Chapter 7: The Mage Knight -------------------------- "Then again, there are advantages to rain," Keyla said to herself as she walked amidst the quaint houses of Jidoor. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, drawing horrified stares from the surrounding gentlemen and ladies for not using a handkerchief. Her travel- worn silver and black tunic and leggings, crafted of wool with silk underneath for warmth and comfort, served well to protect her from the wind and cold in the heights of the sky. On the ground, in the burning rays of the afternoon sun, it was stifling. She wished that she had the nerve to undo the high collar, which snugly covered most of her neck. She stopped to rest at a bench in the shade of some trees and drank some tepid water from her canteen. She felt frustrated and out of place in this city of ostentatious wealth. Someone had to have seen the airship go by, but she had no idea as to how to find Edgar and Sabin. Maybe she could try a tavern, but she doubted if she had enough money to afford more than two drinks. Keyla sighed and looked up... and looked up again as a familiar form at the end of the street caught her eye. Tall, well-muscled, blond hair... "Prince Sabin!" she shouted, jumping to her feet and running after him. "Prince Sa-" There was a whoosh, and suddenly Keyla was surrounded by a cloud of damp fog. The sun, the sounds of the city, and the surrounding buildings vanished, leaving her alone in the misty indistinctness. It was peaceful, like flying through a cloud. She briefly wondered why she wasn't concerned, then forgot as the feelings of tiredness and lethargy overcame her. Keyla took a few more steps, then stumbled and sank into the billowing fog. *************************************************************************** She was standing in a barren chasm, empty save for piles of broken rock. Wind blew in irregular gusts, throwing up sprays of dust and grit. Above, dark clouds smothered the sky in roiling puffs of dark gray. She quickly sensed that she was not alone. She drew her sword with her left hand, the sharp steel glistening in the pale light. Movement to her left; she backed up, putting a boulder behind her, searching the surroundings for her foe. Then the creature lunged at her from behind a pile of rock, slashing with its wicked claws. It fell to the ground, green ichor oozing from its chest as she struck thrice and leaped to safety. Three more of the creatures appeared less than thirty yards away, closing quickly. She raised the autocrossbow, ignoring the pain in her arm, and fired. The shots went wide, but they forced the creatures to take cover. She sheathed her blade and shifted the autocrossbow to her left hand. One of the creatures looked out from behind a pile of rock, then collapsed backwards as three bolts from the autocrossbow exploded its head. She slowly backed up, keeping the weapon ready, then turned and ran. Sounds of pursuit followed her as she fled over the broken ground. The walls of the chasm narrowed, forming a network of jagged passages cut into the surrounding cliffs. She ran down one, then came to a halt as it ended in a sheer rock face. She turned to head back, then stopped as the soft click of claws on stone sounded from just around the bend. She raised the autocrossbow and drew a knife with her right hand. Half a dozen of the creatures stepped into view, venom dripping from their fierce jaws. She studied the creatures grimly, backing up as far as she could. There were just too many of them. She could kill two, maybe three before they reached her. Then her knife would be all but useless against their ripping claws and teeth. A human figure stepped out from behind the bend, dressed in dull gray plate armor and wearing a billowing red cape. The creatures turned towards the newcomer, and she fired, dropping two of the creatures before she emptied the cartridge. One creature turned to face her; the other three charged the armored warrior. He watched impassively as the reptilian forms approached, then became a blur of action as he drew a double-handed sword and sliced two of the creatures in twain with appalling ease. The third hesitated, then was no more as the warrior went into a spinning strike and removed the creature's head. The remaining creature charged her, leaving her no time to draw her sword. She dodged as it slashed with its bony claws, but lost her footing on some loose pebbles and fell roughly to the ground. The creature drew its arms back to slash... then collapsed as the warrior ran it through. She sat up as the warrior sheathed his sword and wordlessly extended his hand towards her. She reached up to take it... then suddenly drew back as a voice in her head screamed a warning. She went for her sword as the warrior gestured, and then everything shattered around her... ***************************************************************************** "I think she's coming to." Light. Voices. She was lying on her back with something cool on her forehead. Keyla cautiously opened her eyes. She was on the bench she had been sitting at earlier, with what appeared to be a wet handkerchief pressed to her head. There were several people peering down at her with concerned looks on their faces. She attempted to sit up, but was so dizzy and lightheaded that she would have fallen over if someone had not caught her. "What... what happened..." "Looks like heat exhaustion," one man said. "Here, drink this," he said, handing her a glass of water. Keyla tilted her head back to drink, then stopped as she noticed a flyer posted on one of the trees near the bench. "Visit the Nightsider's Club for a night of excitement and fun. Crafted from an actual airship - That's it! The king must be here!" She jumped to her feet, or at least tried to. Somehow, she was unable to control her legs, and instead stumbled and fell. "Are you alright?" one woman said. "She must be delirious," one man said. "Let's get her to an inn." "Wait! You don't understand..." Keyla continued to argue with the small crowd as they assisted her towards a nearby building. With all the excitement and the dizziness, she took no notice of the red-caped, golden- haired man carefully studying her with his violet eyes. ***************************************************************************** Rhiannon stepped into the shade of the trees just outside the large mansion that dominated the northern part of Jidoor. The surrounding shadows began to draw together, coalescing into a dark figure with glowing green eyes. "My lord," he said, dropping to one knee. "Report, Rhiannon." "I was able to prevent her from meeting Prince Sabin," Rhiannon said. "Excellent. And what of your powers?" "I tried, my lord, but as predicted her will was too strong to overcome. It appears that mental domination will yield few, if any, results. I will have to resort to more cunning measures." "Very well, but it will have to wait. More important issues require your attention." "Locke, my lord?" "Yes. He has recovered and is currently in Kohlingen. Observe him for now. I will give you further instructions as necessary." "I exist to serve you, my lord." The cruel smile came to Rhiannon's lips. "Is there anything else you require?" "That is all." The green glow of the figure's eyes faded and the dark body dispersed, returning the shadows to normal. "As for you, my lovely knight," Rhiannon thought aloud, "what shall I do with you?" He rose to his feet, eyes distant as he considered his options. "The stun should last until tomorrow morning. That should be more than long enough to prevent you from interfering with Annis' trap." He chuckled, the sound deep and mocking. "You've escaped for the moment, but next time I will be sure to leave nothing to chance. Farewell." He traced a crawling black rune in the air and vanished, engulfed by the shadows.