Of Maagik, Swords and Crowns (Chapter 9 edited)

Of Maagik, Swords and Crowns (Chapter 9 edited)

CHAPTER 9 – SLEVEKA

I would never forget the red, crumbling brick wall (literally) that I saw in Sleveka’s mind. She had sneered at us and disappeared into the ferns at the side of the street. I sensed it wasn’t her wall, it was the work of a highly skilled user of Maagik. How could such a tattered woman be able to hire a sorcerer?

The next morning, we woke and got into some inconspicuous clothes. We trooped down the stairs of the inn to the bar, where we found the barman wiping beer mugs.

“Hi there, Gwen. What’ll it be tahday?”
“Oh, nothing, thanks,” replied Glifádha, blushing. “But we’d…I’d...um…like to, ah, ask a question?”
“Yah, sure,” laughed the barman. “Ask ahead!”
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Vardam.” He turned scarlet.
“Ahem, well,” I cut in, nudging Glifádha aside, “we’re wondering if you know of…” I leaned over the bar, closer to him and spoke in a quieter voice, “…a strange, one-armed woman with a hiss. Who is she?”
Vardam’s eyes widened. The only other figure in the room, a cloaked man, cackled.

“Who might you be?” said a voice coming from the hood of the cloak. Then he shook his head. “I can see through you anyway.” He beckoned me over. I went reluctantly, feeling an invisible force pulling me towards the man. When Conrrin followed, he held up a hand.
“Why not?” demanded Conrrin.
“Just the lady, just the lady,” said the man amiably.

After Conrrin had retreated a respectable distance, the man smiled.
“Well, well, well,” he said, pulling back his hood. “If it isn’t young Zaidaanj Mecl’iina.” The face revealed nothing, except a smile. It was lined, and I felt I knew him from somewhere.
“Who are you?” I asked quietly. “Why do you know me?” He chuckled.
“You remember you ol’ granny, Serich?”
“Yes,” I replied, “she’s not old though.”
“Things are not as they seem,” he said urgently. “I am Serich’s husband, your grandfather Sandor.”
“Grandpa?” I exclaimed in shock. “What are you doing all the way out here? How’s Granny?” He frowned worriedly.
“Don’t speak. Don’t say anything about me when you go back to…Conrrin and that cousin of yours. I have important information for you. Very important. This Sleveka Izasa is really Maria von Schnider. She is the mother of Prince Bindin, Bonsham Bloodlust’s son. Also, go to the Town Square when you get to Dipsworrd. Somebody needs to meet you there.”
“How do you know Conrrin’s name?” I asked. “How do you know about Sleveka Izasa? Come to think of it, why haven’t you visited or tried to find Mum and Dad? Yeah...and how did you get here?”
“I have a power; I can see through you, I see what you’re thinking about most. The thought that your mind is concentrating on,” he said. “This Conrrin boy and Sleveka. One of my spies saw you buying tickets at the ticket booth on Dipmaagik so I decided to come say hello.”
“What about Mum and Dad?” I asked despairingly. “Why hasn’t anyone tried to find them?”
Sandor’s face turned stony. “Child, you have no idea what lengths your family and I have gone to retrieve your parents. They were dear to both of us; how could you think we wouldn’t try to find them? If you must know, according to our searches and magic, they have disappeared off the face of the earth without a trace.”
“I’m sorry, grandfather.” My eyes filled with tears.
“Child, are you sure you want to do this? I know that we would have felt it if your parents actually passed on; they wouldn’t go without a fight. There must be some powerful magic shielding them from us. If you continue this quest, you could die! We are still searching. You don’t have to do this.”
“I have to,” I said. “I want to do this. I want to have my Mum and Dad back.”
Sandor sighed. “Zaidaanj,” he whispered. “Be very careful. None of your family can travel with you as the power level would be too great, and hard to mask. I wish you well; look after yourself.”

He pulled me into a tight embrace. I buried my face in his cloak and tried to hold back tears. After a minute, he straightened up and held me at arm’s length, searching my face.
“Be careful, my granddaughter.” I nodded and turned to face Conrrin and Glifádha. I felt a prickling on the back of my neck and I whirled around quickly; only to find that Sandor was gone.

I wiped my eyes and walked back to the bar, gesturing for us to head out. The first thing I told them was about Sleveka, aka Maria von Schnider.
“What else were you talking about?” asked Conrrin.
“Don’t worry,” I said.
“I’m worrying. Who was he?” nagged Conrrin. I opened my mouth to yell at him, but Glifádha interrupted before I could say anything.
“Conrrin, if she doesn’t want to tell you, she doesn’t want to tell you. Just let it be, OK?”


