she spent on foot. She looked up from her hand and nodded her head. Perhaps seeing the demonstration would be worthwhile.

It was with shock and amazement that she watched what was going on before her. Iona hardly paid attention to the explanation. That did not matter in light of what he could do. With trembling fingers, she took the quill from his hand to examine it. The soft blue light that it cast lit up her face in an odd way; her eyes paled considerably as did the rest of her features. She could feel the energy it possessed and it made her whole body tingle. As he moved for a doll she turned her attention away from the eerie blue light to watch what was happening with the stuffed toy. A gasp came from her lips and her mouth was agape. The doll was actually moving and walking!

“That is adorable!” she exclaimed as she placed the feather down. All of her attention was diverted to the amusing toy. She was still impressed by mere parlor tricks. Such tricks showed that he had potential to do much more. She clapped her hands together and sat down in the chair when he told her to.

“I need your help on a matter that is most urgent.” Iona started. Her words were quick and she was speaking beneath her breath. Clearly she was terrified of who may overhear. The Emperor of Athelstan was crafty. No doubt he had one of his magicians keep a close eye on her throughout her journeys. He liked to play with his food, after all. “There is a legend in the Kingdom of Athelstan that the Goddess will be born into the body of a human child and that, whoever controls her flesh; controls the fate of the world. The emperor is under the impression that this has come to pass and that I am the one he seeks. It cannot be me but I believe that this is the time when she will make herself known. I can feel it in my body; her divine energy is so strong now. More so than before…”

Iona cleared her throat and leaned back on to the chair. During her speech, she had leaned forward to make sure that Cedric could hear her. Now that the bulk of explanation was over she returned to a much more comfortable position.

“I… I do not have any coin to give you for your efforts. I have lost everything the moment I fled Athelstan; I did not wish to carry anything that could identify me. I am just in desperate need of help.”

 

[Mr Master]

When he sat, after she had taken her seat, he expected to hear of some personal trouble, some need for enchantment or a task that would be too large or expensive to do any other way. When she started telling her story, though, his eyes widened. The Emperor of Athelstan? The Goddess, incarnate? This beautiful woman, hunted, on the run, with an impossible quest? His eyes almost literally lit up, the green of his irises intensifying. If it had been darker in the room, it was possible they might actually have glowed. She spoke of payment, and it was Cedric's turn to lean back in his chair and wave his hand dismissively. "There will be no need for payment, my lady!"

"Of course not," spoke up Merrick from farther in the back of the room, but within overhearing distance of Iona's tale. "Because you shall not be working for her. My lady, we will pay for your transport to the capital, through various and secret means, so that you may bring your case to Lord Tulane. He would no doubt be eager to help."

"Dad's not up for a quest, Merrick," Cedric objected, turning in his chair to speak to the manservant. "That's why he and Mom retired to the city. That's why it's up to me..."

"Sir, can I speak to you privately a moment?" There was a hard note in the otherwise pleasant tone of Merrick's voice. A look passed between the men, and then Cedric turned back to their guest.

"Pardon me a moment, madam. Just a quick conference." He rose smoothly, his rangy muscles stretching him to his full, rather impressive height, and he sketched a quick bow before following his servant into the back of the house.

Their voices could be heard through the closed door, even from the seat, just barely at first, but the volume soon grew, and soon individual shouted phrases could be heard.

"...in need is why we're even here..."

"...parents charged me with your safety..."

"...fate of the very world..."

"...overly romantic dreams fed by too many heroic stories..."

"...Emperor, and that threatens everything we stand for..."

"...too young!"

"Merrick!"

And then the voices went back to quiet murmuring. A few minutes of quiet, intense discussion later, and the voices fell quiet. Merrick was the first one back into the front room, his face pleasantly passive. "My lady, we would be honored to assist you with this noble quest. I can assure you, with Master Cedric's capabilities, tempered by my prudence and wisdom, we shall be formidable in pursuit of your goals."

