“He loves hearing his own voice…” Gregory muttered as he walked away from the mayor’s home.
“The powerful normally do. After all, they should be listened to,” Willof said.
“I have to make a few more stops before we make it back to the distillery, if you’d like to accompany me.”
“More surprises?” Willof asked, staying in step with him.
“Simple things that’ll make life a little more comfortable for the men. I’ve drilled them for a couple of weeks and they’ve come to accept it, but now, it’s time to show them some positives.”
“You’re shrewder with your men than I had thought you’d be, Gregory.”
“Extensive reading, plus Yuki,” Gregory chuckled. “I’ll be harsh when needed, but never without reason. Better to lead with respect than fear.”
“Very true. What stops will we be making, then?”
Gregory waved down a town guard. “Sir, a moment, please.”
“How can I… Magi, how might I serve?” The man’s tone went from bored to polite in an instant.
“I need a carpenter who does decent— but not great— work. One who might already have serviceable tables and benches on hand, preferably.”
“Old Man Golut might, sir. He does them for the rougher taverns; they get broken often enough that he normally has some on hand. They aren’t great work, sir. Barely decent, in fact.”
“That’ll be fine. They’re for my men. Which way to his shop?”
The guard turned so he was orientated correctly. “Two streets that way, then ten north, sir. Uh… it’s not the best neighborhood, sir.”
“Do you think the captain and I will find trouble?” Gregory asked with an amused smile.
“Not by anyone with brains, sir.”
“If someone without tries anything, I’ll leave them to the guard’s mercy.”
The guard winced. “Yes, sir. I’ll notify my sergeant so the patrol there goes through sooner.”
“As you need to,” Gregory said. “Have a good day.”
The guard bowed. “You, as well, Magi.”
“I’ve seen you inside the academy walls and at the tournament, yet I still find your manner with others to be among the best I’ve ever seen from a magi,” Willof said once they were a street away.
“I have hopes that magi will comport themselves more like me and my clan in the future.”
“If you have to wish, it’s best to aim high. That way, if you fall a little short, it should still be good.”
“Oh, that’s not my ultimate dream.”
Willof lapsed into silence, as he could guess what Gregory meant. He’d seen the young man with his wives and friends; almost all of them were other than just human, which meant those women had been degraded and abused for years. Gregory dreamed of an empire where the women he cared about would be equal to everyone. It was easy for the captain to guess, and he deeply wished the young man well, even if it was an impossible dream. Aether himself would have to return to make the Velum Empire bend that far.
The pair were silent as they walked. The town slowly diminished as they went farther away from where they’d chatted with the guard. The shops and homes showed signs of disrepair that grew more pronounced the longer they walked. Willof kept his left hand on his scabbard, ready to angle it for his right hand to draw it easier if needed.
Gregory watched the people— no happiness could be seen the closer to their destination they got. Life had taken these individuals and ground them down into the gutter. Mostly men like the roughs that had targeted him for mugging on his way to the academy. He had no fear of these men; they saw his orange kimono and chose to slip away.
“With no prospects, they do what they think necessary to survive,” Willof murmured, having glanced at Gregory. “Women will work in places that a lady shouldn’t. Some of them will sell their bodies if it means making vela for their children. The men are laborers or worse, perhaps stooping to violent crime. Without your clothes and my armor, I wouldn’t want to walk here.”
“It was men like these that tried to mug me on my way to the academy… but not all of them are like that. I’m sure that even here, there are those who stay honorable, struggling to make their way, but not crossing the lines of society.”
“True enough, just like some rich merchants might not sell their own family if it meant profit. I’d think it’s rare, but not impossible.”
“Considering my father-in-law, I know the second is possible.”
“I wouldn’t say a word against Warlin. He put a lot into making sure you and your wives had the best men he could arrange in a very short period of time.”
“He loves to dote on Yuki,” Gregory smiled.
“As her husband does, as well,” Willof chuckled. “Maybe one day, I’ll know the joy of that.”
“Hope is good. It sustains our spirits while we toil on.”
“That sounds like a quote.”
“Lionel Lighthand,” Gregory supplied.
“You mentioned that you’ve been reading his journals. Does that mean you have them with you?”
“A few,” Gregory said. “Some of his later journals… aren’t exactly welcome in the empire for their views.”
“Ah, so they aren’t available, then,” Willof nodded. “I know some books have been wiped out for similar reasons in the past.”
Hearing the disappointment in Willof’s voice, Gregory’s lips pursed. “There was another quote of his that’s not well known. ‘If you fear words will change how a person thinks, you’re not afraid of the words; you’re afraid of people thinking.’”
Willof coughed, looking around for a moment. “I can see where that quote wouldn’t be welcomed by most in power.”
“Hence why his later journals are banned.”
“But you have them? Would it be possible to read them?”
Gregory hadn’t stretched his aether for a week, but he did now. Using resonance, he pushed his aether down the path of whether it would be best to lend Willof the journals or not. The future spooled out, but Gregory didn’t watch it— he just wanted the answer, and if he focused on just that, it taxed him less. A single image came back to him, and he smiled at it.
