Shackles of the Storm by D. & L. Kardenal

Author:D. & L. Kardenal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: D. & L. Kardenal
Published: 2021-06-13T00:00:00+00:00

18.

Shadows

“So that thing on your head is a magic trinket?” I asked.

Ezair just shrugged. “Well, I don’t know. Chai?”

“It is. I’ve felt it for a while now, just didn’t want to sound rude asking about it,” she said, swiping off a few crumbs from her dress. “It probably won’t do the same for you, thought.”

“It doesn’t have to, it’s just a memento.”

“I guess your uncle wasn’t happy you killed a nobleman as your first job,” I said.

“Just to clear up, it was Hain who killed him. I just publicly humiliated him, which is not much better, but still. But you’re right, he wasn’t happy at all. I remember the first time we were talking on a street and he heard a shout from somewhere. Is that Ezair from the Two-Headed Viper? He buried his face in his palms for a whole minute straight. But eventually, he made peace with it, when he learned the difference between mercenary and cutthroat.”

“I always thought mercenaries were respected. I mean, you’re doing it really well, and that’s admirable, no matter the craft.”

“Sadly, the world doesn’t work like that. Most people don't consider fighting as a craft.”

“What about when it’s all over? Will you join the city guard?”

Ezair snorted. “Sure, when my uncle is sitting on the prince’s throne instead of Charta. But I’ve had enough attention. It’s Chai’s turn.”

Chai winced like we awoke him from a daydream, then turned her eyes towards the entrance.

“I can’t understand what could interest you about me. I’m not that exciting.”

“Chai, you’re a mejai, living in a brothel as the madam’s daughter. That alone makes an interesting story, but I know there’s more to it,” I said, shaking my head. “How did you find magic?”

“I fooled a street quack,” she said. “I was barely a child and one day I saw a man who threw eight brass balls with one hand, made them do a perfect circle in the air and fall back in his palm. He dared anyone to try it for twenty moonsilver. Should someone succeed, they could take the whole sum he collected that day. He was a cheat, of course, the balls were relics from the Old Garden, always following each other in a perfect circle if commanded by a mejai. I was alone then, I ran away from my mother to try it, and I succeeded. At least for a few rounds. Then I got scared and the magic quickly slipped out of my hands, but that’s when I touched it for the first time. After that, a few questions asked at the right time cleared things up.”

“And what did Aylea say?”

“She didn’t say a word for a few days, just stayed in her office staring out the window. At first, I thought I did something wrong and upset her, but after some time she returned to her usual self. She obviously didn’t want me to join the courtesans, so I think she was relieved. This way I could have had a respectable and honest profession.

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