"In other words," Cedric said, stepping through the door behind Merrick, "we are in. Do you have any leads, or should we attempt a bit of research, first?"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona waited on pins and needles. Through the door she could hear the mutters of a conversation. As the voices became louder, more impassionate, she began to worry. It seemed that while Cedric was all for the idea his companion was less than thrilled with starting such a journey. She knew that she had Cedric as soon as she ended her story. The way his eyes lit up and the eagerness of his speech and actions had told her as much. It was Merrick that had, to her dismay, brought up objections and nearly squashed all of her hopes. While waiting for them to cease their bickering and make a decision, the minstrel began to pace back and forth. If they would not come then she would have to find a new person to help her or risk doing it on her own.

Finally they came out and she stopped dead to turn and face the pair. Her violet eyes showed her concern and near panic at what answer she may get. Coming all of this way just to get turned down would break her heart. Of course she would be strong and push forward but she knew that, if it was a no, her morale would suffer a blow.

The relief that showed when they gave her an answer was palatable. Eyes glistened with tears of joy and she clasped her hands together in front of her. A smile crossed her face, revealing white and straight teeth. “You have no idea how happy this makes me! I have travelled so long and angered a very powerful and frightful man; this shows just how brave you are! Oh! I am just so glad that you will help! The Goddess won’t have anything to fear now!”

Perhaps she was overly optimistic and she forced herself to reel in that wonderful feeling that spread throughout her entire body. If she wanted any success in this endeavor, then she needed to keep a realistic outlook. If she didn’t then she would be on the path of self destruction and suffering. The image of a dark cell and chains flashed in her mind and she pushed them away.

“There are no leads so some research should be in order. I just have a feeling that the Goddess is in this land. It is no coincidence that you and she appeared in the same realm. This I am sure of. But… I was thinking that the research could wait until tomorrow? I noticed that your town was having a celebration of sorts and there were many delicious looking foods being sold and handed out...”

Of course she wanted to go and find the Goddess but eight more hours wasn’t that long of a wait and why couldn’t they enjoy themselves? Her stomach gave a hungry and annoyed growl.

 

[Mr Master]

At her mention of the festival, Cedric's grin grew even wider. "Oh, yes. Pleasant Bottoms is having it's local Goddess Festival. Music, food, entertainment; they do it right around here. Last year's was wonderful. In fact, I would be honored to accompany you, to show you the sights." He stepped around Merrick, sketched a polite half-bow, and offered his elbow in a courtly fashion.

As he escorted her toward the door, Cedric turned and glanced at his older friend. "Are you going to come, Merrick? Surely you still have some sense of fun in those old bones."

Merrick chuckled dryly. "Last year's was enough to show me the limits of this lovely little town. I believe I shall find myself a bite to eat and then sit down with a mug of tea and do some of that research that we require." He raised an eyebrow, thinking that the two of them weren't likely to have their minds on research at any time soon. He waved his hand at them, shooing them away. "Go, go. Enjoy yourselves. We should be able to depart in the morning."

Cedric smiled back, and ushered her onto the street. "What would you like to do first?"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona was grateful that it was to only be her and Cedric going to the festival. Not that she disliked Merrick or thought anything ill of him; Cedric just appeared to be the more easy -going of the two and, that night, she wanted to forget about her problems for awhile. So many days she had to think on nothing but finding him and saving the Goddess. So many long nights that she worried that the Emperor was on her heels and that, as soon as she fell asleep, he would pounce on her. The minstrel was tired. She wanted to have some fun.

Again her stomach growled and she flushed a pale shade of pink that lit up her practically white skin. “I think that my belly just gave the answer. Though, I am not sure if I will be able to get anything with my current lack of funds.”

Her slender arm wrapped around his and she gave him a truly pathetic look, eyes wide and sparkling with potential tears; bottom lip jutted out like a scorned child. Sure, it was manipulation, but a girl had to eat somehow and it had been far too long since she had something warm.

“Could you possibly…?”

