The Fractured Sky

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Detain us? That's highly unusual, isn't it?" Tauran asked the archons. His voice carried a gracious tone, but there was a concerned edge to it. "I have come to your fascinating city on other occasions, and you never had cause to detain me then."

The archon nodded again and waved Tauran's concerns away. "I know, and I apologize. It's really just a formality. The upheaval there and all, you know. We've been given orders to make certain any conflicts originating there don't spill over to here."

Aliisza saw Tauran's shoulders relax a bit. She did not share the deva's confidence in what they were being told. This doesn't feel right, she thought. Don't be so quick to trust them!

"Certainly," the angel said. "I understand. We are happy to cooperate in whatever way necessary. Yes?" He looked to his companions.

Aliisza nodded and tried to smile, but both Kaanyr and Kael glared for long moments before each of them gave a single, curt nod.

They don't like this, either. Why is Tauran not more suspicious?

"Lead on, good soldier," Tauran said, motioning with his hand. "We shall follow."

The lead archon smiled and turned. He gave some instructions for a small detail to escort the quartet of visitors to some place called the Palace of Myriad Amazements, while the rest of the force were to return to their duties.

As the four were led out of the park and down a wide street, Aliisza took in the sights. As much as the park and its magical displays amazed her, the street they turned on outdid it considerably. Every establishment they passed, from the meanest vendor to the most elaborate shop, incorporated extravagant arcane contrivances to draw attention to themselves. It was if each attempted to outdo the next.

The first building on their left was made up of a series of long towers constructed of translucent crystal. It reminded Aliisza of a set of musical pipes, and indeed, the whole place resonated with sweet tones, as though the building itself performed some song.

The entire front wall of a more conventional building on the right glowed from multiple dweomers displaying moving images of sailing ships and splashing dolphins, all in garish pinks and purples. From the noise emanating from within that place, it was a thriving taproom.

A third establishment farther down took up the entire block and resembled the dryad tree-community-or at least how Aliisza imagined it before Zasian had burned it to cinders. Unlike that locale, though, the great tree that filled the lot was entirely magical, constructed of nothing more than millions of twinkling lights. The buildings resting within those arcane branches took the form of gilded bird cages. The whole place had a fey quality to it.

A vendor selling meat pies passed the group heading the other way. He attracted business by means of an illusory life-size phantasm of a three-headed lizardman dressed in a jester's outfit that cavorted around the merchant's cart. The pies he hawked smelled delicious to Aliisza, but her escort seemed intent on getting them to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. She gave one last, longing look back at the cart and hurried on.

A trio of ogre magi moved casually down the opposite side of one street they followed, dressed in rich silks adorned with magically enhanced baubles. Aliisza stared at them for a moment, expecting trouble, but when no one else in their retinue paid any heed to the powerful wizards, she shrugged and kept going. In her distraction, the alu almost stepped in front of a floating carriage that was missing both its draft animals and its wheels. Inside, a human with long white hair, an equally long white moustache, and even longer fingernails gave her a disdainful stare as she scooted out of the way.

Through all the sights and sounds, hundreds of lantern archons bobbed and weaved, hurrying elsewhere on some errand or another.

Once over her initial shock and awe, Aliisza found the ostentatious nature of the city amusing. She remembered Tauran's quip about conspicuous displays of power.

He wasn't exaggerating, she thought. Whoever has the time and energy to go around creating all of this must be imposing. And wasteful. The alu could still feel the heightened sense of arcane potency coursing through her own body. But with this kind of power… she shivered in anticipation. Anything might be possible.

They reached an open plaza with several buildings facing the common square, which was dominated by a great basin filled with what looked like liquid silver. A tall stone fountain depicting three incredibly lifelike dragons hovered over the center of the pool. From the mouths of the dragons spewed a continuous stream of tiny points of light, each one bursting into a myriad of colors, much like the tiny missiles that Kaanyr had been so fond of conjuring with his lost wand.

The patrol of hound archons led the four of them across the plaza to a broad-fronted building. It was one of the most mundane structures Aliisza had spotted since entering the city. Instead of steps, a ramp rose up to a colonnaded porch with three sets of immense double doors. The folk coming and going from those doors did not walk upon the ramp, however. Instead, they merely stepped onto an invisible point directly over the ramp and seemed to glide up or down without moving.

The group entered the austere building, where simple stone walls and fluted columns rose to tall, vaulted ceilings. As the visitors strode across the tiled floor, the soaring chambers echoed their footsteps. Large tapestries hung in some of the alcoves, and hallways led to other parts of the building in others.

