Firebrand

Safety in Numbers

After visiting his young friends, Martel trained the guards at The Copper Drum as usual and returned home. It already felt like a routine, even though he knew it would be at an end soon. The full moon approached, and with it the opportunity to stop the maleficar. Whether that succeeded or not, Martel did not intend to continue drilling Kerra's people past that point. It was ineffective, him being the sole mage practising with them one at a time, and he could feel the toll on his nightly rest, coming home late every evening. Besides, he doubted he could teach them much more than he had. With those thoughts, he slept those few hours available and rose all too early on the next day.

After an uneventful lesson with Master Alastair, Martel decided to handle another matter he had already postponed a few times; mostly because he kept forgetting to do it. Sitting down in his room, he took his feather pen and dipped it in ink.

Dear mum,

Sorry I haven't written in a while. Things are still great at the school. I'm nearly done with my first year, and I'll be taking the novice's examination in a month or so, and then I'll be an acolyte. My teachers say good things about my spellcasting, and I am not worried at all about the examination. I look forward to being an acolyte. I'll get a new robe with a colour rather than brown, and people will know I'm a good mage learning my specialisation.

I also have something incredible to tell you. Two fivedays ago, I visited the Imperial palace! My friend Maximilian, or rather his father, invited me. It was the emperor's celebration of his coronation, I think. I saw him from afar, sitting on his throne. I also met his nephew, who will one day be emperor in his stead. He asked about my magic and wanted a demonstration. I think I impressed him.

The palace is so beautiful. I know I already talked about the Basilica, the big temple. Speaking of which, I placed some coins there in father's memory. I did it long ago, I just forgot to tell you. But the palace, mum, everything was so decorated and incredibly done. There is this large hall with a dome, and the ceiling is like the night sky outside, enchanted to show the stars. It was absolutely incredible.

You should have seen me, wearing fine clothes like a noble. You wouldn't have recognised me, especially not when I danced with this girl I know from class. It's a whole different world.

I don't think I'll have any breaks after my examination, but it will only be a year after that until I graduate. I don't know if I'm expected to start my posting right away after that, but maybe I can get it delayed long enough to come visit. Or I will get a post in Nordmark, in which case I imagine I can make it to Engby at some point.

Martel

He closed up the letter and prepared four coppers as payment to the Imperial post.

~

As evening approached, Martel prepared to leave the school yet again. The weather was poor with rain beating down. Fortifying his robe with a cloak and pulling the hood up, Martel steeled himself and walked outside.

Tired of the long walk to the slums, tired of it being longer by avoiding the harbour district, and tired of being out in the rain, Martel decided to go straight south until he began seeing the tall masts of ships on the horizon. He had not been here since his last visit to The Broken Crown, except one morning following Master Gilbert to the lighthouse for that first lesson on air magic. But what was the worst that would happen?

Nothing, as it turned out. The weather kept everyone else hurrying along as well, occupied with their own errands. Sailors on shore leave sat inside the taverns while the dockworkers and day-labourers hauling goods paid Martel no heed. With his hood up, he was barely recognisable anyway, and eventually, he reached the copper lanes undisturbed.

~

Martel demonstrated a few new tricks that evening, namely how air could be used to push someone off their balance. After nearly a bell of making the guards fall over until they learned to break the attack with their golden implements, they retired to the common room for a round or two.

"You coming as well?" asked Cornelius, seeing Martel lag behind.

"I should get home soon, sleep what I can," the novice replied, hesitant.

"Sleep when you're dead!" Sigrid slapped him on the back, pushing him in the same direction as the others.

Unable to find fault in her argument, Martel followed along. Soon, they all sat around a few tables in the busy common room, enjoying the best on tap – which did not mean a lot.

Relaxing and enjoying himself in this company of people who respected and looked up to him, Martel did not notice at first as the mood became silent. He only became aware as he turned to look in the same direction as everyone else.

Two inquisitors, easily recognisable in their dark-blue robes, stood in the doorway. Kerra rose, and her guards followed her as she approached them. Thinking it best to avoid attention, Martel walked after them rather than sit alone at a table, but kept himself in the background.

"We're looking for a mage," one of the inquisitors said.

"We got ale, food, and most kinds of entertainment. But no mages," Kerra replied with a light-hearted tone.

"Really? Because we hear you got yourself a pet wizard. The Copper Mage."

"Certainly, a friend to the establishment. But she's not on tap," came the smiling reply.

"We're not playing around," growled the inquisitor. "Where is she?"

"She's not here. Right, folks?" Kerra looked over her shoulder.

"No mages here."

"I haven't seen her all day."

"Don't even know who we're talking about." Several of the guards hefted their weapons.

"Where does she live?" While one inquisitor continued asking, the other walked around from table to table. Martel did his best to avoid her line of sight.

"I never asked. Not my business." Kerra shrugged. "Why do you look for her?"

"Not your business either. But I'd think even copper slum could figure out why we're looking for mages in the lanes after what happened down here."

"I'll be sure to let her know of your interest. Meanwhile, this is my place of business, and your presence does little to inspire revelry among my clientele."

"You understand if we have to come back, we'll bring a dozen more and tear this place apart to find our quarry," the inquisitor warned. "And we'll haul in anybody we want on charges of heresy. Punishable by execution."

"You do what you must," the Copper Lady told him.

His partner returned, looking dissatisfied. "Tell the mageling to report to the office of the Inquisition. Don't make us come back in force." Their threats made, the pair left.

"Well, if they can't even figure out they're looking for a man, I see little reason to conduct their investigations for them," Kerra declared. "It was a waste of time to ever involve them in the first place." She sighed. "Go make sure the road is clear out the back," she told one of her guards. "You better take the small alleys home." The last comment was directed at Martel, who nodded.

"Thanks for not telling them about me," the mage said.

"We don't rat on our own."