Hopefully he caught on and he would pay for something for her to eat. If not, well, it would be depressing to be around so much delicious victual without having a chance to sample them. They could always test out the dancers. It had been so long since she danced and sang; perhaps she would engage in such activities herself and revel in her own abilities.

 

[Mr Master]

Cedric grinned. "I grew up in Court, thanks to my father's fame. You'll find the pouty puppy face doesn't work all that well with me, seems like every handmaid, princess, and young noblewoman used that to wheedle and manipulate the menfolk." He patted her hand on his arm. "You don't have to worry, though, I'm hungry as well. And the village loves me; I do enough public works, I generally don't have to pay much of anyplace."

They were moving toward the village green, where there was more music and people. Celebrants passed with large trays of shortbread cookies, the festival sacrament. Cedric snagged a handful with a friendly "Praise the Goddess!" to the tray-bearers. He shared with Iona. "Just to take the edge off."

He looked through the crowd. "Do you feel more like a sit-down meal, or would you care to take in the sights while nibbling on something? We will doubtless have a wide selection of foods on sticks available."

The joyful hymns were just starting up in the central square, the villagers' voices raised in praise and celebration, singing the first of many ancient and well-known songs of the Goddess.

 

[Vivid Fizz]

"I wasn't trying to manipulate you!" she said in a huff. She pulled her arm off of his and crossed them in front of her chest. Which was true; to an extent. There was no way that she could afford her own food anymore and all of her supplies were nearly out. The only way she was going to be able to get something in her stomach was then to steal or try to get someone to pay for it for her. Iona hated being categorized with 'noblewomen' because she didn't want to go hungry and refused to take something that wasn't hers. That made her so mad! Though she did not say anything further; simply walked a few steps behind him or in front of him to avoid any actual conversation.

She took the cookies without saying anything past a muttered 'thanks'. Slowly she put them in her mouth to savor the flavor though she was in no mood to enjoy her food now. All she wanted to do was eat it.

"I'd rather not sit down," she replied, raising her voice so it rang easily out over the hymns. The girl had a strong set of pipes and was not afraid to use them. "I likely wouldn't have much to say anyway. Nothing that would be interesting to you."

The young woman scanned the crowd and simply began walking ahead; weaving her way through without any trouble whatsoever.

 

[Mr Master]

When she walked off, he sighed. He'd endured her silent treatment in the hopes that she would calm down a bit, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. He caught up with her and took her hand, making her stop and turn in the middle of the crowd.

He looked her in the eye, and exerted a little bit of his power into his words, making them carry clearly to her ears, although he didn't raise his voice. A side-effect was that, for the two of them, the crowd's noise was damped down, quieted.

"My words were ill-chosen," he said sincerely. "Where the women in court manipulated, you were merely asking. I know this, and I am sorry I insinuated differently. All I wanted to do was let you know you didn't need to turn on the puppy dog eyes and the sad face. I am pleased to buy you a feast, if that's what you want. And I was happy to do that the moment you walked through my door."

"But you are incorrect about one thing: everything you say is of interest to me. Not only are you calling me on a quest, so there's that to talk about, but you have the resolve and the wits to make it all the way here from the Imperial Capital alone! How can I not want to learn about a woman who can do that?"

"So, I apologize for giving offense. I spoke lightly, but you don't know me well enough to realize that." He paused, and smiled. "Well... not yet."

"Now, would you do me the honor of allowing me to get you... um... that looks like apples on a stick over there, or there's... is that beef? Barbecued beef on a stick, if you're in the mood for red meat. Or we can continue, and see what strikes your fancy?"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona was caught off guard when he took her hand and whirled her around. His aura pulsed through her body and she found herself quieted by the energy. Bright violet eyes weakened and, for the first time since meeting him, they looked tired. Perhaps she had been too quick to anger. It was difficult to control her emotions when she had been so worried about finding him and constantly watching her back to make sure she wasn’t being followed. A sigh escaped her lips when he began to apologize to her for his words. Really she should have been able to tell that he was just being nice and joking.

