Chương 351: 7.7

Evren had only seen the Capital of the High Kingdom once before. He had been right before his sixth summer and had not even fully understood what was happening last time. He'd thought they were being rounded up to be imprisoned forever. In a way he was right. At first he'd been relieved to return to even the strange unfamiliarity of Kars. But here he was once more in the teeming midst of it. Evren and his entire family had been taken and put under guard.

They'd had to leave the flocks behind in the care of the Lord's men and he'd been so afraid something would happen to the sheep at first. Then they had traveled by the terrifying and vast Greater Griff! Bundled like wool into a special tent bag with thick leather and hauled through the air swaying and blind to the outside world! Only ever set down in the evenings and then bundled up again shortly after each dawn!

This time when Evren came to the Capital it was under his own power and his own wings that they flew from Kars. And although he did not have his family this time, Fizzbunches came with him. The black catlike wizard carefully bundled up into a pannier at his side where the Wizard slept through the days of the journey. They had done almost the entire journey on the wing. Only walking for the wide 'skypass' where they traversed from his home vault of Apotamidua to the northern vault of Dacia.

Then again once there was room enough for them in the sky again their route was flown. Evren and his regent and 'important courtiers' likewise being carried by two Greater Griff. The size of the terrifying birds had not diminished with his own growth. Still each of them stretched a wingspan wider than Evren was long twice over! Each a terrible and majestic white and gray beast. Like a cloud made animate. The bodies of the terrifying beasts' riders all but lost in the feathers at their necks.

Tied to them like jewelry for the sheer scale of them! The satchels in their talons were a far more opulent thing than the completely closed leather vessels his family had been bundled into last time either. Still compact, only able to really fit a few persons and some luggage.

But whereas Evren's family had been stowed against rough leather, the 'regent' and his courtiers each had plenty of pillows and cushions and even if they so wished a chance to peer out over the edge in little sheltered folds that kept the worst of the wind from them. There were also two of the Greater Griff carrying Evren's so-called court instead of the single one that had first taken him and his family to see the High King. According to his lessons, these were three of the seven great roc in all of Magarska.

The most that the Kingdom and its principalities could sustain, for the appetite of the monstrous gryff were astounding to behold. Evren got to see it each night. An acre of baskets filled with fish. A hunger he could hardly imagine seemingly barely satisfied every night. It had been a hard flight to reach the capital. But he preferred it to traveling bundled up like trade goods in a bag carried by a calamity of feathers and meat the size of decent pasture. The Capital was beautiful from the air.

Evren could admit that. Like a delicately woven carpet of stone. The palace and temples of the noble core were all done in alternating black, white and deep blue that reminded him of Dorka's favorite woven bracelet. The other colors of the buildings came out in less opulent hues with the ever more wobbly circles of wall until it reached the glittering joining of two rivers on its west side and the greenery of the local farms on its east.

From the ground it was also impressive but he could not deny the whispers of the stones from down here. They had been cut from their places on the earth not so long ago. The streets still remembered the cries and screams and fires. He'd read the histories of Magarska now. He understood now what the roads were telling him. Furthermore Fizzbunches had instructed him on what the other sense was that he had felt in his youth. The strange presence around the temples.

The bizarre strength that felt so recently roused from beneath the thick stone walls. Evren had learned what the lingering attention that seemed to cling to the city behind the wind of the world was. The namesake for the city. Terminapolis. The City of Terminus. The Lord of Walls. One of the Old Cantor 'God Emperors'. Fizzbunches knew many names for him and none of them made Evren any more comfortable with the sense of something watching that permeated the city.

What was worse, he could understand what happened now! The High King of Magarska Murad the First had conquered his city and claimed it as the capital of the whole kingdom. The man had dared to claim a god's city and make it his own. Evren was supposedly a Shepherd raised by what his 'regent' called 'feral gutti mongrels' or when the man was especially upset 'gnolls'. But at least he knew that you do not dare try to taunt the gods!

Mother and Father both had songs of what horrors befell armies that dared take god lands! Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. But here was the so-called wise and powerful High King of Magarska sitting on his throne seemingly not bothered at all by what curses the Heavens might bring down for his trespass in his youth. All those thoughts and memories filled the Wolf Prince's head as he stood before the man. Evren tried not to shiver at the figure.

An old and wrinkled face and sinewy body buried under finery that made even what the wyrm was often draped in seem poor. His face was solemn and serious, but there was a smell to him and a glitter in his eyes, a hint in his voice. Evren under Fizzbunche's tutelage was even better at catching lies than he had been last year. And far better than when he had last met Murad the First. The High King was speaking as if he was upset and sad about what he said. But there was joy underneath it.

The lie right now was the solemn pain.

"Wolf Prince Evren of the Vanand. I am so glad to see you well and healthy, but what should have been a joyous welcome to you is made bitter by grave news from our northern territory." Evren dipped his head like he was supposed to. The jangle of the metal trinkets clipped to his fur almost silent. But not quite, he'd still not mastered the trick that Fizzbunches was trying to train him in at night. He acted solemnly for that would show he was fooled by whatever the lie the High King was telling him.

