Book 2 - Chapter 29

“Yeah. Like that.” Noah nodded, inspecting the metal clasps the artificer had fastened onto his belt. “Much better.”

“If you don’t mind me asking… why exactly do you want to carry ceramic pots into battle?”

He grinned, opening and closing the clasp. “It’s not the pots I want. It’s what’s inside them.”

“What’s going to be inside them?”

He looked at the woman. In some ways she reminded him of Bryn—powerfully built, no‑nonsense, excellent at her craft. But unlike Bryn, she was human, with bright red hair pulled into a tight bun. A thick apron and heavy gloves protected her from stray sparks, and beneath them she wore a beige shirt and brown pants.

“Something that’ll give me an edge against conduits,” he said, recalling her name. “Thank you, Oria. You’ve done a great job.”

“It’s my pleasure, sir. Would you like us to ship the additional copies to the castle, or will you take them now?”

“Send them to the castle. I’ll take these ones.” He paused. “And just ‘Noah’ is fine. No need to call me sir.”

“I can’t, sir.” She shook her head. “The princess’s orders were quite clear. We’re to address you as ‘sir’ at all times.”

Very funny, Mara. Noah rolled his eyes, grinning at the prank. “Then that’ll be all, Oria. I’ll let you get back to the line. I know you’ve got more crossbows to build for the army.”

She hesitated. “May I ask a question, sir?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Sure.”

“Do we stand a chance? At taking back Crownspire, I mean.”

Noah exhaled slowly and met her gaze. “I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a risk of losing. But I like our odds. Why do you ask?”

“My brother was in Crownspire.” Her shoulders slumped. “I haven’t heard from him yet.”

“There are still lots of refugees coming in,” he said immediately. “He could still be alive.”

“Maybe. Either way… will you do something for me?”

“Depends on what it is.”

“They say you’re some sort of hero. That you killed two dozen Corrupted and saved a ship full of winter Fae, all by yourself.” She swallowed. “Do me a favor? Find the people who caused this and end them.”

“That, or die trying,” he promised.

Satisfied, Oria nodded and stepped out. The moment she opened the door into the workshop, the sound of hammers crashed through the air. Noah narrowly avoided wincing, watching her close the door before exhaling and shutting his eyes.

He collected himself, then looked down at the table. Spread across it was what looked like a strange mix of superhero gadgets. He ran his hands over each item one more time, checking for flaws and making sure everything was in order.

Grappling bolt. Holster for tar grenades. New crossbow. Knife. Boleadora. Bolts and darts. He paused, recalling the toxic formulations Ken had taught him that morning. I’ll tip them with the poison before the battle. And I’ll need more eggs and firevine powder, but I can get those back at the castle.

Once he was sure everything was ready, he began slotting each item into place on his armor and bandolier. When he finished, he walked around the table several times, testing the weight distribution and making sure nothing restricted his movement. He reached up toward the stone ceiling, crouched to peer under the desk, then did several jumping jacks to ensure nothing came loose.

Good. Hopefully I can get in some practice with this stuff along the way. I know Ciri said the rope made of dray beast hair would be strong enough to hold several times my weight when attached to the grappling bolt, but I’d rather test it beforehand to know for sure.

He moved to the office door, bracing himself for the onslaught of heat and noise before opening it. The assault on his senses hit exactly as expected, making him grateful for the magical soundproofing. Not wanting to linger, he broke into a jog past the army of artificers working on his designs, waving to them as he made for the open door at the far end of the workshop.

At least it’s not as smoky as when I first got here, he thought. I wonder if Bryn would be willing to share how she magically ventilates her workshop. I bet these people would live longer for it.

Two minutes later he reached the end of the long hallway, shaking his head as he stepped out into a busy street. The two royal guards who accompanied him everywhere took up positions on either side of him before he could take more than a few steps outside. Their distinctive plate armor was warning enough to make the crowd part, allowing him to cross the street and reach the building opposite with ease.

He stepped into the small stone tavern to find Ken sparring with one of the royal guards assigned to him. Most of the tables and chairs had been shoved against a wall to give them space—space they used well. The two combatants circled each other, trading lightning‑quick blows. A second royal guard sat nearby, keeping score on a small chalkboard.

