Seven gods, Jaxi moaned into his mind.
What? Was I too late? Did she read all my thoughts?
I’m sure she’s sorry if she did. Are there actually magazines about metal? Who would read such things?
Trip grimaced again. If Jaxi had tracked all that, then he hadn’t been successful.
You were for a moment. When you locked yourself in the vault, I couldn’t read anything. I was about to praise you for being such a quick study. Then you lost your focus.
You were going to praise me? He found that rather shocking and didn’t think it had happened before.
I was considering it. Just imagine the bank vault whenever you’re trying to keep someone from probing your thoughts. Eventually, you’ll get good at it, and it will become subconscious. You’ll be able to keep people out while performing other magical feats.
But in the meantime, I was too late?
We’ll see. Thinking about things other than what the sorceress is trying to extract can be a viable technique, too, though it doesn’t usually work with those more powerful than you. Definitely not with dragons.
She’s not a dragon, I assume? Trip could still sense the dragon flying around the outpost five miles away. He sensed that this woman had some power, but she possessed a much smaller aura or presence than the dragons radiated. It seemed similar to what he’d felt around Sardelle, though he’d barely been conscious of having more than a sixth sense then.
Certainly not. I was merely warning you since we’ll encounter more dragons, and since we won’t want them to know why we’re here. After you master walling off your own thoughts, you may want to learn how to protect the thoughts of those around you. Mundane humans can often be read as easily as books with large print.
Even those carrying the dragon-slaying swords?
To a lesser extent. They are somewhat protected while they hold the weapons. It’s Leftie and Duck that you may want to work on locking into the vault with you.
Can that be done?
Yes. It’s easier if they’re close to you and harder over a distance, but you may be up to the challenge. Eventually, you might be able to protect the whole group.
“I’m going to be frank, Lieutenant,” Jylea said. “I don’t see what we would have to gain from working with you.”
Trip realized their conversation had continued while he’d spoken with Jaxi and tried his mental exercise, but he’d missed most of it. He did his best to keep his bank vault locked around his mind while trying to catch up.
“We also have clues in regard to the portal’s location,” Rysha said. “Clues you may need to find it.”
Jylea exchanged glances with the man beside her.
“I highly doubt you know half as much as we do. And having someone wandering around with soulblades is only going to attract dragons to us.” Jylea waved at Trip.
A couple of her people looked at the weapons, giving him looks that ranged from wariness to that-man-is-odd-for-carrying-two-swords-at-once.
“It seems you attracted dragons before we came,” Major Blazer said, her arms still crossed over her chest.
Kaika was in a similar pose, but closer to the alcove entrance. She kept eyeing the soldiers, who eyed her right back.
“Temporarily,” Jylea said.
“One brief appearance is all it takes to kill people and annihilate an outpost,” Blazer said.
“I cannot dispute that, but we have what we need to find the portal on our own.”
Rysha’s fingers curled into a fist. A triumphant fist? Maybe she hadn’t known for certain that they were hunting for the portal.
“At which point, you intend to destroy it, correct?” Dreyak squinted at Jylea.
He leaned against one of the frigid ice walls, his gloved fists propped on his hips. He was closer to the scientists, closer to the conversation, but they hadn’t been looking at him much.
“We are not at liberty to discuss our mission here in front of Iskandians, your—Mr. Dreyak.”
Mr. Dreyak? What had she been about to say?
Rysha looked at Trip, holding his gaze for a few seconds. She’d noticed that slip-up, too, it seemed.
“They’ve rifled through your lab,” Dreyak said, his mouth twisting. “I doubt there’s any point in hiding anything from them. There’s no point in hiding it from me, either.”
“Nonetheless, we have our orders. And you are not mentioned in them.”
Dreyak lifted his chin, his eyes closing to slits.
Offended, was he?
I wish I could read him, Jaxi said wistfully.
You believe he’s thinking about more interesting things than metalworking magazines?
That’s a given.
“Perhaps,” Rysha said, drawing the scientists’ attention back to her, “we should compare notes without making assumptions that we have nothing worth sharing with each other. My team did receive clues directly from a dragon.”
Directly? Meaning a dragon had vaguely mentioned the portal years ago to Sardelle, and then Sardelle had shared what she remembered with Rysha?
“As did we,” Jylea said.
That’s interesting, Jaxi said. I wonder which dragon or dragons are currently working with the empire. I do remember that one of the females released from those prisons the same time as Bhrava Saruth—Yisharnesh, was her name—was reputedly aligned with Emperor Salatak. But that was three years ago when our people kidnapped him in Dakrovia. We haven’t heard anything to suggest that Yisharnesh is still working with the imperial leaders.
“And I believe we shall keep our notes to ourselves,” Jylea added. “While we appreciate that you came to check on us—” she nodded to Dreyak, “—we will soon complete our mission, and all of the empire—all the world—will know that the Cofah are the ones who saved them from death and destruction created by rogue dragons.” She jerked her chin up, an arrogant tilt to the gesture.
“I hope you won’t need your airship to do so,” Trip said.