“You… you flatter me,” she finally replied. For a few seconds she had looked at him, studying him to try and figure him out. Anyone else she knew would have snapped back and she would have deserved it. Instead he told her that she was more than interesting and it would not only be nice to pay for her dinner but an honor. There was something really to be idolized by such kindness. Iona bit her lip and looked away.

“I could eat just about anything. The meat on the stick and the apples both sound completely wonderful. I think a horse would be nice, too. I am completely starved.”

Gently she pumped his hand before turning back to the various other stands and carts to see what they were offering. Her stomach gave another low grumble and a pathetic whimper sounded in her throat. Being around food other than jerky and fruit so dried and salted it looked a shriveled husk made her hungrier than she had ever been.

“Could I possibly have both and we can wander the festival? I would love to spend the evening simply being myself. Tomorrow we can speak of the adventure.”

 

[Mr Master]

"Both it is, then." He smiled and walked over to the vendors, collecting several of each. He continued to walk with her through the crowd, gathering up more food for her as they went. He soon had a plethora of tidbits on sticks both for his own nibbling and for her; he handed them over as she ran out, and they discarded the sticks in the public receptacles set out for the purpose.

"As for you being yourself, I would love to learn of you. By all means, tell me about yourself. What sort of life brought you here? Not the adventure itself, but your life."

He led her through the festival, showing her the meager but heartwarming sights of the village in festival. Pleasant Bottoms was not a particularly large or prosperous village, but it was full of good and creative people, and that showed in the way they made the best of what they had available. It was colorful and bright and musical and the celebration was in full swing.

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona’s eyes widened as she took everything in. A small smile crossed her lips before she pushed food past them. The taste caused her to nearly moan out in oral pleasure. Although she had never had any sort of sexual relations before, she could not fathom that it could be much better than a well cured piece of hot meat. Inwardly she thanked the animal that had died to give her that moment of happiness. Slowly she considered the rest of the meat in front of her and some of the men watched her out of the corner of their eye; wondering how she could wrap such a tiny mouth around so much. When she polished off the beef she moved instantly to the apples, squealing through a full mouth.

The town reminded her of the one that she had grown up in. There were many friendly people that were good at what they did and enjoyed doing it. The air was warm and friendly. Unlike in Athelstan, where they treated foreigners like an illness, this place greeted her like she was something special. That was likely because she was with their hero but she chose to believe that it was because they were kindhearted.

“I needed to escape,” she explained to him through a mouthful of tasty fruit. A skin of wine was offered to her and she took a swig from it to wash down her delicious meal. She turned her face up to look at him. “Even there wasn’t an adventure I needed to get away from that bastard. He was keeping me as a prisoner within the walls of his castle and turned something I loved into something sick and twisted.”

There was a pause and she took another draft from the skin before wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. It was particularly painful to recall how she was treated when the King took an interest in her. Singing and dancing had never been a torture until that point and it would never be again. Not if she had anything to say about it.

“I am a minstrel by trade and wandered into Athelstan during my travels. “

 

[Mr Master]

"A minstrel!" Cedric was pleased. "I should have known, from the grace of your movements." He munched on an apple himself. "Dancing, singing I suppose... do you do well-known pieces, or songs of your own devising?"

He was consciously attempting to keep the conversation light, to distract her from what had clearly been wearing on her mind. Being in flight from the Emperor's personal guard (he assumed the Emperor wouldn't trust the pursuit of someone he personally wanted to anyone less skilled) had to be tiring. She was in a neighboring kingdom, but the Emperor might send his guard anywhere, undercover. Well, as undercover as they could get; the personal guard didn't do stealthy well, they didn't like to put on costumes. So they were more like a strike-team than spies. Still, it was a feat to evade them as long as she had.

"At some point, you ought to perform! Not, you know, when you're so tired like you are, but perhaps when you're rested."

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona was extremely flattered. This was the first time in a long, long while since anyone had asked about her skills. Seconds passed while she simply stared at him. Normally all men wanted to know about were ‘private’ performances. Cedric was being completely sincere and it caught her off guard. A smile crept across her lips.