Aliisza felt a vague sense of unease. It looks like a cathedral, she decided. And not so many amazements. Someone has a sense of humor, I guess.

The archons led the quartet through several halls and down a broad set of stairs until they came to a polished wooden door. The leader of the patrol opened the door and ushered them inside.

"Someone should be here to speak with you shortly," he said, stepping aside.

Tauran nodded and passed through.

Kaanyr hesitated at the entrance. "How long?" he asked, more gruffly than Aliisza thought necessary.

Don't make them more wary, you dolt! she wanted to yell at him.

The archon bristled slightly. "As soon as is reasonably possible. You will wait here until they can get to you. As you can imagine, there is a bit of a backlog. We have many visitors to the city every day."

"Quit being a boor and go in," Kael growled from behind the cambion.

Aliisza was glad she wasn't the only one who had been thinking that.

Kaanyr grimaced and rolled his eyes, but he turned and entered the room. Kael and Aliisza followed him, and the archon pulled the door shut after her, leaving them alone.

The chamber was pleasant and comfortable, with several couches arrayed around the perimeter and a side table filled with numerous foods and beverages. Beautiful magically animated landscapes adorned the walls, like moving paintings made of light and sound. Aliisza stared at one, astonished at the way the populace spared no use of arcane power for the most mundane things. She noted that there were no other windows or exits from the room.

Kaanyr headed straight for the spread of food and grabbed up a thick slab of bread. Breaking it in half, he layered some roasted meat simmering in rich, dark mushroom gravy, along with some slices of cheese, onto the crust. He was on the verge of biting into the meal when he froze in place.

"You don't think they've laced this with something, do you?" he asked no one in particular. "Should we eat it?"

Aliisza's stomach was rumbling, and the odors wafting from the spread made her mouth water. She and Kael both had followed the cambion to the food when Kaanyr posed his question. She halted on the verge of pouring a flagon of chilled wine.

"Why? What would that accomplish?" Tauran asked, motioning for them to continue. "They have no reason to be suspicious of us, nor we of them. This is all just a precaution, I tell you."

"How can you be so certain?" Kaanyr asked, eyeing his food. "You can be too trusting."

"I agree," Aliisza said, still holding the wine and empty goblet. "What if this brief detention is nothing but an excuse to keep us here until Micus can come and subdue us? We're trapped in this room."

Tauran shrugged and moved to one of the couches. He sank down and reclined, closing his eyes. "Though Mystra holds sway here, many outsiders travel to Dweomerheart to conduct trade. Whatever else motivates her, Mystra benefits when that trade, particularly in all things magical, is lucrative. It's hard to entice travelers to stop over when you make a habit of seizing them off the streets and incarcerating them for questioning."

"That proves my point all the more," Kaanyr argued. "This is too unusual. They have brought us here specifically because of who we are. For all we know, Micus is behind it and will come through that door in a matter of moments."

"Exactly," Aliisza said. "It feels like a set up." She sniffed the wine in the pitcher but could detect no taint upon it. That doesn't mean anything, she thought.

Tauran didn't open his eyes. "Suit yourselves," he said, "but I know the angels here. They are aware of the disaster within the House and they are just being cautious. They don't want a faction war spilling over into Dweomerheart. Micus is not part of this."

"What about Zasian?" Kael asked. "Perhaps he has put something in place to stall us, trap us. This could be his doing."

Tauran did sit up then. "Perhaps," he admitted, though he sounded doubtful. "But we stopped chasing him to come here. Besides, why would he do that if he did know? He went to all that trouble to lay a trail for us. Why would he do that just to get rid of us here? That makes little sense."

Kael frowned then finally nodded. "I suppose you're right," he said, and he began to prepare a platter with some of the meat and mushrooms.

Kaanyr examined his impromptu selection a moment more, then he, too, shrugged and took a healthy bite. "I guess we'll see," he said, his words barely intelligible around the wad of food in his mouth.

Aliisza watched the two men eat, but still she hesitated. If something was going to happen to them, she wanted to be able to react and not succumb to any reagents in the food. Neither Kael nor Kaanyr paid any attention to the alu as they wolfed down the first hearty meal either of them had enjoyed in quite some time.

After waiting several moments and seeing no adverse effects in either of her companions, Aliisza could not stand it any longer. She poured herself some of the chilled wine and sampled it. It was delicious. She grabbed a plate and started in on a piece of poached fish. The stuff practically dissolved in her mouth, it was so tender and moist. She grabbed a clump of fresh, pinkish berries she had never seen before and spied a platter of some sort of glazed pastries. Her stomach rumbling loudly, Aliisza took her meal over to one of the sedans, sank into it, and began eating.