“I’ll lend them to you in order,” Gregory murmured. “It’s the only way to get the full context.”
“Thank you.”
Gregory exhaled, then wobbled in place for a moment.
“Sir?” Willof asked with concern, grabbing his arm.
Gregory produced some jerky and quickly stuck it in his mouth. “I’m fine, Captain. Used more aether than I meant to. Just give me a moment.”
Willof stayed there, scanning the area.
“I’m good,” Gregory exhaled.
“You used your aether?”
“No comment,” Gregory said.
“Ah… because of Rafiq?”
“Because any mention of it might be heard of eventually. I trust Rafiq and you, Willof. Outside of my clan, the people I trust are a finite number. I’ve taken your measure since the tournament. You didn’t let any divide stop you from helping as needed. Some prejudices obviously don’t hold you, considering your potential partner, but just as I won’t explain what I did to Rafiq, I won’t to you, either.”
“That’s entirely fair. You’ll have conflict with others… I can think of at least one clan that would take joy in you being pulled down.”
“At least one, though that might be more, eventually. The thing about the clans is that they’re run by people who will let their egos and feelings dictate what the entire clan does.”
“Can any organization not be influenced in the same way?”
“Probably not. I’m not even sure it’s a bad thing most of the time, but when the driving emotion is hatred… it won’t lead to anything positive.”
Willof had to agree with that statement. He couldn’t think of a single time when he’d seen hatred become positive. They’d reached their destination, though, so they shelved the previous discussions.
The carpenter shop was clean on the inside. Gregory had been afraid he’d find sawdust all over the place, but this shop was neat, tidy, and orderly. The display area inside the door held chairs, tables, cutting boards, and other odds and ends. The bell that had announced them brought a young woman rushing into the room.
“How can…? Magi, how may I serve you?” Her tone had been polite, but became fearful when she saw who was waiting for her.
That fear had Gregory frowning. “I’m in need of five tables that can seat six and two tables that can seat four. If you have a few well-made bowls for soup, I’d like them and some tankards, as well.”
“We don’t have the quality you’d prefer, Magi. I can give you directions to the better crafters.”
Gregory touched the display table that could fit six people. “This’ll work fine. They’re for my men to use for meals, miss. Also, I am not angry or displeased, nor am I known for bouts of irrational outbursts. You have nothing to fear from me.”
The young woman snuck glances at Gregory and Willof, but refused to look at them directly. “If that’s what you want, sir, I’d need to check the back to see if we have five of them.”
“I can wait,” Gregory smiled. The woman rushed out of the room and he exhaled. “She’s been hurt by magi before.”
“She acted afraid, but not terrified. I don’t think it was her.”
Gregory considered that. His answer was given a moment later when an old man came limping into the room, then froze upon seeing Gregory.
“Sir, is this your shop?” Gregory asked in a friendly tone.
“It is, Magi. How can I serve?” Wary caution filled the tone.
“Your assistant is checking on what I need. I wanted to commend you on your shop. I’ve been in places that aren’t as clean and tidy.”
“Thank you, Magi,” the old man croaked. “Please, Magi… leave my granddaughter be.”
“Sir,” Gregory said softly, “I mean you and your family no harm. I’m sorry my presence has caused you distress. Obviously, I don’t know what happened before, but my men and I are training here for the year. None of my people will cause you trouble. I simply came for tables; good, serviceable tables.”
“Grandfather!” the young woman gasped, running to his side. “Magi, he doesn’t mean any harm!”
Gregory held up his hand. “Again, I’m not here for anything but the tables. Neither of you needs to fear me. I can only guess what other magi have done, but I’m not them. Do you have the tables?”
“Yes, sir. I can have them delivered as soon as I can arrange—”
Gregory held his hand up again, and she cut off instantly. “Just show them to me and I’ll take them.”
“That one is one of them,” she said softly.
Gregory touched the table and absorbed it into his ring, then collected the benches. “Just show me the rest, please.”
“Your ring can hold them all?” Willof asked in shock.
“It can, and please keep that to yourself, Captain. I’ll be surprising everyone back at camp.”
“Yes, sir,” Willof replied instantly.
“The small tables are back there, too?” Gregory asked, not having moved.
“Yes, Magi,” the woman said with a touch of wonder. “I’ve never seen a spatial ring before…”
“Sir, if you’d rather show me instead of your granddaughter, I’m fine with that,” Gregory smiled at the old man. “This way, you know she’s safe.”
“Please,” the carpenter said. “This way, Magi.”
~*~*~
They were on their way back to the distillery when Willof spoke up, “Rings that powerful aren’t normally in the hands of initiates, Gregory.”
“I know, which is why I ask you to keep it to yourself. I’ll be putting the tables and benches out near the camp during the night and telling them that it was a night delivery I requested to surprise them.”
Willof nodded slowly. “Very well. You disliked seeing them acting like that, didn’t you?”
“The carpenter and his granddaughter? Yes. Magi should lead, not terrorize, but I’m just an initiate in a diminished clan, so my words have no sway.”
Willof was silent as they walked on. For now, that might be true, but I feel you might influence things more than most, Gregory, Willof thought to himself.
