Draith
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Chapter 9 - Dauntless
🕑 Added 2025-02-23 19:42:53 +0000 UTCThe gate was located a six hour ride by carriage from the family compound.
But before we left, there was a minor obstacle in the way.
Sosa.
He was harassing Lady Guniveer. They stood facing each other, surrounded by Sosa’s Green Goons. I could’ve continued on my way, not said anything. After all, I was leaving in less than an hour. After that, I’d never see either of them ever again.
“-been giving him unrestricted access,” Sosa’s voice got louder as I stepped closer.
I was alone. We’d had one last session at the practice range. Nexxa had gone off to gather her Magits and Calbern was packing up the few clothes we’d be taking with us. I’d been heading to the library to say goodbye to Lady Guniveer and thank her for her help, only to discover she wasn’t there.
“When lord Aranor hears about-“
“Father won’t care. Half-casts like you are less important than mortals. At least they still have potential,” Sosa said, the slur causing Lady Guniveer’s gaze to sharpen.
Still, she wasn’t in the library. And Sosa was right. Their father wouldn’t care. Not enough to save her from a bit of rough handling.
My grip tightened around the blasting rod, but I didn’t think I’d even need it as I pushed my way through his Green Goons. Not to deal with a punk like Sosa. It could prove useful if things went sideways though.
“Perth?” Sosa said as I stepped between him and Lady Guniveer.
“Step back Sosa,” I said, meeting his gaze.
“The Rift do you think you’re doing?” Sosa asked, his eyes flicking to Lady Guniveer before coming back to me. “If you think this is enough to-“
“Just get on with it,” I said, well aware that I had a carriage to catch.
“You think you’re so much better than me,” Sosa said, shoving at my chest.
To my embarrassment, I stumbled back a step, nearly knocking Lady Guniveer over despite bracing myself. I’d really let myself grow too weak over the last month. Mentally reassessing how much I might need to rely on the rod, I addressed his statement, “I don’t think I’m better than you.”
The way his eyes flared as he clenched his fists suggested he didn’t exactly believe me. Which was perfect. I’d rather he took a swing at me rather than Lady Guniveer. And better that he do it himself rather than get his Goons involved. Still, it seemed he’d need more.
“Why would I worry about someone who’s never going to matter to me?” I asked him, setting my feet further apart as his nose flared out. “Sosa, I don’t even think about you.”
It was enough. Sosa swung at my head. It was slow and sloppy, like he’d never thrown a punch before. He was going to hurt his hand more than me.
That wouldn’t do.
I tilted my head forward. As his fist struck my nose, I turned my head with it, but only enough to mitigate the damage. He needed to feel like he’d won, like he’d taught me the lesson I deserved.
But only for a moment.
Blood sprayed from my nose as I collapsed, making sure it looked far more painful than it was. I held my nose, but remained silent.
“I…” Sosa said, but the words died on his lips as I met his gaze with my own. Then I stood back up, a single groan escaping me as I placed myself between him and Lady Guniveer once more, my grip wrapped firmly around the blasting rod. That had been his only free hit.
Just as it had with my old man, my silent glare unnerved Sosa. He left quickly, his Green Goons trailing behind him.
With Sosa dealt with, I cleaned the blood from my nose then turned to Lady Guniveer. “You okay?”
“I’m fine, Perry,” Lady Guniveer said, a hand reaching for my face before she stopped herself with a shake of her head. “It’s you that needs to be careful. Sosa has it in his head that you’re stealing from the family. If he convinces your father…”
“We’ll be gone in hours. And I’ll let father search me, if that’s what he wants. I’ve nothing to hide,” I said, glancing at the retreating backs of Sosa’s Green Goons. “Are you going to be safe here?”
“Despite the way it looked, I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. Sosa will soon find his little green toys have lost all their strength,” Lady Guniveer said, shaking out her sleeves. “I do appreciate you stepping in.”
“Well, I was coming to say goodbye anyway.”
“Ah, it is that time, isn’t it? I bid thee farewell, master Perth. I hope when next we meet, it is under better circumstance,” Lady Guniveer said, bowing slightly while extending her hand.
Drawing on Perth’s memories, I responded, taking her hand and laying a single light kiss on it. “I bid the farewell, Lady Guniveer. Take care.”
“You as well, young master. Now, if you’ll excuse me, this half-cast has business to be about,” Lady Guniveer said, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
I suspected the next while wasn’t going to be particularly pleasant for Sosa.
Parting ways, I made my way to the carriage. Obviously, Nexxa asked what happened. When I explained, her face darkened.
“I’ll tear out his stomach and use it to make sausages,” Nexxa said, sparks flying along her arms as her gaze swept acrossing the drive, as though Sosa would be right there.
I laughed, patting her arm as a warm feeling filled my belly. “It’s fine. Just like I told him, he’s not important.”