Circling around the makeshift arena, Noah found Ciri in the corner at a small table with two more royal guards standing watch. She absently stroked a purring Piper on her lap with one hand while flipping through a book with the other. Half a dozen open books lay scattered around her feet, mixed with maps and strange diagrams.

He moved to her and kissed her forehead, breaking her concentration but earning a smile. “Hello.”

“Hey, you,” he replied. “Thanks for being patient while I dealt with the artificers.”

She looked him over, taking in his new gear. “Are you satisfied with the quality of their craftsmanship?”

This tale has been pilfered from NovelPhoenix. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“It’s almost as good as Bryn’s,” he assured her. “How’s your research going?”

“It has been productive. I met with the conduits who will be accompanying us. The majority of them are primarily healers, but there are three who have experience with water magic. Their experience primarily consisted of filling barrels with fresh water, however.” She paused. “Additionally, I have located a potential point of ingress to and egress from the city—one which I do not believe will be guarded.”

“That’s great then!”

“It presents its own challenges.”

He furrowed his brow. “What does that mean?”

“It involves entering the city sewers.”

“Shit.” He groaned. “Now I see why they’re not guarded.”

“While the idea of moving through sewage is unappealing, that is not the only concern. There have been reports of monsters in the sewers since the ancient Fae empire. Creatures that could be deadly, even to experienced conduits.”

Before he could reply, Ken tripped the royal guard and moved to strike him in the throat. He stayed his hand just millimetres away, locking eyes with the man before pulling back and offering him a hand up. The guard took it and stood before beginning to ask questions about the technique.

“Lovely. So we might get attacked before we even reach the Corrupted,” Noah said.

“Yes. That is why I am mapping the city sewers.” She gestured to her notebook. “Assuming the designs have not changed since the original Fae blueprints, we should enter the city here.” She pointed to the incredibly detailed hand‑drawn map she was working on.

He narrowed his eyes. “That’s near the docks. By the water.”

“Yes. A small ship should be able to approach at night and remain undetected. From there, we need only follow the main path and emerge from the maintenance exit here.” She traced her finger along the paper. “That leaves only forty‑two meters of open ground to cross before we reach the tower.”

“And once we’re there?” he asked.

“Once we’re there, we cast the spell to close the portal,” Ken said, rejoining them after finishing with the guard. “Then it closes.”

Noah looked at Ciri. “And you’re sure you’ve got the right rune diagram? We won’t have any chances to test it beforehand.”

“I am positive.” She nodded. “The texts were quite clear. It does require that we move to within one meter of the portal to do so, however.”

The gears turned in Noah’s mind. “We should create a few copies of the spell. Give one to every conduit. That way, whoever gets close first can get the job done.”

“You and I can do that tonight,” Ken said, resting a hand on Noah’s shoulder.

He nodded. “That just leaves the boat. We’ll be traveling with the main force from Braemont, so we’ll need someone to wait off the coast until we’re ready, pick us up somewhere outside the city, then take us to the sewer entrance.”

“And to pick us up on the way out,” Ken added. “Closing the portal won’t kill all the Corrupted and eldritch creatures in the city. I’d much rather let them run blindly toward your weapons of war than fight them up close.”

“Good point,” Noah conceded as Piper stood and stretched. “But I guess that means we need to find a boat.”

“Ideally a craft no larger than twenty meters, with a low profile to avoid detection,” Ciri said.

Noah turned to one of the royal guards. “Think the army can spare us one?”

“Possibly,” the normally quiet man replied. “If one that fits the description survived, it would be at the docks now.”

“Then that’s my next stop.” Noah bent to kiss Ciri before turning toward the door.

The two guards fell in behind him. Piper darted through the air before they could close the door, landing on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek. He scratched her back as he oriented himself, using memories of his last visit to Braemont to find the docks. As he walked, thoughts of Hannah bubbled up, distracting him.

I wonder what she’s doing right now. I hope she’s okay.

When he neared the docks, he slowed. His eyes scanned each craft, comparing them to Ciri’s criteria. Halfway through, he stopped. About twenty meters long. Five wide. Low profile. And that tiller… no way.

His body moved before he consciously decided. Piper leapt into the air as he sprinted toward the ship. Without breaking stride, he jumped from the pier onto the deck, scanning for its inhabitant.