“I perform mostly old legends and poems set to music but I do have my own songs and dances,” she explained to him. A light sparkled in her eyes as she explained what she did. “My favorite act to portray is the old prophecy about the Goddess leaving the Tower in search of her one true love; banished from the Astral Plane and away from her grace. I feel it so deeply, I can hardly describe it.”

A bright blush painted her cheeks as that familiar sensation tingled through her body and practically shot from her fingertips and the shafts of her hair. There was a quiet, unstated power to the beautiful bard at that moment; one that was pure and gentle but full of passion.

“I would love to dance for you some time. I can do it now. Yes I am exhausted but it has been months since I danced for my own devices.”

 

[Mr Master]

Cedric's smile grew wider. "You know, during the Festival, the Inn hosts performances in its commons room. There's a band of musicians, and the dance-inclined take turns showing their moves and singing. It's an 'open floor', as the innkeeper says, and some people practice for months for it, and others just decide to go when they're in their cups."

"My point is, there's a place we can go where there's a proper floor, music accompaniment, and ale and wine by the glass." He winked. "I'm sure they have some stew on the boil, as well; they always do. Add in an appreciative audience, and ... would you like to visit the Inn?"

 

[Vivid Fizz]

That sounded completely wonderful! He had no idea how very important such a thing would be for her. Although she was tired and weary from long days of travel, she did not care, and wanted nothing more than to feel the music go through her; to move and raise her voice just for the pleasure of it. Such a luxury had been impossible before entering the town. Perhaps she would indulge and let herself be taken to the inn.

“That would be splendid I-“ she cut her own words off; her eyes picking up on a strange ripple through the crowd.

It was as if someone was pushing their way through the masses. All of her muscles tensed and she clenched her teeth together. She felt the hairs on her arm raise. This did not feel right. Expressive eyes darted around but the disturbance had stopped. The crowd was no longer being pushed aside; her heart rate dulled and, at once, all of her muscles relaxed. Iona had been mistaken. The paranoia of the trip must have made her on edge. She could have sworn that the Emperor’s dogs were roaming about the festival.

“I would love that.” The minstrel finally finished. “Take me to the inn so I can prepare. It is been so long since I have worn one of my costumes. I hope that at least one still fits.”

 

[Mr Master]

"As you wish," Cedric smiled, and gestured toward the inn. The place would be crowded, no doubt, but he could no doubt finagle her a place to prepare herself. The innkeeper owed him several favors for undercharging her for various empowerment services.

---

The squad of armored troops moved slowly up the trail, senses alert for other travelers; they were deep in enemy territory, far outside the Empire of Athelstan, and knew better than to incite a military response. A wagon drove up from behind; the rear-guard signaled the others, and they melted into the underbrush on the side of the road, covering the glint of their armor with their cloaks. After the wagon passed, they resumed their march.

The lead soldier gestured, and the company gathered. "Not a lot of prints visible, but there's one here. She's still on this trail."

"There's a village up ahead. I wager she stopped there," hissed the captain.

"Lot of traffic heading toward the village, not much going away," added one of the other troops. "Could mean trouble. There might be a meeting, or a festival, or some other gathering."

"We can't be seen," agreed the captain. "The Emperor wants the girl, not war. If there's more than the usual activity, we hold off and observe, reconnaissance. We'll have an opportunity; we can be patient if we have to be."

The Imperial Guardsmen all nodded, and then moved out again. The captain paused a moment to scratch a few symbols on a small slip of parchment with a charcoaled stylus, then rolled it up. He took a thick tube out of his traveling pack, and slid out a pigeon. Tying the message to its leg, he let it go, and then started sneaking up the road with the rest of his men.

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona clasped her hands together happily though she was looking around with suspicious glances. That feeling she had sent her into panic mode. All of her senses were on high alert. Even if she knew that nothing was going to happen, that there was little chance those men would be there, she could not help but feel frightened that they were watching her.

