Chapter Twenty – The Rewards

  Fulgaday, 11 Tamihr, Year of Folivor the Restful Sloth, 489 years AWA

  Royal Palace, Candibaru, Andovarra

  Sondil straightened slightly, as if drawing upon well-rehearsed explanations. "The throne in Andovarra follows established protocol rather than bloodline inheritance," he said with the patient tone of someone accustomed to explaining complex systems. “In Andovarra, the title ‘Prince’ just means I’m the son of the rightful ruler, no more.”

  Wenthe frowned, her tail twitching with confusion. "Then how is your throne passed down?" She knew she had limited experience of the world, but she had never heard of a country that did not pass the throne to one of the King's children, or if there were no children, the closest living kin.

  As he spoke, Sondil's posture remained formally correct, hands clasped behind his back in the manner of someone giving a presentation he'd delivered many times before. "When the King dies, each of the eleven provinces of Andovarra selects someone as a potential king, often the Provincial Lord of that province. Then those people, called Crown Candidates, go through an eleven-day trial process, with a trial each day based on a character trait of the noble who helped found each province. On the twelfth day, the exhausted candidates are led blindfolded into the Map Chamber, which has a map of the nation and her eleven provinces on the floor. They stand on the location corresponding to their province's capital, then the assembly known as the Conclave of the King begins, in which the new king is selected by Andovarra's most precious national treasure, the Kingmaker."

  Wenthe leaned forward, fascinated despite herself. "What exactly is the Kingmaker? Is it a sword or a crown?"

  Sondil's expression grew serious, his sense of duty evident in the set of his shoulders. "The Kingmaker's physical manifestation remains classified at the highest levels of state security. Otherwise, it would become a target for Andovarra's enemies or any ambitious noble or King's son. Even those who participate in the Conclave of the King are blindfolded."

  Perx stepped forward, his analytical mind engaged despite himself. "How does a person know when the Kingmaker has chosen them?"

  Sondil straightened, clearly having memorized this explanation. "The specifics of the ceremony that pertain to the Kingmaker are known only to the priests, but what is known is that the Kingmaker begins to assess the candidates.” His voice had the reverence of someone describing a religious ceremony.

  Neric leaned forward, his storyteller's instincts engaged. "What does that look like?"

  “When it finds the rightful king, luminous lines begin to glow from within the map's inlay, starting at each provincial capital and flowing like rivers of light across the floor, all converging toward the chosen candidate regardless of which province they represent. The light rises from the floor and encircles only the chosen ruler in a column of soft, golden illumination.”

  “And what happens next?” asked Wenthe.

  Sondil replied, “Well, at that point, the blindfold is removed permanently from the rightful ruler while the other candidates are led out." He then paused, ensuring he'd covered the key points in proper sequence. "Most visitors find our system... unusual. I've found it helps to explain it in chronological order."

  Jori nodded with tactical appreciation. "Seems like there would be the need to protect both Kingmaker and Map Chamber."

  "Oh, there is," Sondil agreed readily. "And even I don't know what those protections are, only that they are multi-layered and require the involvement of multiple high-ranking people."

  Wenthe grinned, her natural enthusiasm shining through. "Thanks for the interesting story!"

  Sondil nodded to the alchemist with polite acknowledgment, then said with characteristic efficiency, "Now I shall return to my quarters and see everyone in the morning. Before we adjourn, I should confirm our departure protocol. Six bells, forty minutes sharp means everyone assembled and ready to depart, not arriving to begin preparations.” He glanced around the group, ensuring his meaning was clear. "I assume everyone understands the distinction?" After everyone nodded, he then left the room followed by his two guards.

  Rothlan turned to them with businesslike efficiency. "Why don't you tell me who is staying the night and who needs to send messages. Once that is done, we can get to your rewards."

  The party decided that all of them would stay, the opportunity to stay at an actual Palace being too special to pass up.

  Rothlan calculated quickly, his organized mind working through the logistics. "Normally, you'd all have single rooms, but we are expecting a large number of guests tomorrow, some of whom may be arriving tonight. Assuming there are no married couples in your group, I count one room of two men, two rooms of two women each, one room of one man, and one room of one woman."

  The group acknowledged there were no married couples, then Rothlan summoned a page with practiced efficiency to alert the necessary servants that 5 rooms were needed.

  Next, Kere, Jori, and Neric wrote out the messages they wanted sent. Rothlan summoned another page, who took down the destinations with professional competence and promised to get them out that evening. Jenna decided she would return home for her poisoner’s kit after they got their rewards.

