Book 3 Chapter 14

14. The Marquise

We left the officer’s bar behind us, and mounted up outside.  The Marquise’s city manor was in the north district, and it didn’t take us long to arrive, with the streets being relatively clear due to the lack of Travelers in The Recent Past.  As predicted, saying my name and displaying my personal crest was enough to get us into the Marquise’s waiting room.  We were shown there by thevalet whom I flashed the silver coin to.  He recognized it and promised to return immediately, leaving the token in my possession.

I picked out one of the books from the Marquise’s bookshelf, read two pages, blushed heavily, and put it back on the shelf.  I don’t think anyone else noticed.

Within fifteen minutes of our arrival, a tall, thin man who looked very much like an older, less athletic version of Keithan Selmy arrived.  He extended his hand to me, palm up, grasping, and I realized that he wished to inspect the token.  I promptly handed it over to him and gave him a polite bow, the proper depth for our relative stations.  He was ranked above me in the nobility, after all, and my lands of North Shire technically fell within his territory, although I owed paid taxesdirectly to the crown rather than him.

“So, you have challenged one of my beloved sons to a duel, lost, but somehow befriended him anyway,” Jorva Peori commented, examining the coin in his hand.

“Technically it was a draw,” I commented.

“In my opinion, a draw means that both parties lose,” the Marquise explained.  “However, to earn a draw against a duelist of Keithan’s caliber is impressive at your age.  I’ll have to have an accounting of the duel read to me when I get a spare moment.  What is it that you want, Earl Jeoran?”

“Your support in the actions I have planned for the coming days and weeks,” I said.

Marquise Peori’s eyebrows rose at that.  “And why would you need that?”

“You know that I started one battleground weeks ago to defend myself,” I said.

“The entire world knows that,” Peori agreed.

“If things do not go my way, I intend to start a few more,” I declared.  “I intend to start battle after battle until the Northridge Freelancers are no more.”

Peori actually looked shocked, for a moment.  Then he schooled his expression.  “Where did you get the cores for such an endeavor?”

“I could tell you, or you could let your spies try to figure it out themselves,” I suggested.

The Marquise took a moment to scratch his chin in thought.  “It would be good to have them earn their pay for once...will you swear to never start a battleground against me or my family?”

“I swear by Thedum to never initiate a battleground with the intention of destroying any party I have a formal allegiance with.”

Outside there was the sound of thunder.  Dry lightning striking in the distance.  The oath had been witnessed.

“Clever oath,” Peori admitted.  “Incentivizes me to formally welcome you as an ally, doesn’t it?”

“I’m not being subtle here,” I admitted.  “I will use my cores to destroy my enemies.  Alliances shift from time to time.  Befriend me and benefit, betray me and risk my ire.  Those are the terms I present to you, Marquise.”

Peori nodded.  Then he again extended his hand.  “Prove it.  That you have what you say.  Show me the cores.”

I paused to consider.  There was no way I was going to take out all 91 cores in my inventory to show him just how dangerous I was, yet a single core might not be enough.  Further, he could potentially use the core himself the moment I handed it over to him, and I wasn’t willing to risk that either.

There was one exception to that last rule, I realized.  The [Battle Core] I had created was limited in use and scope.  It could only be used by me, on my lands, and against intruders or outlaws within my lands.  Marquis Peori simply didn’t have the Authority to interact with it, as I understood the rules of these things.

Reluctantly, I pulled the item from my inventory and placed it in the senior noble’s hands.  He[Analyzed] the object with glee.

“A true battle core.  Seventeen of seventeen charges.  Death penalty reduced to one tenth for Traveler participants.  Restrictions on the geographic location where it can be used, as well as who can activate it.  This is a true item of power, limited in scope deliberately.  If it were not for those limitations, Earl Jeoran, I would order my guards to arrest you and confiscate this item for myself,” the Marquise admitted.

“That would be a mistake, even if those limitations did not exist,” I informed him.

“Perhaps.  But I am a man who is known to give into my temptations.  And an item like this is very, very tempting,” Peori explained.  Then he sighed and handed it back over to me.  “But I cannot use it, so there we are.  I’m impressed though.  It would have taken five dungeon cores to make such an item.  When my spies confirm where those cores came from, I intend to ask you whether or not they got it right.”

“And if we’re allies at the time, I will of course answer honestly,” I said.

Peori laughed.  “Oh very well.  I’ll back your power play.  The truth is that those bandits are a nuisance to my lands as well, but they hide on yours, making it impossible for me to root them out.  I’ll send my men to secure your border as soon as possible, then leave the purging of North Shire to you.  On one condition.”

“And that is?”

“I was given a Dungeon Core when I was younger, and I spent it somewhat foolishly.  I wish for you to reclaim it for me, so that I may put it to better use,” he explained.