Everyone looked at him, their expressions startled or confused. He hadn’t spoken since entering the alcove, so maybe the Cofah had considered him the muscle. An amusing thought, but he probably did look like some sword dancer of old with the two soulblades on his hips.
“We’re aware that it’s damaged,” Jylea said, “and also that we have the materials to repair the balloon once we’re able to return to the outpost.”
Trip fished in his pocket and pulled out the valve control lever for the helium tank. “Not if a piece is missing.”
Jylea blinked slowly. “You sabotaged our airship?”
Trip debated whether it would be better to be seen as a cunning asshole who’d imagined this scenario in advance or to admit to the truth. He twitched a shoulder and opted for the latter, figuring he should go for being less menacing rather than more if Rysha wanted to work with these people.
“I removed the part to repair it, but if our two teams aren’t going to work together, I’m less inclined to help with repairs.”
“Or return it, I’ll wager,” the man at Jylea’s side grumbled.
Trip smiled agreeably.
“What is that part?” Jylea whispered to her man.
“Hells if I know. Yaruk was the engineer.”
They shared grim looks. Had the man died? While Trip didn’t care to capitalize on someone’s death, it did occur to him that the Cofah team might find an engineer useful—or necessary—if they had lost theirs.
“Can we get to the ruins site by dog sled?” Jylea whispered.
“No,” the man whispered back. “The geothermal activity to the northeast has melted huge lakes and left the rest of the ice for a hundred miles to either side unstable.”
Trip barely caught the words. Rysha, who was closer, leaned forward and, judging by the furrow in her brow, didn’t quite catch them.
Yes, you’re amplifying your hearing, Jaxi told him. Good job. There are all manner of handy things you can do once you learn to focus properly. Also, our company is coming.<
br />
What?
Kaika and Blazer stirred, fingers resting on the triggers of their rifles, though they didn’t raise them.
“Actually,” a woman’s voice came from the cave, “you will return that part to our airship. After you finish repairing it.”
The speaker—the sorceress—walked into view. A beautiful woman with bronze skin, black hair that fell to her shoulders, and fierce brown eyes, she looked Cofah through and through. She radiated power, and Trip sensed that was intentional, that she was doing the equivalent of puffing up her feathers to appear more threatening. He had no idea how to gauge how threatening she truly was. Her fingers were smudged with ink, and she wore simple attire suitable for the climate, fur-lined trousers and a parka. He would have expected an enemy magic-wielder to wear a robe or some flowing garment hemmed with golden thread sewn into mystical runes.
You’re wearing an army uniform and goggles, Jaxi pointed out.
Trip almost replied that he wasn’t a sorcerer and hadn’t been initiated to the fashion requirements, but the real sorceress was frowning imperiously at him, so he remained focused on her.
Her gaze flicked to his waist. “You will also give me the Cofah soulblade that you carry. You have no right to it. I do not know how you came by it, but I assume the blade only let you touch it because you were the only one around when a volcano erupted and a lava flow threatened to consume it.”
“Actually, it was a beach, and the tide was coming in,” Trip said.
The woman continued to glare at him.
The blade hung at Trip’s side, unspeaking as usual.
Azarwrath, he thought to it, assuming the blade could hear him, since Jaxi always seemed to, do you want to go with that woman? Even though it might give the sorceress the upper hand, he would rather hand over the blade openly than try to keep Azarwrath against his will. As had been pointed out, the soulblade might attack him and Jaxi later, at an inopportune time.
Silence was his only answer.
“Give it to me.” The sorceress held her hand out.
Dreyak watched her intently. Would he feel rejected if the soulblade was willing to go with her when it hadn’t accepted him as a handler?
“Please,” Trip said. “There’s no need to be rude.”
Indignation flashed in the woman’s eyes. “You are Iskandian scum. And you are attempting to blackmail us. That is a reason.”
“I suppose that latter bit is true, with the former depending on the definition of scum currently in the Cofah dictionary, but either way, we’ll probably get along much better if you’re polite.”
“Polite! You dare tell me how I should act, boy?”
“Uh, Trip,” Leftie whispered from a few feet away. “Maybe you should give her the pig sticker.”
Jaxi, are you strong enough to handle her if she lashes out at me? Is it all right to goad her?
It’s always all right to goad Cofah mages who are ridiculously full of themselves. Jaxi sounded quite approving as she shared the words.
He noticed, however, that she hadn’t answered his first question. There was probably nothing the woman could do to kill Jaxi, but what about Trip and the others?
The sorceress strode toward him, and he worried he’d gone too far. He imagined one of Jaxi’s barriers going up to block the sorceress’s advance, and hoped she took the hint and made it happen.
Rysha was the one to spring to his defense, drawing Dorfindral and thrusting the blade out between Trip and the sorceress. The sword flared with its pale green light.
A painful snap to his mind startled Trip and almost made him stumble back. It felt like a rubber band shot to the forehead.
In defending you, your noble lieutenant broke your barrier, Jaxi told him dryly.
My barrier or yours?