  Rothlan then pulled out a large sack from a bag of holding he had been carrying with the efficient movements of someone conducting regular business. Reaching into the sack, he first pulled out several bags of coins and placed them on a table with methodical precision. "Coin purses first—one for each of you when you claim your items."

  The first item he withdrew was a Handy Haversack identical to Perx and Monoffa's. "This is for anyone who isn't very physically strong."

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  "I'd like to take that, if no one else minds," said Jenna. "I've been struggling a lot with my load." She glanced around the room for confirmation, and Kere and Perx both nodded to her.

  Perx told Jenna with a slight teasing grin, “Now you won’t need me to lug your things around anymore.” Jenna grinned back with a slight blush.

  Jenna then retrieved her bag of coins from the table and headed into town to get her materials.

  Next came a silver ring engraved with question marks. Rothlan explained with technical precision, "This is a ring of advice. Once per day, you can ask it any common-sense question you don't know the answer to, once it has had a full day to attune to you."

  No one seemed immediately interested in the ring, so Kere finally stepped forward with quiet acceptance. "I'll take that." Rothlan handed her the ring and a bag of coins.

  Kere studied the silver ring in her palm, watching how the question marks caught the light. "Common-sense questions," she repeated thoughtfully, thinking of all the times she'd wished for guidance. She donned the ring with careful attention before putting the bag into her backpack.

  A cauldron resembling a cooking pot with four stout legs. Turning to Wenthe, he said with the satisfaction of matching equipment to need, "I noticed that you carry the gear of an alchemist. Wenthe practically bounced with excitement, her tail vibrating, before Rothlan even finished explaining its function. "I do, and I've been wanting something like this! I can finally try that explosive compound I’ve been theorizing about!” She accepted the cauldron and her bag of coins with the enthusiasm of someone receiving exactly what they needed.

  Next Rothlan pulled out a pair of very ordinary-looking yet sturdy spectacles. "Don't be fooled by the plain appearance," he said with a slight smile. "These spectacles allow the wearer to improve their ability to decipher various writings, including contracts. They can also help to identify forgeries." He then pulled out a very ordinary-looking leather scabbard. "This will resize to fit and then hone any non-magical bladed weapon that can normally be stored in a scabbard. It functions as a magical whetstone."

  Neric's eyes practically sparkled with delight. "Ooh, I want those, if you all wouldn't mind!" He accepted the spectacles, the scabbard, and a bag of coins with theatrical gratitude, slipping the bag of coins into his backpack with careful attention.

  Neric slipped the spectacles on immediately, blinking as the world sharpened around him. "Oh, these are marvelous!" He peered at a document on Rothlan's table, then at the others' faces as if seeing new details. "And this scabbard..." He drew his rapier to test the fit, grinning as it resized perfectly. "The Brotherhood won't know what hit them."

  “Does the Brotherhood make use of contracts?” Perx asked Neric in low tones. “Because devils sure do.”

  “I have no idea!” exclaimed Neric with characteristic cheerfulness. “But the thought of being able to read mysterious documents—even devil contracts—really gets my juices flowing!”

  A Pearl of Power and a fan feather token emerged next. "This Pearl of Power will let you recall a first-level spell, and the fan feather token will create winds that can sail a ship a little over 21 knots per hour for an eight-hour period."

  Jori stepped forward with practical interest. "I'll take those items. The gods know I can't do magic yet, but I am sure having an extra spell will be quite helpful once I can." He accepted the items and the bag of coins from Rothlan with his characteristic efficiency.

  Jori examined the pearl with the careful attention of someone who understood the value of backup plans. "Eight hours of wind," he mused, pocketing the fan token. "That could mean the difference between making port or being caught in a storm." He didn't look at Kere, but she caught the slight emphasis on "making port"—always the practical ranger, thinking ahead.

  Monoffa declared to her companions, “I see orange suns floating around all of you, and they hum like bowstrings being plucked.”

  Chagrin on his expressive face, Neric said to Monoffa, “I get that Cali and Kere seem to understand your cryptic emotional statements just fine, but I’m lost, and I consider myself someone who understands the emotions of others. Orange suns—what’s that about?”

  “I…,” began Monoffa, then cut off, frowning. “I know what I mean, but I can’t explain it,” she finally said, frustration coloring her voice. “Cali, Kere, can one of you explain it?”