A minute later, Calbern arrived, and we climbed into the carriage. Nexxa insisted on healing my nose, and I winced at the sound of the cartilage shifting as the magic did its work.
“Sorry, not really my specialty,” Nexxa said with a grimace.
“That’s fine,” I said, turning my head to look out the window. “Least it’s not itching anymore.”
Nexxa’s gaze followed mine, and as I started asking questions, she quickly forgot about my altercation with Sosa.
Our journey would soon show me more of the Ro’an than I'd ever seen of Earth.
After exiting the drive, we moved onto the Central Corridor. The road seemed mundane at first, but it was impossibly smooth, with almost no bumps in the cabin despite riding on wooden wheels at very high speeds. According to Nexxa, the road was magically crafted and maintained, running from the Front all the way to the west coast of the hundred kingdoms.
As we left the compound behind, the scenery became less verdant forest and more bountiful farmland. Hundreds of small farmhouses passed by in a blur, the enchanted carriage moving at a rate that left my heart clenching in fear.
The last time I'd gone even half as fast, a kid had run out into the road and I'd wrapped my car around a solid oak to avoid him.
And then I'd at least had the illusion of control. Now I was simply a passenger as Calbern directed the carriage from up front.
Even with the fear gnawing at me, I continued questioning Nexxa. And when we passed along the edge of the Infinite Rift, I…
Well, I was stunned speechless.
I'd never seen the Grand Canyon, despite living a day away. To go that far would’ve been impossible to imagine in my old life. As I gazed out at the Rift, I found my imagination straining yet again.
There was no way the Grand Canyon could surpass the Infinite Rift.
The bottom of the rift was hidden in shadow, and the far side was barely visible. It was almost funny. Much like the Grand Canyon, I'd seen the Rift on maps. It formed a gap that encircled most of the Front, a natural barrier that contained most of the monsters who claimed the mana rich lands at the heart.
But those few little lines had failed to capture the enormity, the magnificence, the pure jaw-dropping wonder of the Infinite Rift.
Even the name felt somehow insufficient.
"Yeah, that never gets old," Nexxa said, leaning forward to look past me.
"It remains as breathtaking as the first time I traversed the Rim Road," Calbern agreed from the front of the carriage, a wistful note to his voice. "It is a shame this is likely the last time I'll travel along it."
"What are you worried about, Calbern? Really have that little faith in me?"
"It's not that, master Perth. It's just, I am getting on in years, and your calling has only begun."
"He's got a point. Even if everything goes great, we're gonna be in the Frigid Peaks for the next twenty years," Nexxa said. "Not gonna be easy to come home."
"Fair 'nuff," I conceded. I hadn't thought about the length of our calling very much. In a way, it hadn't really mattered to me. Being a Magus Dominus wasn't something I intended to abandon, but I supposed, after I served twenty-one years, I'd technically be a free mage. No one knew why the oath suddenly expired after twenty-one years, but that’s what Calbern had discovered while doing our other research. Not that it was worth worrying about, at least for now.
"Look, it's the Dauntless!" Nexxa exclaimed, pointing out the window.
My gaze followed her finger, though as I laid eyes on the massive airship, I wondered how I could've missed it. Despite sitting on the far side of the rift, it took up the entire length of the window. It had to be at least a mile long, all of it alive. A constant flow of soft green mist rose from its underside, drifting beneath wide fanlike wings, holding it aloft. The massive support structures between the wings had folkw moving up and down them, with sections roped off where smaller vessels were landing.
Deep in the heart of the vessel, folk wove between trees and buildings as large as my old garage.
"To think we'd get to see the flagship of the Elves of Terra Vista. Truly, today is one of great portents," Calbern said, leaning forward and pressing two fingers against the center of his brow.
It took me a moment to sort through Perth's memories for the meaning behind the action. As near as I could tell, Calbern was paying respects to one of the silent gods, though I didn't know which one.
"Looks like they're watching over the gate site. Think father traded in some favors?" Nexxa asked, still leaning over me to stare at the ship.
"They may be here to ensure their own deliveries arrive without disruption. Terra Vista's proximity to the Frigid Peaks would offset the costs of gate travel, to a degree," Calbern replied.
Nexxa just nodded, her eyes remaining fixed on the Dauntless. Honestly, it kept my attention as well.
It was a marvel unlike any I'd come across in any of Perth's memories. He'd heard the name before, but to see it in person…
The amount of magic involved, and the engineering, magical and mundane.
It was inspiring.
I caught one last glimpse of the Dauntless floating high above as the carriage took us through a copse of trees, green mist wafting out to fill the sky.
At that moment, I knew that simply protecting my land and advancing my soul wouldn't be enough. I'd been thinking so small, when this world was so big.
One day, I'd have an airship of my own.
Even if I had to build it myself.