Calm yourself! You know better than this. Cedric is here. Even if there were goons out here, they could not lay a finger on you.

That thought managed to quell her fears for the most part and she followed him to the inn with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. Like he had said, there were many people at the tavern. Much drink was flowing and the smell of stew and delicious meats filled the air.

“You were right!” she exclaimed into the crowd.

-_-_-

Meanwhile, in a different part of the country, a woman walked the halls of a large and ornate temple. Everything was silent; all of the priestess had retired already, and her footsteps echoed through the marble arches. No one would know that she had been there. No signs of her were left. Nothing but a fading mark on the statue of the goddess in the middle of the prayer room…

 

[Mr Master]

Those in the inn recognized Cedric, and greeted him cheerily. They were a bit more reserved toward Iona, but only because they'd never seen her before. Still, she was with the well-known Cedric, so she must be an acceptable person, as well as gorgeous. There were musicians playing, and two pretty young farmgirls were doing a choreographed dance: they were good for amateurs, but had mostly enthusiasm on their side, rather than skill. Still, the crowd appreciated them, being as enthusiastic as the girls, as well as well-supplied with ale and hearty food.

Cedric said a few words to the innkeeper, a florid and expansive woman, and she nodded and smiled at Iona.

"Oh, so Cedric tells me you want to participate in our 'open floor' night, but you need a place to prepare. I have a room for you that'll do, I suppose; it's not a bedroom, but it's private. Can I get you a bowl of stew while you're waiting?"

"Marta will take care of you," Cedric assured her. "I'm supposed to sit near the band, and help correct any off-key notes." He winked. "Just one of the many services I provide. Don't worry, though, we're clearing a space on the schedule; you'll be able to go whenever you want."

 

[Vivid Fizz]

Iona smiled at the dancers. It was clear that the girls were not professionals but they danced with their hearts; clearly they enjoyed what they were doing and that lit up the floor. The men folk were enjoying the display at any rate but they were men and the ones dancing weren’t hard to look at. The minstrel giggled.

A little extra stew did sound wonderful. Although she was accustomed to eating meager portions throughout her journey and she was full from the apples and meat sticks, she figured that it would be the last time that she could eat so well.

“The stew sounds lovely,” she said with excitement. Any fear she had felt was washed away by the warm atmosphere of the tavern and the prospect of a delicious meal. “So does the private place to change. It has been so long since I have been able to dance and I think I have something perfect for this evening.”

It was not long before she was finished with what was served to her and she was led into the place where she could dress herself in her favorite costume. Ironically enough it was one that the Emperor had given to her as a present before he decided to keep her as his prisoner. The cloth was made of a sheer silk and somehow sparkled beneath candlelight like stars. Indeed, the entire piece looked as though it was cut from the night sky with its violet, indigo, and black hues. Truly she was shocked when she was still able to fill out the bustier as she had before; Iona had been worried that she had lost weight on her journey.

 

[Mr Master]

Cedric was waiting with everyone else, enjoying the singers and dancers. Young women, older, young men. One young man whose hair was the most impressive thing about himself sang a popular song badly with so much overwrought feeling, it was more laughable than heartfelt, but nobody mocked him (openly), and they cheered his effort. It was more for later days that he would be teased, but in a friendly manner: all that happened during the festival for the Goddess was supposed to be in good fun.

The music and noise washed over Cedric, but he didn't shield his ears; the heat from the hearth and the bodies packed in the commons pressed against him, but he didn't sweat; the flickering light from all the candles and torches and the fire in the hearth could cause some to shade their eyes, but he just gazed on. All the energies that hit him that were unpleasant, he simply converted, stored, used to recharge his inner wellspring of power. He could perceive them, not in any sense that he could translate; they weren't like visual rays or diagrams (though he sometimes wondered if he perceived light as more of a wave or a beam), but he could sense them anyway, their type and degree, where they were around him, what direction they were going. If he wanted to, he could have amplified a scullery-maid's whisper in the kitchen to his ears, or snuffed it so that not even the whisperer could have heard herself. He could have blanketed the whole commons in utter blackness, or increased the glare of all the candles to blind everyone in the room, perhaps permanently. But he did none of these things; the most he did was sense when a note from one of the minstrel players was sour, and corrected it before it spoiled the sound for the rest of the room. He was happy, he was safe, there was no reason to do anything else.

