A Bright and Shiny Life

Four cells destroyed in one day… four that we know of. Safe to assume at least twice that many. They must have been planning this for months. Gathering information and laying seeds. Letting us think we’ve been gaining ground before crushing us in one fell swoop. We should have expected as much from the empire.

The shock must be evident on my face as Tanyth gives me a pained, reassuring smile.

“Come on, sit. You must be hungry. Bring some food.” She says, indicating the chair in front of her, then looking at one of the guards flanking, who immediately rushes to the kitchen.

I take her offer of the chair. “Oh.” I say, remembering the camp and setting my stolen weapons and loot bag on the table. “I ran into a small patrol on the way here. You’ll have more use of the loot than me. You probably don’t need the food with this place’s pantry so stocked, but I enchanted the weapons. I don’t usually fight up close, so I always gave anything I enchanted to the rest of the cell when I was with Gebal.”

Good. Smooth. Start with what you can bring to the cell.

“They look paltry.” The leaning mage says.

“Yeah.” I admit. “I only had a few minutes, so they’re not as good as I normally do. But they’re still better than mundane weapons, and, very important, they’re cheap.”

Her face reddens, as I guess the time and cost of enchanting weapons with normal methods is a frustration for her.

“Thankyou… was it, Malz?” Tanyth says before things can heat up.

“Yes.” I say, smiling at her remembering me.

“Well, I’m certain we’ll find a use for these.” She examines each weapon in turn, and I see a small light emit from her hands as she touches them that the weapons seem to absorb. After handling each in turn she places them back on the table and gestures to the remaining visible guard to take them away.

A moment later the first guard comes back with a large bowl of hearty beef and potato chowder. It’s well seasoned and I quickly swallow spoonfuls as soon as it’s placed in front of me. It’s scorching hot, but I let my regeneration take care of the burns.

Tanyth gestures for them to leave, then waits for me to eat a few more bites before starting the questions.

“So, what happened.”

“Ambush.” I say in the middle of gulping down a spoonful. “We received information regarding a collaborating count’s heir’s travel plans. We set up an ambush, but it was a trap. The lady was an imposter. Likely a mind-sculpted peasant flesh doll who thought she was the real thing– she really seemed to believe her father would save her…

“Anyways, I realized she wasn’t a noble when I gave her to Anar. They likely had a sense link on her, because by the time we figured things out there was already a barrage of cascade orbs flying at us from over the horizon. Only one other person made it to the rendezvous point, but he died shortly after due to wounds. Most died from the orbs, but he mentioned there were groups of soldiers hunting for survivors.”

Tanyth considers my story for a moment, so the mage speaks first.

“I thought you were supposed to be some sort of expert diviner. Why didn’t you foresee the trap?”

“First off, I’m not an expert.” I say defensively.

“Oh yeah?” She interrupts. “That’s not what people say about you.”

“…Second off, nobody should be talking about me, because that would compromise the cell network, as would you listening to them.” Her face reddens at the rebuke. “Third, any competent diviner knows you can’t rely on divinations for information on the enemy. Any divination you perform on them will almost certainly be countered by their divinations on you.

“Every foretelling is like a battle in itself– one in which the empire is severely advantaged. They have more diviners and if you perform too many divinations in a short period, it causes disruptions which they can use to find you. The most I, or anyone, can reliably achieve is to spoil their attempts to track us. Occasionally I can warn of traps, but I’ve always made it clear that can’t be trusted.”

The mage looks like she is about to explode, but Tanyth intercedes. “That’s enough. There’s no use fighting with ourselves.”

It’s my turn to blush from a rebuke, though I guess that was meant for both of us. I shouldn’t have been so defensive. I need to get into this cell, fight under Tanyth’s leadership, and that won’t happen if it seems like I can’t get along.

… Do I think that it was my fault that the cell all died?

…No, they clearly spent a lot of effort setting it up along with all the other cells destroyed today. I was just flustered that her repeated downplaying of my abilities might jeopardize getting in. She clearly likes being the only mage around… as did I, I suppose.

We go over the details of my story a few times as I finish eating. It’s time consuming and tedious, but they need to know if there are any inconsistencies that might indicate my escape was a mind-moulded fantasy, so I don’t mind.

“So,” Tanyth says after a pause, sufficiently satisfied that I’m not a flesh doll sleeper agent to change the subject, “you’re a cultist of Anar?”

“I was a cultist of Anar.” I correct. “My… indoctrination was still incomplete when the empire invaded and destroyed the cult’s presence in Caethlon.”

“But you still use Anar’s rituals?”