I frowned, and checked the system time.  Four hours had passed since the portal complex had stabilized, meaning that in another fifty hours Travelers would begin using it to return to The Recent Past.

“What level is the dungeon?” I asked.

‘Levels 40-45, but if you managed to reach a draw with my son, then you’ll have no issues inside of it,” he assured me.

“I’m not certain that I have the time,” I admitted.  “I’m sure you have felt the timelines diverging.  Soon, Travelers will begin arriving here in The Recent Past, and I need to secure every advantage that I can before that happens.”

Peori nodded.  “And of the advantages you sought to secure, how high is my backing on the list?”

I frowned.  Because it was very high indeed.  “Will you accept a vow in Thedum’s name to--”

“I will accept the reclaimed core itself.  In exchange, I will draft a formal allegiance with terms as favorable to you as I can, supporting you both against the Northridge Freelancers, and your uncles.  I will even support you for the throne, if you would have changed your mind by now about pursuing that option.”

“I haven’t,” I said.  I sighed.  “You offer me exactly what I want, My Lord.  I cannot refuse to try.  Even though it means throwing three dozen other plans into the midden pile.”

“That makes me quite pleased,” The Marquise admitted.  “It means that an allegiance with me was very high on your list of priorities indeed.  It both stokes my ego, and shows that you are wise despite your years.  Let me summon my magician, and together with yours they will be able to push through the temporal disturbance which is preventing most portals.  You will be teleported directly outside The Rozen Guardian instance.  I placed the core in the center of a hedge maze years ago, and I wish to reclaim both the core and the maze.  So try not to destroy either of them, if you can.”

“I’ll do my best,” I promised.

The Marquise pulled a cord, and several moments later an elderly gentleman in wizardly robes appeared.  The Marquise informed his magician of his intentions, and then the magician conferred with Larissa for a moment, before they jointly cast a portal spell.  Without too much hesitation, I stepped through it.

Based on the description of the dungeon, I was expecting to emerge into a garden, or in a yard with hedges nearby.  Instead, I was in a familiar forest.  I cursed when I looked up, something I had neglected to do the last time I was here.

The sky was blue and gray and black at the same time.  This was the Deadlands.  Auroras, or Death, had once more interfered with my portals to bring me somewhere I didn’t want to go.

Fortunately, I wasn’t alone this time, as my Traveler friends followed promptly behind.  They looked around, confused, until I pointed up.

“I think Uncle Auroras wants to talk with me again,” I said, and the others all groaned.

~~~~~~

While I still didn’t have any fast travel options within the deadlands, the map itself showed me that I was only a league from the defunct Temple of Thedum where I had burried five assassins before.  My friends and I mounted and rode hard towards that destination.  When the Ramsay hounds appeared, I [Swiftcast] [Concussive Sound] at them and simply kept riding.  They were still ten levels higher than me, but I was not alone this time, and my allies were strong enough to put them down if they tried to attack us.  They whimpered and limped along behind us at a distance.

The temple was exactly as I remembered it, and I found Auroras where I was expecting him.  In the back rooms, his quill scritching away on a roll of parchment.  He did not look up or backwards at our approach.

“You’ve grown quite a bit since the last time you were here,” he commented.  “After your duel, I’m not certain that your current class is indeed the best fit for you.  Have you considered changing it?”

“I don’t have time for this, Uncle Auroras,” I said impatiently.  “Send me on my way so that I may reclaim the dungeon core I need to appease Marquise Peori.”

“It had to look like a curse,” Auroras said, ignoring me completely.  “We have to appear neutral.  I am his avatar.  I cannot play favorites.  However, the Adversary has tipped the scales against you recently, allowing me to intervene on your behalf.  Slightly.  In five minutes, a way will open for you out back.  It will take you where you need to go.”

“Last time I was here you kept me for a week,” I pointed out.

“The last time you were here I had more to say and teach you,” he countered.  “Goodbye Hail.  I dread the day we meet on the battleground.  Not because I fear you or for you, however.  All things come to an end.  The Gray Man understands that better than most.”

“I am done with your cryptic nonsense,” I declared, and I turned to leave.

“When I die, would you do me a favor, Hail?” Auroras called.  “Would you watch over my grandson for me?”

“He can watch over himself,” I called back, angry over this entire interruption.  It had cost us close to thirty minutes on an already tight schedule.

“I sense a portal forming nearby,” Larissa said as we exited the temple.  “That must be the way that Auroras was talking about.”

“If it doesn’t bring us where we want to go, I’m going to find a way back here and strangle him,” I vowed.

The Ramsay hounds continued to circle us as we made our way out back to the impromptu graveyard, but they were whimpering and whining instead of growling as they had been when I’d been in this place alone.  Moments passed, and a grayness rippled through the air, forming into a portal back to Lagrea.  Hopefully, back to The Recent Past, to a place just outside of the Rozen Guardian dungeon.