The stern hatch flew open. A very disgruntled winter Fae woman climbed out—blue‑white hair, pale skin, pointed ears. Her shirt was unbuttoned nearly to her navel, her leather vest and tight pants clinging like paint.

“The fuck are you doing on my ship?” she demanded, stomping toward him. “If this is about the docking fee—”

“Do I look like the dockmaster to you?” he shot back with a grin.

She froze, eyes widening. “Noah?”

“That’s me.” He stepped closer.

“I heard the capital burned. Figured you’d gotten yourself killed being heroic.”

He chuckled. “Not through lack of trying.”

“Guess all the magic meant to kill you bounced off that hard head of yours.”

“Nah, I just learned to duck.” He moved closer. “So are we going to keep trading insults?”

“Depends. Are your new friends going to try and kill me? Because they look like they want to.”

He turned and waved to the guards. “Don’t worry, gentlemen. She’s a friend.”

“Better,” Hannah muttered.

“Are you done being an ass?”

“For now.”

He closed the distance in three steps and wrapped her in a tight hug. She recovered from her shock and returned it. When they pulled apart, her anger had melted into joy.

“I didn’t even recognize you,” she said softly. “You look… different.”

“A few things changed.”

“Evidently.” Her eyes suddenly went wide. “Griffon!”

He turned to see Piper strutting proudly along the mast. “Piper, no! Get off that!”

“You named it?!”

“I named her.”

Piper leapt down and reclaimed her perch on his shoulder. Hannah stared. “She… listens to you?”

“She understands us. All of us.” He scratched Piper’s head. “Piper, this is Hannah. I told you about her—I like her. How do you feel?”

Piper hopped down, sauntered over, rubbed against Hannah’s legs, and purred.

Just like with Mara, he thought. “She likes you.”

“Noah,” Hannah said, eyes wide. “You need to explain what’s going on.”

“It’s… a long story. Want to sit?”

She led him to two crates by the tiller. He told her everything. She interrupted with dry sarcasm, occasional sympathy, and disbelief. When he finished, she leaned back, shaking her head.

“Well, fuck. If it was anyone else, I’d call bullshit. Only you would land yourself in this level of shitstorm.”

“Yeah, I really stepped in it this time.” He chuckled. “So, will you help me?”

“Sure. I just got a contract up to Tarn’s Reach. Get Ken and Ciri back here, and I’ll take you to the tribe.” She grinned. “Maybe you and I can even… pick up where we left off? I’ll give you a tour of the cabin.”

He blinked. “Sorry, that’s… not what I meant.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I’m helping Mara. Her, Ciri, Ken, and me. Plus a couple guards. We need a ship to get us to the sewer exit and wait there.”

Her face hardened. “Noah, that’s a suicide mission. Even at night, the chance of being seen is too high. Then the sewers—monsters. Then open ground. Corrupted. Eldritch creatures. Ferrum Vale. You’re good—better than you should be—but the odds—”

“No worse than escaping Borin Ohnar’s boat,” he cut in.

“That was different. We had no choice.”

“We don’t have a choice here either. If we don’t do this now, more creatures will come through. By the time Therondale rallies, it’ll be a pitched battle. Even if they win—and that’s a big if—they’ll be vulnerable to Ferrum Vale.”

“So what? Ferrum Vale takes over. Or the eldritch creatures. Or whoever.” She stood, voice rising. “They can’t patrol everywhere. I’ve heard stories of islands, continents. Far across the sea. We could run.” Her voice softened, pleading. “We could load this ship and get as far away as possible. Find our own haven. This doesn’t have to be your fight — or your grave.”

The thought was tempting—until he pictured a certain Therondalian princess.“Mara would never agree.”

“So you’re picking her over me now?” Hannah snapped.

Noah stood too. “That’s not what I said.”

“It sure sounds like it.”

“No. I’m choosing to do the right thing.”

“The right thing for who? For you? For Mara?”

“For everyone.” He held her gaze. “You’re a good person, Hannah. Look inside. You know it’s true.”

“Fuck you.” She spat. “Get off my boat.”

“Fine.” Noah scooped up Piper. “I’m leaving.”