“Gli,” I said after a while of walking in silence, “I think you should go…you’ve helped me find where my parents probably are, and anyway, you didn’t like Sleveka at all.”
“You’re probably right.” Glifádha replied. “I don’t think I’m going to be helpful from here on. I’ll catch a fisherman’s boat or something back to Dipmaagik, I’ll be fine.” We embraced, and Glifádha shook Conrrin’s hand.
“Goodbye Gli,” I said, smiling.
“Bye, Zanda. Bye Cashtran!” Glifádha waved from a distance. Conrrin and I waved back.

When we reached the harbour, Sleveka – Maria – was already there, standing beside a big boat adorned with luscious silks and soft velvet.
“You took a long time,” she commented. “I wasssss waiting!” She seemed in a good mood; and didn’t look like she noticed Glifádha’s absence. Then I suddenly realised what she was wearing.

It was the most beautiful, eye-catching dress I had ever seen. It flowed from a high neck of stiffened, jade green silk, down to a trailing hem of golden lining. On the bodice were tiny emeralds stitched to a sea green fabric that glinted in the light when she turned. One of the sleeves was long, on the complete arm, and the sleeve on the stump was short. The sleeves themselves were of gauzy, lime green cloth.

“Yessssss,” Maria said quietly. “I never ssssssaid I wassssss poor. You cannot traipssssssse around Dipthongg without attracting attention in thisssssssss attire.”
“You look good,” said Conrrin, nodding. Then he proceeded to the boat, Glifádha and I trailing behind, leaving Maria looking shocked and a bit miffed.

The boat’s seats were clad in a smooth purple velvet covering, which cushioned one’s bottom when one sat. There were servants there, too, wearing rich clothing.

“Bonsham Bloodlust is very, very rich,” Conrrin informed us softly. “That’s probably why his…wife? Concubine? Maybe…partner can afford to have this big thingo.”

A shadow loomed down onto us.
“I exxxxpect pay for thisssssssss, you know,” said the voice of Maria. “You cannot travel fffree on a lovely vessssssssel like thisssssssss.” I shrugged.
“We can pay,” I said. “We’ve got money, don’t we Cashtran?” Conrrin jumped, but recovered amazingly fast.
“Oh, yes,” he said genuinely. “We have lots of money. How much do you expect?”
“I exxxxpect one thoussssssssand gold piecessssssssss!” hissed Maria angrily.
“Whoa, whoa,” I said shakily. “That’s quite a lot!” Now it was Maria’s turn to shrug.
“So what?” she said greedily. “I believe you came here on the Dipmaagik Exxxxxpresssssssss…very expenssssssive. If you can pay fffffffor that, why could you not pay ffffffffffffor thissssssssss?”

I gasped. How did she know about us on the Dipmaagik Express? Well, Conrrin didn’t seem to care.
“Ah, Sssssssleveka, my friend,” drawled Conrrin as he put his arm around her. “We’ve got money, lots of it…but, I’m sorry to say, it’s all stashed away on Dipccove. In a big vault. Guarded by a drooling pride of lions. Getting to it is about as easy as killing five hundred of me. To sum it all up, all my jewels, expensive trinkets, gold…” he paused as Maria interjected with a twitch of her fingers.
“Gold…” she whispered longingly, stroking one of the luscious golden silks.
“Yes, Sleveka – mind if I call you Slev? Oh good – gold. Mounds of it…piled high with gems, too. And don’t forget the huge, shiny, sparkly emerald! Slev, to get all that stuff, I need to get there. But I can promise you my famous sapphire, delivered to you gift wrapped, in one year’s time. What say you?”
“An emerald? Next year?” Maria was almost drooling now. Conrrin cocked his head to the side.
“Of course, Slev. I’m not a dishonest ma – boy – person.”
“B-b-but…” Maria protested.
“Look, Slev, it’s the best you’re gonna get!”

Conrrin made a tsk sound with his tongue and went to lean over the railing, his ochre eyes gazing out at the sea. He had spoken of gold, jewels, a huge emerald…all on Dipccove…guarded by a pride of lions? Drooling ones? Now that was the limit of my believing.

The boat rocked violently as we pulled away from port. It backed around and then zoomed into the horizon…towards Dipsworrd.