“You’re sure” — Jenn looked at Damien directly — “that you’ll be able to get Rupert and his cousin to us once they return?”
Damien looked a bit awkward for a moment and finally said, “At the moment, they are safely outside the city and a very long way from here. As soon as I am able to reestablish contact with them, we will coordinate. I am sure that if joining you is the safest course of action for them, then we can make that happen.”
Jenn nodded. “Okay. It’s just that Rupert’s sort of been my personal charge lately and I’m just very worried about him out there basically on his own with Edwyrd. He has something of a knack for getting in trouble.” Gastropé suddenly coughed for some reason.
Damien smiled. “I understand. We established a means of communication before they left, but the wards are blocking them. Once we can open up those lines of communication, I will have information on Rupert and will relay it to you.”
“Thanks.” Jenn smiled, as relieved as she could be at this point. Gandros was now talking to Elrose and Maelen.
Jehenna walked over to Jenn with Lenamare following. “You do understand this is very inconvenient for us?” she asked Jenn in her usual bitchy tone of voice.
“Sorry, just obeying orders,” Jenn apologized, trying not to smile at being able to inconvenience the woman.
Jehenna frowned. “Here, take this with you; keep it on your person at all times.” She thrust a small, smooth, rectangular metal box at Jenn. The box was made of some sort of black metal, about the size of a small jewelry box. It had a good-sized gem embedded on one side, with a gold rim holding it in the box lid. Well, not really a lid; there were no seams on the box. It was smooth with rounded edges and no discernable means of opening it.
“What is it?” Jenn asked.
“It contains a variety of sensors and recording equipment for monitoring power levels, fluctuations, locations and time,” Lenamare stated.
“Yes. If you are going to go off hunting a goddess, we decided you might as well collect some useful information about deities while you are at it,” Jehenna stated.
Jenn was puzzled. “But isn’t that exactly what Master Elrose is doing with all his gear?”
Jehenna shook her head. “He’s trying to detect a goddess and solve the mystery of his visions; he’s going to be too focused on that purpose to record background and ambient information.”
“Or power manifestation levels of the deity,” Lenamare added.
“Power manifestations?” Gastropé, who had been standing beside Jenn, asked.
“Yes. If she uses her power on or around you, we want to measure it so we can learn more about god magic,” Jehenna said, nodding.
“So what do I have to do?” Jenn asked.
“Nothing. Just keep it on you at all times,” Lenamare said.
“Unlike your diary,” Jehenna added.
“So then I just bring it back to you and you can extract the measurements?” Jenn asked.
“That would be the preferred option,” Lenamare agreed.
“Preferred option?” Gastropé asked.
Lenamare shrugged. “I’ve got links to it, so I can always find it. The box is constructed of adamantite with mithral circuitry. It is as close to indestructible as I can make it. In the event that one of the goddess’s power manifestations incapacitates or otherwise vaporizes you, we should still be able to recover the box.”
“And it would provide a great deal of useful information on the nature of a deity’s destructive magic, so we can prepare defenses,” Jehenna stated.
Gastropé made a gulping noise, and Jenn frowned. “Great,” she said without a lot of enthusiasm.
Lenamare nodded. “You are correct. It is a great piece of work, given how little time I had to prepare it. I do think it is one of my best arcane devices. And, again, on such short notice.”
“Everyone!” Trevin was up on the dais. “Let me have your attention. We are almost ready to depart for the Grove.” She smiled brightly. “This will be quite an adventure for you, my young friends, and I include the two of you in that comment.” She gestured to Maelen and Elrose. “Master Lenamare will, in a few moments, order the wards to be adjusted to allow my runic gateway to open.”
Trevin gestured to the gate behind her. “The gate will take us to the Western Outer Grove, which is about thirty-three leagues from the previous Abancian border. We’ll then have about a half hour’s journey, on foot, to the fortress at Fierd’s Rest.” Jenn had never heard of either of these places. Abancia, of course, she knew about; it was a long-defunct kingdom south of Turelane.
The Enchantress continued, “We’ll have a nice, if slightly late, dinner there and then spend the night. We’ll need to resume our journey before fierdrise, which will mean taking the lift to nearly the top of Widow’s Peak.” She looked to Maelen. “Which, you’ll be happy to hear, only has an elevation of 1.2 leagues.” She chuckled. “From there we shall go through a tunnel to the eastern slope. With Fierd’s first rays of light, we will open the Fierdal Bridge to Grove Home. We’ll spend the day and a night in Grove Home as my crew finishes preparing the Nimbus for our journey, and then we’ll begin that at fierdrise the next day.”
Wing Arms Master Heron sighed with exhaustion as he covered the crystal ball on his desk. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
“A positively productive series of both post-active and pro-active discussions, if I do say so, My Lord?” Wylan questioningly stated to the arms master.
Heron opened one eye and just stared at the protectator. Eventually he said, “As you say, Protectator, as you say; I am heartened that you are able to recognize this.” He opened his other eye and sat up. “Now, Protectator Wylan, I need to write a few things up from our meeting. Since we missed dinner, please notify Cook that I am ready for my supper, and have his people bring it up. Also, ensure he serves you food as well. I know he’s a stickler for people eating on time, but you were working with me.”
“Thank you, Arms Master.” Wylan smiled, bowed his head and quickly departed.
“Youth,” Heron muttered, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes again. He was not sure whether he meant the phrase enviously or as a curse. Perhaps both. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to rub out the pain centered between his eyes. The last two days had nearly been too much.
The demon wave and cleanup, yes; that had been quite remarkable and unprecedented, but that was battle. He understood that; it was everything that had come after. Not the least of which was the contents of the crystal balling they had done. Followed by endless discussions with the Council, the Rod and finally, but certainly not least by any possible or conceivable means, the endlessly tedious and sublimely ridiculous sessions with his superiors in Keeper City.
Heron wanted to pound his head on his desk in order to knock the memories of those insane, ridiculous, alarmist and never-ending discussions out of his head. Chancellor Alighieri, not unexpectedly, Heron had to admit, had been one of the primary troublemakers. Alighieri along with Chancellors Ain and Sagramn had led the arguments for taking the prosecution of the law not only to, but also through the very Gates of the Abyss!
The insanity of this proposal was nearly impossible for Heron to grasp. The Abyss was the fulcrum of Chaos! How could one possibly seek to impose Law upon pure, raw, unadulterated Chaos? The Chancellors literally wanted to pursue the prosecution of justice into the Abyss! He could, at least intellectually, understand Alighieri’s desire; the man had spent how many tax dollars and how many years on that boondoggle of his? This situation was nearly perfect for that overpriced project; this was what it had been built for. Heron had not believed, however, that anyone had ever seriously thought they would have need or cause to use it. The very thought of pursuing demons into the Abyss and forcibly extraditing them to face justice seemed simply ludicrous!