Thraxas and the Oracle

Chapter Four

Later, well-ensconced at a corner table in the Beery Knave, a small, dark tavern in a small, dark alleyway, I’m toasting Gurd and Tanrose’s survival with a large tankard of ale. He informs me he’s only been in the city for two days.

“We’re living in a tent up at the refugee camp, north of the walls. Not as bad as it sounds, they’ve got it well organised. Everyone who’s fit and able gets the chance to join up with the army. I’ll be doing that tomorrow.”

“How did you get out of Turai? When Deeziz worked that spell I blacked out. When I came round there was no one left in the Avenging Axe except Lisutaris and Makri. I dragged them out of there just before we were overrun. Had a close thing on the beach with a dragon.”

Gurd nods. “I blacked out too. I was already sick with the winter malady. When I came round I was out in the street with Tanrose and a few others. I hardly knew what was going on. That Orcish sorcerer really fooled us all. I was standing there wondering what was happening when a squadron of Orcs came round the corner with pikes and shields. I took out my sword and got ready for my death stand.”

Gurd bangs his fist on the table. “It would have been a good death stand! I’d have taken plenty of them with me.” He laughs. “But I’d have died soon enough. I could hardly stay on my feet, with the illness and the sorcery. Tanrose would have died too.”

“So what happened?”

“Tirini saved us.”

“Tirini Snake Smiter?”

“That’s right. You remember she was in the tavern too, for the big card game? She hobbled up, still dazed like everyone else, and still wearing her fur cloak and these fancy shoes. Could hardly walk. But she saved us all right. I tell you Thraxas, I’d no idea that woman was such a powerful sorcerer. She waved her arm and shouted out some spell. Next thing I knew we were all outside the city walls, quite a long way west. We could see the city burning but there were no Orcs or Dragons anywhere near.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Tirini did that?”

“She did. Took me and Tanrose and two or three others with her. Just plucked us up and set us down about a mile away. It only seemed to take a few seconds. Strangest thing that’s ever happened to me. ”

I’m impressed, and surprised. Lisutaris does insist that Tirini Snake Smiter is a powerful sorcerer, though you wouldn’t think that if you only knew her by reputation. With her perfectly-dyed blonde hair, her extravagant make up, her expensive fancy clothes and so on, she’s always seemed keener on fashion and scandalous relationships than practising sorcery. She featured regularly in the gossip sheets that circulated in Turai. She was denounced from the pulpit on more than one occasion by Archbishop Gzekius, who regarded her as the epitome of Turai’s decadent and impious upper-classes. Decadent and impious she may be, but moving a group of people instantly through space is an extremely difficult thing to do. I presume she somehow opened a portal into the magic space and dragged everyone through. It’s hard enough for a powerful sorcerer to do that for themselves. Taking a group of people with you would need sorcery of a very high level, higher than I thought she had.

“I didn’t realise Tirini had so much power.”

Gurd nods, but looks troubled. “She certainly saved our lives. But it cost her.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seemed like using such a powerful spell broke her mind, or something like that. Afterwards she couldn’t speak. She could hardly walk, and it wasn’t just the fancy shoes holding her back. It was like she’d used up every bit of her strength and had nothing left. I had to carry her. Eventually we found a horse and cart and we set off in that. We thought Tirini would get better but she didn’t. After a day or two I was over the Winter Malady and we were all in reasonable shape, except for Tirini. She still hasn’t recovered. She didn’t speak for the whole journey. Could hardly get her to eat anything either.”

I nod my head. “Instant travel through the magic space is dangerous as well as difficult. Sorcerers rarely risk it.”

Gurd frowns. “I don’t like it, Thraxas. I don’t like that she saved us at such a cost to herself. You’d hardly recognise her if you saw her.”

“Where is she?”

“Tanrose is taking her to Lisutaris. Maybe she can help. Though I gather it’s not easy to see Lisutaris these days, now she’s War Leader.”

“Don’t worry, Lisutaris will help. Tirini was her best friend.”

“I hope so. We met another Turanian sorcerer on the way here, but he wasn’t much help.”

“Who was it?”

“Coranius. I didn’t take to him.”

“Coranius the Grinder? That’s good news, Gurd. He’s got a lot of power, he’ll be a help in the war.”

“Maybe, but he’s a miserable man. Hardly spoke to us on the journey. Didn’t help Tirini either. Seemed to think she should just pull herself together.”

A waitress plants a bowl of stew on the table. I thank her, give her a goodly tip, and start mashing up a few yams.

“So here we are, off to war again.”

Gurd nods. He’s a large, brawny man, with huge arm muscles and long hair now mostly grey, still looking as barbaric as the day he appeared in Turai, which must be more than twenty years ago. We fought as mercenaries and soldiers together many times. He ended up owning a tavern and I ended up as his tenant, which probably says something about which one of us is the wisest.

“What’s this about you being in some private security unit? I was expecting you to be in the Turanian phalanxes with me.”

