Chapter 26: Name the Chain
Her gaze landed on the chain that was still in my left hand. "Is that yours?"
I responded, "Yes."
"Where did you acquire it?"
"A Lurivox Wizard gifted it to me."
Perhaps she smiled slightly. "How generous of him." After examining it for a bit longer, she queried, "Have you given it a name?"
"Huh? No. Should I?"
"Perhaps."
"Would you like to tell me about it?"
"No."
"Alright."
She collected the staff and exited the room. I coiled the chain around my left wrist and requested Drevolan to teleport me back to my residence. He agreed and executed it.
* * * *
I had first encountered Liora when I was eleven years old, during a dispute in my father's Inn. She had shown me unprecedented kindness, being the first Imperion to do so. We had kept in touch intermittently since then. I once asked her why she was fond of me when every other Imperion I'd met detested me. She simply smiled and ruffled my hair. I didn't ask again, but the question lingered in my mind.
She donned the grey and black of the House my father had bought nobility orders from. Eventually, I discovered she was actually a thief working for the organization. Far from repulsed, I was intrigued. Liora taught me a few tricks like lock picking, disarming sorcery alarms, and blending into crowds. She offered to teach me more, but I couldn't see myself as a thief.
I'd prefer not to dwell on the tedious affairs of running an Inn, but there was this one instance when I was about fifteen. I almost had to sell the place due to some obscure tax issue. As I grappled with the situation, the pressure subsided and the imperial tax collector stopped visiting.
Never one to leave things unprobed, I went looking for him to figure out what was happening. I saw him bullying another merchant in the area and asked about it.
"It's been settled," he said.
"How?"
"It was paid."
"Who paid it?"
"Didn't you?"
"Perhaps."
"What do you mean, perhaps?"
I thought quickly. "I'm missing some money," I said, "and there was someone who should have handled it, and I just want to ensure it was taken care of."
"A Vorgan woman paid it off."
"Wearing a grey cloak with a big hood? Long hands, a low voice?"
"Exactly."
"Okay, thanks."
About a week later, I saw Liora in an alley, leaning against a wall. I approached her and said, "Thanks."
For what?" she asked from within her hood.
"Paying off my taxes."
"Oh, that," she said. "You're welcome. I wanted you to owe me a favor."
I replied, "I already owe you about a hundred. But if there's something I can do for you, I'd be glad to."
She paused before saying, "Actually, there is."
I had a slight suspicion that she was improvising, but I said, "Sure. What is it?"
She pulled back her hood and looked at me. She bit her lip, and it struck me that Imperions do that too.
She always appeared younger than she was, except when you looked into her eyes. She carefully surveyed the alley. When she turned back to me, she was holding something. I took it. It was a small, clear vial containing a dark liquid; barely an ounce. She said, "Can you keep this for me? It won't harm you. It is dangerous for me to have it right now."
I examined the vial to check its fragility. It seemed sturdy enough. I said, "Sure. How long do you need me to hold onto it?"
"Not long. Twenty, thirty years maybe."
"Huh? Liora"
"Oh. Yes. I guess that is a long time for you. Well, it might not be that long. And, as I said, it shouldn't pose any danger to you."
She gave me a small pouch on a cord. I slipped the vial into it and put it around my neck.
I asked, "What's in the vial?"
She seemed to ponder before pulling her hood back up. "The blood of a goddess," she said.
"Okay." And, "I think I won't ask."
* * * *
I awoke the night following my encounter with Anatole, sensing a strange half-formed idea in the back of my mind, realizing that someone was trying to connect with me telepathically. Becoming more alert, I noticed the near-dawn light, and permitted the contact.
"Who is this?"
"Alyssra Volade."
"Oh. Yes?"
"We require your assistance."
Several responses crossed my mind, but I held my tongue. "Continue," I prompted.
"We want you to come here."
"When?"
"Immediately."
"Do you mind if I eat first?"
"That's acceptable. Should we prepare a bucket for you to vomit in?"
Arrogant. I sighed, "Okay. Give me ten minutes to wake up and act human."
"What?"
"Act like a Terran, then. Forget it. Just give me ten minutes."
"Very well."
I rolled over and planted a kiss on Zandria's neck. Her response was an indistinct murmur. I said, "I have to leave. Help yourself to breakfast and I'll see you later, okay?"
She mumbled again. I got up, completed the necessary routines, which included wrapping the golden chain around my left wrist and securing various weapons. Opal landed on my shoulder as I was finishing up.
"What's the plan, boss?"
"Back to Pardus Mountain, buddy. Don't know the reason yet."
I strolled down to the street, rounded a corner, and waited. Alyssra contacted me promptly, and then I was at Pardus Mountain again.
* * * *
My thoughts turned to the vial Liora had given me, supposedly containing the blood of a goddess. Upon returning home, I removed it from its pouch and scrutinized it. It was dark and could have been blood as much as anything else, I guess. I gave it a shake, which might have been unwise, but it didn't harm anything. It could indeed have been blood. Or perhaps not. I replaced the vial into the pouch. I decided not to unseal it. I wondered if I would ever uncover the tale behind why Liora had it but didn't want to keep it, yet couldn't sell it, and so on. It felt nice to do a favor for her, for a change.
I placed it in a chest where I kept my valued belongings and didn't ponder over it for a while. There were other things to occupy me. My grandfather determined that, as part of my continuous Sorcery training, it was time for me to acquire a familiar.
* * * *
Ten minutes after my arrival, I was contemplating that perhaps I could grow fond of Alyssra, in time. This time, they led me directly to the library, and after allowing me a ten-minute respite to recover from the teleportation, Abbe arrived with hot, quality Brevan (Brevan is a peculiar Imperion brew made from Terran coffee beans. It tastes similar to Terran coffee but lacks the bitterness). He brought thick cream and honey to mix in, along with hot biscuits slathered in butter and honey. Drevolan and I leisurely ate and drank. Abbe stood behind Alyssra, occasionally nibbling on the crumbs from the tray and surveying the room with quick glances.
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