The food tasted every bit as good as it had smelled. The berries were slightly tart and had a hint of honey to them, and the pastries were decadent. The alu gorged herself on all of it. Kael and Kaanyr both went back and piled their plates high a second time, and Tauran even overcame his apparent exhaustion long enough to sample the spread. No one said anything for quite some time as they all preoccupied themselves with bite after bite.

Eventually, feeling sated, Aliisza set her own plate aside and stretched out on the sedan she had chosen. She grew worried once more that they had walked into a trap of some sort. "It is taking them a long time to come speak with us," she said, resting her head against the armrest. "I still think this could be an ambush."

"I think they must be dealing with a lot of visitors," Tauran replied, his voice sounding vacant.

Aliisza glanced over to the angel and saw that he reclined again on the couch where he had been eating, his eyes closed. "Someone ought to stay awake, keep watch," she suggested, but her eyelids were drooping. "We don't want to get caught off guard." She thought briefly how it odd it was that none of her companions answered her, but it didn't really matter. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Kaanyr jerked awake. The lighting was dim, and for a moment, he lost track of where he was. Then he took in his companions, all sleeping soundly on various couches, and it came back to him.

The cambion sat up and peered around. Had something startled him? Had someone come to visit them while they had been out? Or had he simply been dreaming? He couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened, but there was no one else in the room.

How long have we been sleeping? Kaanyr wondered. He remembered seeing an ornate and elaborate candelabra resting on the side table where the food was. He turned toward it and stopped dead in his tracks.

All of the food had been cleared.

Kaanyr reached for his sword, only to remember that he had been forced to leave it behind when Aliisza had rescued him. He slipped his daggers free of their scabbards and scanned the room again. When he was certain there was no one in the chamber, he relaxed slightly and moved to the table. The candelabra was still there, and the candles had burned low. A good amount of time had passed since they had arrived.

That could be a lie, he thought. Whoever came in here and cleared the dishes might have swapped the candles.

Suspicious of why none of them had awakened at the intrusion, Kaanyr decided to investigate beyond the door. He slipped silently across the floor and pressed his ear against the portal, listening.

When he heard no sounds from the other side, he slipped the heavy wooden door open a tiny bit and peered out through the crack. A pair of bobbing, weaving globes of light flitted around just outside. Kaanyr knew they were lantern archons, the spiritual essences of those who had come to Dweomerheart after death and who served in various capacities. They did not seem to react to his presence, so he watched them long enough to confirm that they were deliberately positioned at that particular door.

Guarding us, he realized. The cambion pressed the door closed again and frowned in thought. They aren't powerful enough to stop me from leaving, but it would only take them a moment to summon others. Very clever.

Kaanyr scanned the room again, checking on his companions. Each of them was still in a calm, deep sleep. His gaze fell upon Tauran.

He didn't specifically tell me I couldn't go, Kaanyr thought, trying to justify the act of leaving and avoid the trap of the magical coercion. And sneaking out in order to gather information might be crucial to our plan to stop Zasian, he added, smiling to himself in the dimness of the room. Yes, he decided, a perfect justification. We can all play the game, angel.

Satisfied that he had mentally created a loophole that would allow him to slip away, Kaanyr considered how best to execute his plan. He disliked the thought of leaving the others behind, particularly Aliisza. His gaze swept over her. She seemed so at peace where she slept, he almost wanted to go to her, wake her, and get her to come with him. But the feeling of betrayal still lingered, and when he recalled its source, he started to get angry all over again.

He may be one of the four you love, the cambion silently fumed, but don't expect me to like it. He's a thrice-damned angel, for Hells' sake! You should know better. No, better to be alone right now, he decided. I'll have a better chance if I go by myself, anyway.

He wondered how sensitive the lantern archons would be to his presence if he chose to turn immaterial. Passing through the crack in the door in gaseous form would be a simple matter, but if the glowing spherical creatures had the ability to detect such magical tricks, he would be in trouble.

Noticing me and stopping me are two different things, the cambion decided.

Reaching into the folds of his tunic, Kaanyr produced one of the tiny glass vials wrapped in gauzy fabric that he used for his chosen spell and snapped it with his fingers. He murmured the arcane words to complete the incantation and felt himself transform, becoming an insubstantial cloud. He took a moment to adjust his senses then proceeded.

