ay I present Kenesh Drun,” Thea said non-chalantly, taking her seat at the head of the table opposite the entry. Once situated, she placed the spectacles on the table next to her place setting and looked up.

“Please,” Thea said, indicating an open place at the table for Kenesh.

“I’ll stand,” Kenesh replied.

“Please take a seat,” Thea said, her expression hardening slightly. Kenesh hesitated, glancing down and to his left to indicate the woman by the entry. Finally he pulled a chair from one side of the table and sat down slowly, every muscle in his body tense enough to split firewood. Thea noticed he had chosen a vantage point near two exits from which he could observe all four other people in the room. Nothing in her expression betrayed how impressed she already was with his progress.

“You are known as the Scaled One,” one of the men at the table offered after a few moments of silence. Kenesh did not reply.

“An appropriate nomenclature,” Thea replied. “Our problem is formidable.”

“What is your knowledge of healing magic?” the merchant persisted.

“Look at me,” Kenesh replied without looking. The merchant’s face fell slightly, and he swallowed, realizing the absurdity of the question as he looked at the glassy, off-center gaze. He nervously took a sip of his tea, managing to get the cup all the way back into the saucer before it rattled too much. Kenesh glanced at the merchant then back at Thea.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have hired a scribe?”

“We have made inquiries,” Thea replied with a slight tone of contempt. “There are no scribes with knowledge of the Vicereine’s curses. Those who didn’t flee at the very mention of her name claim her powers are beyond their understanding,” Thea replied.

Kenesh glanced across the table. Sweat glistened on the forehead of one of the merchants.

“I’ll pass,” Kenesh said. The woman at the door straightened, as if insulted. Thea smiled with some apparent effort.

“One hundred monarchs of pure gold for the Vicereine’s chains,” Thea said.

“I avoid arcanists, Thea. I live longer that way,” Kenesh said.

“Two hundred,” Thea said, her smile widening slightly. Kenesh looked at the nearest of the two merchants. Discussions of such large amounts of gold seemed to be quite uncomfortable for them, at least gold paid to someone else. Kenesh guessed Thea was playing with their chips.

“Five thousand,” Kenesh said coolly. One of the merchants sputtered while attempting to sip his tea and the cup slipped. A moment later the china shattered against the wooden floor. A glint of reflected light caught Kenesh’s eye from the narrow staircase opposite the dining room entrance. Fortunately for him, under the table a balanced blade already rested in his right hand.

The guard’s hand froze against the wall with a sickly wet thud and his weapon clattered down the last few wooden steps. He shrieked as the sharpness of the dagger blade impaling his hand registered. The guard was immobilized. Kenesh took his seat again very slowly as he carefully observed the guard’s attempts to free himself. The guard tried again to dislodge the dagger from the wall, and he howled as his failure was rewarded with a barrage of roaring pain.

“Silence,” Thea said quietly. The guard’s voice quieted instantly. Kenesh noticed the woman at the entrance had used the distraction to move a step closer to him. Time was growing short. The guard finally managed to work the dagger free of the doorjamb and he scuttled away back up the narrow staircase.

“Plus the cost of the dagger,” Kenesh added.

For the first time in the negotiations, Thea glanced away from Kenesh at the two merchants.

“Done,” she said, glancing back. The face of the sputtering merchant drained of its color and he gave up on his attempts to clean the tea from his shirt. The merchants’ defeated stares were gratifying for Kenesh, at least momentarily.

“The Vicereine Reina travels the streets of Prince Branven Square openly and brazenly, haggling with our guildsmen and spreading filth,” one of them finally managed. Kenesh did not acknowledge the statement.

The woman crept closer.

“The gold,” Kenesh said, watching Thea’s face carefully. She gestured slightly with her chin and Kenesh looked down. A golden monarch weighing at least four ounces rested in the cup at his place setting. Kenesh retrieved it quickly and took a moment to examine it.

“How will we know you have succeeded?” the other merchant asked.

A serrated knife slid from under the woman’s sleeve and dropped into her right palm, and she twisted her fingers to grip its hilt. One more step was all she needed.

“You’ll still be alive,” Kenesh replied, tossing the coin across the table. Everyone watched it tumble through the air. One of the merchants caught it clumsily against his chest with both hands. The woman turned and drove her knife in a powerfully wicked viper-quick attack.

The back of Kenesh’s empty chair splintered slightly as the knife’s heavy blade punctured it.

Thea closed her eyes and exhaled silently, then took a sip of her tea.

Continue to Chapter Five

he Warrior of the Rocks finally reached her Lantern after scrambling off the small platform of ice Alanna had conjured under her feet. She gathered the handle in both hands and stood up just as Ranko managed to get far enough away to avoid Alanna’s relentless offense.

The Winterdancer heard Cici’s voice and turned to face the new attack. Alanna began to move her hand in a circle before her as if brushing raindrops from a window.

Cici’s teeth chattered in the sudden chilly breeze, but she persisted long enough to call upon the power of the Chronicler’s Lantern. Her right eye flashed brilliantly and the light from all eight lenses shifted to a deep, luxurious violet color.

“By th-the power of the Crystal T-T-Terrane! The Amethyst L-L-Lens of S-S-Sleep…”

The Warrior of the Rocks shivered as she stared at her own reflection. She realized too late that the mirror-like disc of ice Alanna had conjured in mid-air between them would protect the Winterdancer from the Lantern’s attack.

As the soft purple cloud surrounded her, she also realized the same disc of ice had reflected Cici’s sleep spell back at her! Her eyelids suddenly became so heavy she could scarcely stand. If she could just call upon the Emerald Lens, she could heal… stay awake…

The Warrior of the Rocks sat with her Lantern in front of her and yawned mightily, then fell over and drifted into unconsciousness as she exhaled the word “Emerald” too quietly to summon the power of the Green Lens of Life.

“Hey! Snow Girl!”

Alanna snapped back to face her only remaining opponent. This time, however, there was no hesitancy in Ranko’s bearing or determination. The Warrior of the Storms’ attitude had changed completely. Before, she was fighting to save her friend. Now Ranko was fighting to win.

The Crimson Champion slid her helmet back on and brandished her warhammer before quickly approaching the battle again. Her heavy plate greaves clanked against the hard-packed Earth and visible arcs of electrical energy began to circle the head of Thundercaller.

The Warrior of the River charged, sprinting a half-dozen steps before cartwheeling into a series of hand-over-hand spinning flips. Ranko timed her parry perfectly. Alanna somersaulted forward and brought her weapon down in a blinding-fast power strike, the Quarterseeker and Thundercaller slammed against each other, violently blasting pieces of ice and discharges of lighting in all directions.

This time, however, the Warrior of the Storms had the initiative and the balance to counter. She drove the flat edge of her warhammer’s head down, narrowly missing Alanna’s dodging right foot. The impact of the hammer disrupted the rocky ground and a tremor shook the Earth.

The Winterdancer flipped backwards to avoid the explosion of sonic energy, and a deep rumbling sound echoed under the ground. Pieces of clay and broken rock showered both of the combatants as the Warrior of the River landed lightly, spinning her staff and snapping it into both hands behind her back. Alanna knew that the Warrior of the Storms was like a block of iron when she fought defensively. She would have to find a way to get her opponent off balance again.

Continue to Chapter Nine