“I’d much rather be there. Unfortunately I’ve saved Lisutaris’s life so many times she can’t do without me. I tell you Gurd, without me looking after Lisutaris we’d have lost the war already.”

Gurd laughs. “You saved her life? Are you sure it wasn’t Makri?”

“Makri? She’s been hopeless from the start. Absolutely useless. If I hadn’t dragged her skinny frame onto that boat she’d be dragon food by now. Not that she was grateful. I tell you Gurd, the last few weeks have been a nightmare, shepherding these two women around.”

I bang my tankard on the table. “You’d think a powerful sorcerer and a so-called champion gladiator might have been able to do something for themselves, but really they just left everything to me. They spent most of the time crying.”

“Crying?”

“Yes. Completely sickening. You know what Makri’s like - always bragging about what a tough gladiator she was, and how many fights she won. Let me tell you that when something goes wrong, she still bursts into tears. Since Turai fell, she’s spent most of the time sobbing like a baby. And Lisutaris is no better. You hear her talking about bringing down dragons, but given the slightest excuse, she’ll burst into tears as well.”

Gurd looks shocked. “Lisutaris too?”

“I swear it’s true. I tell you Gurd, there were times when it was all I could do to stay sane, with Lisutaris wailing, and Makri blubbering away beside her. You know I can’t stand it when women cry.”

“No one can.”

I give Gurd a stern look. “You’re not thinking of bursting into tears now we’ve met again, are you?”

“Certainly not.”

Having safely established that neither of us are going to cry, we get down to some drinking. I can’t describe what a relief it is to see him alive. We’re still swapping stories when Gurd announces that he has to leave. He’s promised to meet Tanrose to buy supplies to take back to their tent. I’m disappointed.

“Can’t she manage on her own?”

“I promised I’d be there.”

Unlike me, Gurd is a man who keeps his promises, even when he’d rather be downing ale. I should probably admire him for it. I grumble a little as he departs, and have myself another beer to make up for my disappointment. I look down at my empty bowl of stew. Not bad quality. Nothing like Tanrose could make, of course. I look around the small tavern, vaguely wondering what I should be doing next. Investigating, I suppose. But there’s really nothing to investigate. Nothing I can think of anyway. If Deeziz the Unseen has arrived in Samsarina, I doubt she’s going to reveal herself in the Beery Knave. I start to feel a little annoyed. It’s all very well Lisutaris telling me to go out and find Deeziz, but isn’t that something the Sorcerers should be doing? I did once have a few sorcerous powers but they’ve mostly gone now. Nothing I can do is going to magically locate Deeziz. What was it I said To Anumaris Thunderbolt about just plodding round, looking for clues? I can’t remember. Some nonsense, I expect.

“To hell with them all,” I mutter. “Particularly Anumaris. I never thought the day would come when I’d be in a tavern with someone who asked for a glass of water. What was Lisutaris doing, putting her on my staff? If that’s the best young sorcerer we’ve got, the West is doomed.”

I’m yawning. I should sleep. Since arriving in the capital I’ve been billeted in a barracks on the west of the city but it’s a long way back there. I decide to head back to my new office at Lisutaris’s headquarters and sleep there. I remember there isn’t a couch. I told Anumaris to sort that out for me but I doubt if she has. Where is she anyway? Shouldn’t she be around? I’ll have something to say to her about deserting me when we’re meant to be on duty.

Spring has arrived and it’s a warm say in the Samsarinan capital. I give a cheerful wave to a squadron of heavily armed Elves who march by in good formation. I’m still yawning as I climb the stairs and enter my office. Inside is Anumaris Thunderbolt. The young sorcerer doesn’t look that pleased to see me.

“Where did you get to?” I demand. “You don’t just wander off when you’re on duty.”

“You told me to go away!”

“No I didn’t.”

“Yes you did! You were extremely rude.”

I scowl at her. “This is war. What do you expect? A pat on the head from the local ladies sewing circle? My security department is a tough fighting unit. If you can’t take it, go work somewhere else.”

“Your tough fighting unit seems to spend all its time drinking in taverns.”

“You mean investigating in taverns. And shouldn’t you be addressing me as General? This is the army, show some discipline.”

“You’re not a General. You’re a Captain.”

“Are you sure?”

“Quite sure.”

“Very well. Captain it is. Now go away, I need to rest.” Suddenly I bump my leg on an unexpectedly large piece of furniture. “What’s this?”

“A couch. Sort of.”

“What do you mean sort of? Is it a couch or isn’t it?”

“There aren’t any couches available for requisition. I took four chairs and joined them up with a spell.”

I take a look at her handiwork. Four chairs, reasonably comfy, lined up and fixed together. Quite clever, really.

“Not bad. It’s time you did something useful round here. The rest of your work has been a great disappointment.”

With that, I lie down on my new couch and fall asleep. My first day as Lisutaris’s Chief Security Officer has been quite arduous, and I need my rest.