Settling to the floor, Kaanyr glided to the door. He inched his way forward until he was partially past the barrier, then he watched the archons. They never changed their random flitting or reacted to him in anyway. Satisfied that he went unnoticed, the cambion curled his form around the edge of the doorframe and sneaked away, keeping his shape long and thin and following the corner made by the floor and the wall.

Kaanyr traveled to the end of the hall and then around several corners until he reached the stairs. At one point, he passed a pair of hound archons walking the other way. He held still as they strode by, still compacting himself into the horizontal corner between floor and wall. They didn't seem to notice him, though, and once they were gone he continued on his way.

Ascending the stairs, Kaanyr followed the path he and his companions had taken upon arriving at the Palace of Myriad Amazements and finally reached the great front doors. He was on the verge of sliding beneath the nearest pair when an inner voice warned him to halt. He froze next to the portal and waited, trying to discern the cause of his apprehension. It took the cambion a moment to zero in on the danger, but with the heightened magical senses he had been experiencing since arriving in Dweomerheart, he finally located it.

A magical field surrounded the door, a trigger that he could only faintly detect. No, that's not right, he realized. It surrounds the entire building.

Kaanyr probed it with his mind, sending out magical feelers to see if he could learn more. After a few moments testing the field, he determined that it was no barrier against him, nor was it going to discharge some magical attack against him. It would, however, sound an alarm throughout the palace if he tried to cross it.

Vhok decided to wait and see if he could determine how others bypassed the signal without setting it off. He remained in the corner next to one of the doors, hoping someone would pass through before his magic was consumed and he reverted to his corporeal self.

The cambion did not have to wait long. A pair of humans, one male and one female, exited one of the many hallways and headed to a set of the doors. Careful to remain unobtrusive, Kaanyr glided near them and waited while they approached the portal. As they drew near the ward, a lantern archon materialized. The archon flitted and danced around the two, seeming to examine them. It appeared satisfied and moved toward the ward. Kaanyr heard the creature speak a single word, and he could tell that a portion of the trigger was suppressed. The two humans passed through without incident.

Kaanyr didn't waste any time. The moment he understood that there was a gap in the alarm, he drifted past it, sliding along the floor just behind the pair of humans. They quickly outpaced him, and he feared that with his slow rate of motion, he would be caught within range when the barrier reactivated.

But the cambion's fears were not realized, and he found himself free of the palace.

Kaanyr drifted along for a few moments more, seeking a concealed location where he could return to his normal physical form. After entering a small alley between the palace and another nearby building, he shifted back into his solid body.

First things first, he thought, peering out into the street. I need weapons.

Initially, Kaanyr remained out of sight as much as possible, using the shadows to best advantage while moving from point to point. But the farther away he got from the Palace of Myriad Amazements, the less concerned he became about being apprehended. In addition, the folk strolling the streets were of so many varied species that he realized he would blend in far better acting casual, as if he belonged.

After a few discreet inquiries, Kaanyr found his way to an open bazaar brimming with merchants. From a variety of stalls, tents, and wagons the vendors offered every sort of magical trinket, spell component, and artifact imaginable. Dealers held their wares in front of him, cajoling him to sample them or buy, but the cambion had a specific destination in mind. He pushed past the merchants without even acknowledging them and headed for a large and colorful tent near the center of the bazaar.

Guards stationed at regular intervals around the perimeter of the pavilion watched the goings-on impassively. The cambion saw mostly humans, though he noted a couple of lion-headed leonals serving, too. The other merchants left plenty of space around the tent, giving it and the sentinels a wide berth.

Kaanyr walked to the entrance of the pavilion and was on the verge of ducking inside when one of the two guards blocked his way. "No one goes inside without an invitation," said the warrior, a big burly human in black-tinged plate armor.

The cambion stared at the man through narrowed eyes then held up his hand for a moment to signal that the fellow should wait. He pulled off his left boot, reached down inside it, and pulled out a small bundle. Slipping his boot back on, Kaanyr opened the pouch and spilled a quantity of uncut diamonds into the palm of his other hand.

"Does this count?" he asked, showing the gemstones to the guard.

The warrior stared at the stones for several heartbeats then said, "Wait here." He ducked inside the tent.

As Kaanyr waited, he slipped the diamonds back into the pouch and hid it in an inner pocket of his clothing. Then he studied the crowds in the rest of the bazaar.