Yours. I was excited to find out if yours would be effective, so I didn’t create one. Also, I’m keeping an eye on Azzy there to make sure he doesn’t plan to make this confrontation interesting. He may not be speaking to us, but I can definitely sense that he’s awake and alert.
“Filthy blade,” the sorceress snarled.
“We’ve got three of them,” Major Blazer said, tapping the hilt to hers and nodding to the one Kaika carried in its scabbard on her back. “Since Iskandians are scum, it should be no surprise that we enjoy filth.”
“How could they have acquired so many chapaharii swords?” the man Jylea had been speaking with whispered, awe on his face as he stared at Rysha’s weapon.
She still held it out between Trip and the sorceress, her face fearless and determined as she glared at the woman. Having that sword bared and active so close to him made Trip’s skin crawl, but he appreciated her defense of him.
For the record, Jaxi said, you didn’t need her defense.
That doesn’t make it less appreciated. It was kind of sexy, too, Trip decided.
I may gag.
Trip hadn’t meant to share that thought. I can see I need to practice my bank vault more.
In order to keep me from reading your thoughts? Wouldn’t you be bored without my commentary?
“We would be happy to share the story of how we acquired the swords,” Rysha said, glancing toward the man who’d spoken while keeping the sorceress in her peripheral vision. “With allies.”
Jylea sighed. “If you’ll step outside, we’ll confer on the… possibilities.”
Rysha looked at their team members and nodded toward the cave outside.
“Mr. Dreyak,” Jylea said, as he turned to go out with the others. “Stay here, please.”
“Oh, sure,” Trip said. “He gets a please.”
The sorceress shot him a scorching glare that could have melted ice. Or steel. Trip had to fight the urge not to scurry out of the alcove. It helped that Rysha still had her blade out and was glaring right back at the sorceress, with intensity that also could have melted ore.
“Is this worth the hassle?” Blazer whispered, as soon as their group had moved away.
The two Cofah soldiers stood at the alcove, looking out at them, but she’d put her back to them and was speaking low enough that they shouldn’t hear.
I can make sure they don’t hear, Jaxi said. And the sorceress too. Unless Azzy tells her what’s going on.
Has he given any indication that he’ll do so? Trip asked.
I don’t know. He still hasn’t spoken a word to me. Which I find suspicious. I’m delightful to speak with, as you know.
Indeed.
“It does add an element of uncertainty,” Rysha said, seeming to realize that both Kaika and Blazer were looking at her. “Even though Cofahre and Iskandia aren’t technically at war right now, we have millennia of hatred and mistrust between our peoples.”
“Yeah, since they’ve tried to invade Iskandia and take it over hundreds of times,” Blazer growled. “It’s a rite of passage for all their idiotic emperors. It’s only a matter of time before the one on the throne over there now tries something.”
“He’s a prince, not an emperor,” Rysha said. “Not yet.”
“I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before he makes things official.”
“Trip?” Rysha looked at him, and her sword pulsed a few times. She glowered at it, concentrated visibly, then jammed it into its scabbard. After taking a deep breath, she asked, “Did Jaxi manage to find that page in anyone’s pocket and read it? My vote would be to forget the alliance if we could get the information they have. It’s just a hunch, but I suspect they’ve figured out where the portal is. Maybe the dragons know they have, and that’s why their outpost was attacked yesterday after being ignored for months.”
I did look for the page that was torn out, Jaxi told Trip. And I believe I’ve found it.
And can read it?
No. It’s written in… not the same language as the rest of that journal was written in. Sardelle has studied the ancient languages and might have been able to translate it, but I’m not sure it even is an ancient language. I don’t recognize it.<
br />
Jaxi flashed the image of the page into his mind. He saw nonsensical words written in tidy black ink. At least they were nonsensical to him.
Why would one of those scientists have switched to some obscure language halfway through the journal? he asked.
Because she didn’t want anyone but her to know where the portal is? Jaxi suggested.
Her? Jylea? Oh, wait. Would Rysha recognize the language? She’s a lot smarter than I am.
Of that, I have no doubt. But I can’t show her an example of it while she’s holding her glowy buddy.
“Trip?” Rysha prompted.
“Sorry, we’re discussing it.” Trip shared what Jaxi had told him.
Leftie made that grimace of distaste he made any time Trip admitted to communicating with Jaxi.
“Can she write down a couple of the words so I can see them?”
“Can swords write?” Duck whispered to Leftie.
“You know more about this creepy magic stuff than I do,” Leftie whispered back.
It’s a good thing those two geniuses can fly, Jaxi grumbled. Just tell Rysha to put the sword down for a minute, and I’ll show her.
Trip relayed the message.
Rysha reached for her belt to unclasp it, but her hands froze on the buckle. She grimaced and squinted. Fighting the sword again? It objected to being taken off?
That notion made Trip uneasy.
Kasandral is a cranky ass, Jaxi informed him. I don’t expect any of these new swords to be different.
Kaika leaned forward and pointed to Rysha’s buckle. “That hook lifts up, and then you slide that out of there.”