His wind quivered in agitation at it but it helped to imagine it as a play. A song, a story. Something more harmless. Maybe perhaps this was even another lie he could work with Fizzbunches to kill later. To make it true.

"What news so dire has come to your ears, my High King?" Murad the First, Conqueror of Orestias, Now Terminopolis, sighed with mock sadness.

"The caravan of the Countess Jewel of the Realm of Cantor Reborn has come under attack by the vile usurper and monstrous blood drinker Vladimir Tepes of Wallachia." Was that the lie? No, he was speaking the truth, it was not the event that was untrue. But how he felt about it? Evren spoke as if it was true, as if the concern from the High King was sincere.

"Is the Countess injured? How many have fallen?" The high king left some of his feelings become true on his face, a joy, a delight, a feeling of satisfaction at Evren's act? No, not just that, something more.

"The Shining Doom of Viznove is uninjured, the incursion of the vampire beasts was stopped by a combination of her prowess in combat and the Cantoran Reborn Warriors. There in fact is word that there was use of some yet unknown weakness of the terrible fiends to repel them. Even their mortal warriors could easily repel the beasts." There was a deep satisfaction in the High King now. In his little napping bag Fizzbunches curled and shifted, hidden from eyes but now obviously awake.

A shuffle of his shoulders against the leather enough to speak his mind to Evren." He was not surprised by this attack, The High king knew it was coming, knew it would coincide with the Countess' journey. And he all but knew she would be victorious. Not just her, he deeply suspected that her entourage could weather the Count Tepes' monsters better than expected? Pry him young shepherd, act in disbelief of their success." Evren tried to think of all he had been told of the troubles north.

Without the support of Djinn, costly miracles or the fiercest of wargriffs? The forces of the resurgent Wallachians had cut down trained soldiers in their hundreds.

"Truly? Mortal warriors defeating the vampires?!" The high king nodded intently.

"Just so Wolf Prince, Just so! I'm sure it is some new magical discovery of theirs from High King Stein's court of djinn, nothing that our dear neighbor and ever so gracious countess would have denied giving in aid to our suffering at that accursed Wallachian monster and his uprising." And there was another lie, he spoke with pleased if assured faith. Confidence that the Countess Wyrm of Viznove would not have held back some secret. But there was a bitterness to his scent. There was anger in his veins.

Hate in his heart. Evren felt Fizzbunches shift in his bag and then pop out his head and make a perfect little questioning 'mrowl?' Murad the First seemed caught in a moment of confusion before he smiled in a kindly way, astonishing to Evren he wasn't even lying about it!

"Oh hoh! Is this the little adviser I've heard so much about? Have you kept that poor thing in your bag all the way from Kars?!" Evren nodded to the high king then turned to look at Fizzbunches who was yawning widely, showing all of his pearly white fangs and the little hooks of his tongue.

"My little advisor spent almost the entire journey sleeping, he travels very well in fact." The High King smiled in good and again surprisingly honest humor at that.

"So I see, well I won't keep you and your fine companion here any longer, I just needed to make sure you heard the news. We expect the Countess will have been delayed by only a few days by this terrible tragedy. I've already made arrangements for the schedule being shifted." Evren nodded to the man who in that moment reminded him of nothing but a kindly grandfather. But as he made his way out of the decadence of white, black and deepest blue stones that made up the throne room Fizzbunch began licking at his paw.

The intent of his actions was thicker than his shining fur." High King Murad knew of the attack before it was reported, planned for it, may possibly have even triggered it somehow but I am unsure precisely the means by which he could have managed that, Vladimir Tepes is no fool and would never collaborate towards his enemy's ends." Evren nodded along and murmured in that sing-song baby talk that seemed to amuse Fizzbunches so much." Just so little Advisor, just so, but the question is why the Vampires?"

Fizzbunches ran his paw over one ear, then shifted in his seat in Evren's panier and began on the other paw." High King Mathias Stein set Vladimir Tepes loose on Murad and Magarska with the means of a powerful working, a ritual to make the vampires out of any man or woman he could make willing to become one. But Stein is no more stupid or foolish than Tepes or Murad, he would not unleash a force he could not defeat."

Evren considered the words, he tried to fit them together into the intricate puzzle Fizzbunches was always trying to teach him how to play. How it would fit into the awful game of lies that nobles called intrigue. Into what Murad had said in that chamber." I don't think I quite understand that one little advisor." Fizzbunches glared at Evren with a hint of agitation but then his glare gentled and he shook out the paw he had been licking."

It means that when the Shining Countess Jewel of Viznove arrives High King Murad is going to try and use the attack he arranged for and her desire to speak to you as an overture for a truce between Magarska and Cantor Reborn. But he will demand that whatever secret she has against the Vampires is shared with him for that privilege." Evren felt the fury of his winds twist tighter and faster inside him. So that was the lie! Fizzbunches leapt from the bag at his side and shook himself out."

Go young shepherd, rest if you can from our travels. There is much work I need to do here to see our aims are not sent astray by the machinations of fools."