When the warrior returned, a creature followed him. The being stood twice as tall as the cambion, with skin of a deep azure color. His body was long and lithe, with high, pointed ears and a prominent if slender chin. Two small fangs jutted from the fellow's mouth, but his voluminous black and orange robes, cut from the finest fabrics and embroidered with an elaborate pattern of precious metals and stones, belied any feral nature. Kaanyr had only heard of the mercane by reputation, but if they were half as good at buying and selling as most people believed, the cambion could get what he sought.

"I understand you wish to conduct business," the creature said in a high, reedy voice. He spoke in quite refined Abyssal. "You have some commodities you wish to show me?"

Kaanyr nodded and produced the pouch again. He dumped the diamonds out into his palm once more.

The mercane reached out with one spidery hand and took hold of the largest stone between his thumb and forefinger. Kaanyr noted with the slightest revulsion that the mercane's fingers bent with an extra joint. "Ah, decent quality," the mercane said, producing a strange ocular and peering through it at the stone he had selected. "Quite fine, actually. Few flaws, good color. Yes, I think we can do business." He placed the stone back in Kaanyr's palm. "Follow me." He turned and glided gracefully inside, his robes hardly swaying around his legs.

Kaanyr put the stones back into their pouch and followed the creature into the tent. A number of hanging tapestries partitioned the interior of the pavilion, so Kaanyr could not see the entirety of the place all at once, but everywhere the mercane walked, Kaanyr spotted trunks, barrels, boxes, and crates. Oil lamps illuminated each area individually, and in some of the alcoves, buyers and sellers haggled over wares. A few of the dealers were mercane as well, each dressed in finery to rival Kaanyr's host, but each one's tastes in colors and cut varied significantly.

The mercane led Kaanyr to an unoccupied spot near the center of the tent and glided toward a plush chair with numerous cushions that had been pulled up to a low table. As he sat, the mercane offered Kaanyr a similar seat on the opposite side of the table.

"Wine?" the mercane asked, gesturing to a crystal service set on the table. "Perhaps a sweetmeat?"

Still sated from the meal back at the palace, Kaanyr declined. He knew that the mercane considered it customary to engage in pleasantries for a few moments before getting down to business, but he had no time.

"I thank you for your hospitality, and your willingness to do business," Kaanyr said, "but time is of the essence. I need weapons. Can you accommodate me?"

The mercane sniffed, obviously put off by the cambion's brusque manner, but he nodded. "Indeed," he answered. "What sort of weapons?"

"I need an enchanted blade," Kaanyr said. "Something with a bit of bite to it. A good sword."

The mercane sat back and steepled his long fingers together in front of his mouth. "I see," he said. "And your funds? You wish to spend all of what you showed me?"

Kaanyr hesitated. He had other pouches hidden on his person, but those diamonds were a significant part of his fortune. And he wanted more than just a sword. "Perhaps," he said, refusing to commit. "Depending."

"On…?" the mercane asked. "I have the finest quality enchanted swords of every style imaginable in the entire city. I'm sure you can find something you like."

"I'm sure I can, too," Kaanyr said, "but I'm also looking for something a bit more arcane to round out my purchase. I dabble a bit in the dweomers myself, so I have some specific ideas in mind."

"Oh? And what would those be?"

"Well, I prefer wands," Kaanyr said. "Though potions will do in a pinch."

"And what kind of wands would you like?" the mercane asked.

"Something with some power," Kaanyr answered. "Flashy, potent. That's what I like. Oh, and I need a reliable means of flying. It's become an issue of late."

"I think I can accommodate you," the mercane said, smiling.

Kaanyr found the grin a bit predatory, and he fought the urge to shudder.

Later, after concluding his business-and after cursing himself for spending so much-Kaanyr worked his way back to the Palace of Myriad Amazements. He was still thinking how best to sneak back inside when he spotted Micus.

The angel walked on the far side of the street with another angel alongside, one that Kaanyr recognized as his jailor. Garin, he thought. I think that was his name. The sight of those two made him draw up short and want to vanish into the crowd.

They strode with purpose between a pair of utterly strange creatures. The creatures reminded the cambion of centaurs, though they were certainly not of flesh and blood. In some places, he could see alabaster skin, but in between, gears, pistons, and tubes of brass and steel shone through. The creatures wore golden armor, and they walked with the same sense of urgency that Micus and the other angel displayed.

Kaanyr followed them from a distance, but he already knew where they were headed. When they reached the steps of the Palace of Myriad Amazements, the cambion knew it was time to clear out. He turned to flee, to leave Dweomerheart by whatever means he could find, and then his mind betrayed him.

If you don't do something to warn Tauran and the others, you're putting the entire mission at risk.

That was all it took to force Kaanyr to try to help.