(eng) M. Gregg Roe - Andoran's Realm 04 by Andoran's Legacy

Author:Andoran's Legacy [Legacy, Andoran's]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

22

‡ Heat ‡

Beads of sweat formed on Audrey’s brow as she returned home after spending the night at Conrad’s. Summer had arrived with a vengeance, making even the early morning unpleasant. By noon it would be completely unbearable outside.

It was by far the worst heatwave since she had moved to the Witch’s City. Many businesses simply shut down in the afternoon, opening instead in the evenings. The city’s three lakes were all blooming with foul-smelling algae. No one seemed to be sleeping well and tempers were short. She wasn’t exactly in a good mood herself.

Something that she had glimpsed in passing suddenly registered, so Audrey stepped to the side and came to a stop. Then she turned around and retraced her steps to the narrow alley that she had just passed. It was him. Some fifteen yards down the alley, an old man was sitting on the ground with his back to the right wall picking crumbs out of his beard. More crumbs of what looked like rye bread were on his clothing and the ground nearby. His clothes were practically rags, torn and stained.

Audrey wrinkled her nose as she walked boldly down the alley. The stench in the alley was considerable, and she was certain that he was part of it. She planted herself in front of the man but he simply ignored her, continuing to absentmindedly pick at his beard.

“Hello, Oljot,” she said. “Here for a visit?”

He looked up at her and leered, showing stained teeth. “You’re a pretty thing,” he rasped. “How much to show me a good time?”

Audrey shifted into a combat stance with her knees flexed and hands close to her sides. “I’ll bet I can break all of your teeth before you can get off a spell.”

“Grasapa has taught you well, Audrey.” His voice was pleasant now. She stepped back and relaxed as he slowly rose to his feet and stood up straight. “Yes, I am here, as you say, for a visit.”

“I know you’re not poor. Why do you act like you’re some crazy old homeless man here?” The first time she had met him, aboard a Novox ship, he had also been dressed poorly and behaving like a slob. And yet she knew that he was an incredibly powerful wizard.

Oljot grinned. “I’ve done this most of my life from time to time. I enjoy exploring a city’s underbelly. I meet interesting people, find out all sorts of things.”

And probably caught all kinds of diseases. “Well, I’m not ever doing that.”

As the man chuckled, she considered what to say, because his being there was an opportunity. Oljot was a good friend of Xlee’s, and Audrey desperately wanted to meet the man that had once mentored Grasapa. “I’d … like to go to Kaldir sometime,” she said lamely.

“You want to meet Xlee,” he said evenly.

Audrey pursed her lips. “Yes.”

“Good, because he wants to meet you.”

“He does?” Oljot looked serious, but she didn’t exactly know him well.

He half-smiled. “Xlee and Grasapa communicate regularly through me.”

Of course they did.

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