And then, the innkeeper shushed everyone. "We have a special performance this evening, a traveling minstrel from far-off lands. Let's all give her the full courtesy of a Pleasant Bottoms audience!" She began the clapping, and looked to the side room, and Cedric looked over with full anticipation and a wide grin on his face.

---

A homing pigeon flies fast, when it is hungry and homesick. It only took a few hours for it to wing its way over the leagues that had taken Iona and the guardsmen days, even weeks, to traverse on foot. It arrived in the dead of night, and the night-shift message-master noted the time and took the message. It was important enough, he sighed, and screwed his courage to the sticking point. The Emperor would want to hear about this right away.

The Emperor was not asleep yet; he was very much a night-loving person, very active during the time the sun was not. He was currently in his alchemical laboratory. Some claimed he had been gifted by the Enemy with an evil power to make the elements do what he willed, but the inner staff of the Imperial Palace knew it was due to hard work and study. He approached everything with a kind of scary intensity, though, so it was perfectly understandable that people might think it a supernatural gift.

The Emperor glanced up when the night message-master knocked and entered. "Ah... Dakka, is it? Come, witness this." He lit a straw with a nearby torch, and then touched it to his experiment. Something hissed, and there was a bang. Dakka blinked at the report, and was so surprised his ears barely registered the light gong from the other end of the table. The Emperor, however, was elated.

"Yes! It worked, Dakka, it worked! The explosive was sufficient to propel the lead weight to the gong! Think of it: if I can develop a way to turn this into a weapon, it would be more powerful than a crossbow, and even easier for a single soldier to use. It could make my armies unstoppable!" He paused for breath, his eyes blazing, envisioning the ramifications, the possibilities, and then he suddenly paused. "But you have a message, yes? Let me see it."

He read the small slip of paper, and his grin turned even scarier, which Dakka hadn't thought possible. "Excellent. The secret to success, Dakka, is not to rely entirely on one single thing. If you have opportunities and skills to try several approaches, do so. I have the power of the elements ready to be unlocked, and the power of the Gods soon to be in my grasp... well, the Goddess, at least. If only I had been gifted with mystical understandings, as well, I wouldn't have to rely on the Court Wizards. Regardless, this is good news. You've done well, Dakka. Go back to your post."

The night message-master disappeared with little more than a relieved breath, and the Emperor turned back to his research. His mind was flashing with ideas, with plans, with possibilities, and all of them to one goal: extending his power over the known world. And beyond, if he could manage it.

 

[Vivid Fizz]

With a spectacular leap, she burst on to the dance floor, instantly going down into an impressive split. A grin crossed her face as everyone looked at her dumbfounded. Towns like this rarely saw such a feat because there was no reason to learn it outside of merriment. This was how Iona made her living before she had been forced inside of the castle in Athelstan and it had been her passion; the skill in which she did it was second to none. A smile crossed her face as she gracefully pulled herself from the ground; the light shimmered off of the material of her costume.

Iona continued with her performance. It was an elaborate tale. In it she sung of the Goddess and her Guardian, with whom she fell madly in love, and decided to be incarnated as a human so she may find him again. Various musicians followed her lead and she moved her body to show the passion of the Goddess’ frantic search. There wasn’t a fault to be found in her expression of art. Truly she felt every aspect of her dance and every word of her song. When she finished she bowed deeply, chest rising and falling from her efforts.

At first there was no sound from the crowd and she felt her facial features fall slightly. But they were all dazed by her display and shell shocked. Violet eyes closed and she sighed. Well, it was worth he chance to do what she loved. Even if she was rusty, but, still…

“T-thank you all,” she managed to squeak out before hurrying back to where she had changed.