  Cali said to Neric, “Well, colors are commonly associated with emotions, and what Monoffa means is usually a combination of the verb she describes, the color she chooses, and the noun that goes with it. An orange sun connotes warmth, so it’s a warm emotion. ‘Floating’ is a general verb, not at all like ‘flinch’ that she used earlier with Sondil, which was a huge clue. So maybe…happy?” She glanced at Monoffa for confirmation.

  “Sun in darkness!” blurted out Monoffa. “And it tastes like honey mixed with tears.”

  “Oh!” exclaimed Cali, the meaning becoming clearer with this new clue. “Do you mean hope?”

  “Yes, hope,” Monoffa repeated, her tail movement punctuating her words with a swish.

  A heavy gold ring emerged from Rothlan’s sack, its surface etched with intricate patterns that seemed to shift slightly in the light. "Mind-shielding ring," Rothlan announced, then grimaced. "Unfortunately damaged—only blocks scrying now."

  "Perfect," Perx said immediately, his analytical mind already engaged. As he slipped the ring onto his finger, his expression grew focused in the way it did when he was working through a complex magical problem. He turned his hand slowly, watching how the enchantment matrices caught the light.

  "Fascinating," he murmured, tracing one of the etched patterns with his other hand. "The primary ward structure is intact, but I can see where the emotional shielding components have been... severed? No, more like they've been deliberately isolated." His eyes lit up with the satisfaction of understanding a puzzle. "Someone knew exactly what they were doing when they modified this. The scrying protection is actually stronger now, concentrated rather than dispersed."

  He looked up at Rothlan with newfound respect. "This isn't damage—it's refinement. Whoever altered this was a master enchanter."

  A pale blue shawl made of a silken, diaphanous material, a pair of high-soled blue boots with the face of a cat stitched on them, and another Pearl of Power appeared next. "This is another first level Pearl of Power along with a Shawl of Life Keeping and a pair of Boots of the Cat. The Boots minimize damage taken from falls and cause the wearer to always land on their feet, and the shawl can absorb life energy from the wearer and give it back should the wearer become unconscious. The command word for adding vitality to the shawl is “preserve”.

  Monoffa examined the boots with mild interest and shook her head. "I already land on my feet when I fall, so I think I will pass."

  Cali stepped forward with serene acceptance. "I guess I'll take them, then," she said, collecting the items and her bag of coins with graceful movements. As she lifted the pale blue shawl, her glowing hair seemed to brighten slightly in response to its life-preserving magic. "There's something... harmonious about this," she said, her voice carrying the wonder of someone recognizing divine craftsmanship. She examined the cat-faced boots with an amused smile. "I suppose even Celestial heritage doesn't guarantee graceful landings."

  Finally, Rothlan pulled out a narrow cloth belt with a silver buckle in the shape of 4 rings, another pearl of power, and a small bag. He explained with systematic thoroughness, "The belt is a Meridian Belt and will allow the wearer to wear a ring on each foot in addition to the two on each hand and swap between them at will. The pearl of power allows the user to recall a single 1st level spell, and the bag contains an Elixir of Swimming, a Key of Lock Jamming, a vial of Silversheen, and a Stubborn Nail. The Elixir of Swimming allows the drinker to swim much more easily for 1 hour, the Key of Lock Jamming jams the door lock to any small or medium sized door, and makes the lock harder and tougher to break. When applied to a weapon, silversheen gives the weapon or 20 units of ammunition the properties of alchemical silver for an hour, and finally, the Stubborn Nail can be used to nail a weight of up to 500 lbs to a wall, hold a door shut as the Hold Portal spell, or be pressed into a lock. Once removed, it loses its power and transforms into an ordinary iron piton."

  Monoffa shrugged with characteristic casualness. "I guess that one's mine," and took the items and her bag of coins. She picked up the Meridian Belt, then immediately set it down to examine the small bag, then back to the belt. "Rings on feet," she said with sudden delight, as if this solved a problem no one else knew she had. "Like jewelry for walking! And this nail..." She held up the Stubborn Nail, studying it intently. "It reminds me of something, but I can't..." Her expression grew frustrated as the memory slipped away.

  The companions spent a few moments examining their new acquisitions, the soft sounds of leather adjusting, metal clinking, and quiet appreciation filling the space. Cali donned her new shawl and uttered “preserve,” the shawl catching and holding the word like captured starlight, and Cali felt a portion of her celestial essence flow into its protective embrace.