I shrug. “Plenty of people have strictly transactional relationships with gods.” I nod to her necklace.

“When exactly did the empire destroy them?” She says, instead of pointing out that most gods don’t include human sacrifice in those transactions.

“During the initial conquest three years ago.”

“And you’re what, Fifteen?”

“Fourteen.”

“…How did you come into the cult to begin with?”“I was kidnapped when I was seven. I suppose the plan was to sacrifice me immediately, but they decided to convert me instead. They taught me Anar’s teachings and a bit of magic.”

“And how do you feel about them now?”

“As I said, the indoctrination was incomplete. I find it… difficult to think ill of them, but I’m also not a fanatic.”

“So, you don’t resent the empire for killing them?”

“Not really.”

“So why are you fighting?”

I blink.

“…I believe in the cause.” Panicking that I might not have a good enough reason to get in.

She stares expecting more.

“…Gebal was the one who found me when I fled the cult’s destruction. Since he’s only a squire, he was on his way to take charge of a garrison instead of going to the main army. We lived together for a few weeks. The townspeople were… nice. Then the king surrendered and Gebal decided to join the resistance. I convinced him my magic was useful, so he took me with him since almost all our mages of note were either dead or surrendered. I do have fondness for Caethlon, though it’s sufficient to say Gebal believed so I believed.”

I decide not to mention that another factor is the power I’ve gained from sending nearly a hundred souls to Anar.

She considers this for a moment, then nods as if she understands, though I get the sense that she does not. I resist a sigh of relief.

“You talk a bit like a noble.” She observes, bouncing the subject again.

“… Um– Magic casting is aided by precise diction. I suppose since nobles are often mages their typical speech patterns might follow those found in casting.”

“You said you could tell if someone is a noble?”

“Only when I kill them, ritually, and only if they’re not.” I say, absolutely baffled as to where this is going.

“How does that work?”

“Nobles are Anar’s favourite type of people… except for royalty and favoured servants of rival gods I suppose, but those are so rare as to hardly count. It has something to do with the authority given to them. Heirs are better since the authority is still unformed. He gives more power for them, so it’s obvious when you sacrifice someone who isn’t.”

“… Less convenient than I hoped… What gods are Anar’s rivals.”

“Why, all of them, I suppose… though especially others who get a majority of their power from ‘hosting’ souls in their afterlives.” I say with just a little irony. “Also, I guess the animal pantheon is mostly neutral, but they always do their own thing.”

“Right…Do you remember your childhood before your kidnapping?” She asks, again, catching me completely off guard. What does that have to do with anything? I expected her to ask about what benefits I can bring to the cell, not whatever this is.

“…No.” I answer honestly. “The cult’s patriarch did something that made it painful to think about, and now those memories are faded.”

She crosses her arms in a thinking posture for several moments. After a while she looks up and speaks. “Malz, take a walk with me. The rest of you go about your business.”

I follow her out of the house. On the way I notice that I was right about someone standing silently behind me the entire time and find myself having a smug smile. She leads me away from the house for some distance and finally stops near a bubbling brook. Frogs croak rhythmically to the lights of fireflies, and the summer night air feels good with my enhanced senses. I don’t notice anyone following us, and we are too far away from the house for me to make out anything the occasional voices coming from it are saying.

I’m guessing she has sensitive information she doesn’t want the others to know about. I am immediately flattered before she even says anything.

She speaks in a much more direct way than in the house. “Seven years ago, around the time you joined the cult there was a big incident involving a burst of kidnappings all over the kingdom. I was part of the investigation. We always knew Anar was responsible, but could never find the cult. We found abandoned lairs full of sacrificed bodies, but nothing living. Among those missing are a handful of noble heirs. Do you believe you could be one of them?”

I blink, completely not expecting this, though her previous questions are starting to make sense.

“I hadn’t considered the possibility.” I say after a moment. “It would make sense. As I said, nobles are Anar’s favourite people, but there are other factors that can elevate a sacrifice. Being a mage is a minor one. Being willing is a major. If I am a noble, then the cult’s patriarch was likely waiting to sacrifice me until I could be indoctrinated to the point of willingness. Some factors are additive in the amount of power gained, but a willing noble would be multiplicative. If he managed to stack another multiplicative factor on top of that, he could have become very powerful indeed.” I almost laugh thinking of how good offering such a perfect sacrifice would feel, but keep the emotion from my face.

She studies me intently, but I ignore her gaze in favour of watching the fireflies. Finally, she seems to make up a mind I now realize she was trying to decide since I first walked in the room with her.

“I have a solo mission for you.” She says.

This startles me. “I… was hoping to join your cell and fight under your leadership.” My anxiety is no doubt evident.

She sighs. “Look, kid, you’re smart. The resistance is done for, and you know it. Two of the messages we received today reporting cell loss were by magic communication, and they were the only cells I know of capable of that. The third was a runner guided by a divination set up by a mage more powerful than you– one of our last elites. Basic probability says that at least half of our cells worth the effort are now gone. Probably closer to three quarters. The next week will be mop up. Any of us not in deep hiding after that will likely be dead.

“It’s your choice, I’ll be glad to have you, but you can do a lot more good on this mission than hiding in a cave with us for the next decade waiting for the chance to strike again.”

…Of course. I was hoping for leadership and now that leadership is telling me to go away.

It’s not like that. You convinced her you’re capable– she doesn’t know how bad you are on your own.

Heh, it’s not like I’ll be able to make any sacrifices to Anar in hiding.

You never know, maybe you could convince the rest of them to be willing with enough time and then run to another kingdom when they’re all gone.

…It would help if I knew what the mission was, but I would be disappointed if she told me before I agreed. Need to know… but there might be some details she can spare.

“Will I be completely alone?” I ask.

“…You’ll have a handler.”

A handler, good. Someone else in charge.

“What is it then?” I say.

She smiles, recognizing my question as an answer. “We recently came across an opportunity to impersonate an imperial noble, but need someone your age with noble blood to fully pull it off. There are magic devices that can confirm nobility, but they’re uncommon and we don’t have one here. Your mission is to go to the capital of Arkothia and meet your contact who has one of them. Once your blood is confirmed, you’ll enrol in the imperial academy there under your assumed identity. The entrance exam is in two months. It’ll be difficult, but your magic should get you in.

“Once in you’ll be a sleeper agent. You’ll make friends and contacts among the future elites. You may try to sway those you think are safe to our cause, but maintaining your place is your most important task. Even should you fail to sway anyone, having you graduate the academy and become an imperial elite on our side will be of great benefit. Any questions?”

“Yes, what do I do if it turns out I’m not a noble?”

“Then take the exam as a commoner. It won’t be as good, but it’s still worth it.”

“If I fail the exam?”

“There are other academies in the empire. You might as well go to one and forget all of this. Either that or you can stay with your handler and help him in his cover operation.”

“Alright, I think that’s it except for directions to my contact. I assume you don’t want to give details of who I’ll be impersonating until I find out if I can do it?”

“Yeah. I’ll give you the handler’s name and a letter of introduction later along with his address… that knife… it’s very conspicuous.”

“Oh this?” I pull out the ornate curved ritual knife covered in runes of dried brown blood. “I would be loath to part with it. It’s been enchanted by a more powerful caster than me, but more importantly it’s designed to aid in anthropomancy.” I point to how its sharp only on one side except for a thumb’s length at the curved tip. The idea being to place the back of the blade against the belly and drag it across– causing the tip to slice open the skin but not go so deep as to damage the organs inside.

“I… see… but I don’t think you’ll be needing to do that much while infiltrating, and if you do it’s not like you’ll actually need it to do the divination will you?”

“Well, no, I suppose not.”

“Here, take this.” She removes a straight dagger in a sheath from her sword belt. “It’s not enchanted, but it has received Muerin’s blessing which is almost as good. It should serve you well enough on your mission while being a lot less suspicious than anything magic– especially that thing.”

I nod and exchange knives, though still reluctantly. I quickly examine the dagger and find it’s of high quality, but not so much as to be suspicious for a commoner to have– suitable for being a worker’s tool or a weapon. I nod in acknowledgement.

“Well, let’s go back to the house. It looks like you need rest, and I need to write that letter. You should leave at dawn.”

“…What will you do when I go.”

“Oh, we’ll leave too. I’ll tell the cell to lay down their arms and scatter. I have to keep fighting because of my oath, but they don’t and so there’s no reason for them to die with no hope. Anyone who refuses I’ll take with me to a hiding spot I prepared… a few won’t have a choice. They’re too powerful for the empire to leave alone and they know things. After that we’ll see how things go.”

“I see, well… I could use a bed.” I say, the tiredness in her voice infecting me. I am reminded that I have been running all day, while she’ll be running for the rest of her life. Maybe she’ll find a loophole in her oath that will let her find foreign sanctuary under the pretence of building support, but I doubt it. Being under three oaths at once makes the gods very strict.

… A thought strikes me on the way back to the house and I almost laugh. I’m going to an academy full of noble children… fox in the henhouse. I hope my handler will be better at assessing risks than Gebal was.