DREAMWIELDER Book 1 of The Dreamwielder Chronicles

Chapter 29: CONVERGING PATHS

Natarios Rhodas's chest heaved and his thighs burned as he tromped up the stairs to the Emperor's private quarters. He had been summoned from the houndkeeper's tower, and that meant walking down some four hundred stairs to the main keep and then back up again into the Emperor's tower. Now I know why he created his steam lift, Natarios thought, idly wondering if the Emperor would allow him to use the lift next time. When he finally reached the top of the stairs and the doorway to the Emperor's study, two guards opened the doors and stood to the side to allow him entry.

Wulfram and the Emperor were waiting for him. The Emperor motioned for Natarios to sit beside the heating stove, and Natarios did so wordlessly.

"I have a task for you to perform, Houndkeeper," the Emperor said. "You are to go to Pizer with all due haste and be my eyes and ears. You are to keep a lookout for a girl."

"Of course, Your Excellency," Natarios agreed. "Who might this girl be? How will I know her?"

"She is young. No more than thirteen or fourteen years old. She will be coming from the northeast, beyond Ulmstadt, perhaps by airship, but more likely she will be on foot so as not to attract attention. She may have one or more sorcerers from the guild with her. She may also be accompanied by the Pyrthinian prince, Caile, or his sister, Taera. You should be able to recognize them, no doubt. You will take with you gold to pay for information. Bribe innkeepers, farmers, whoever you deem useful to pass on what they may see to you. She must not get by you unnoticed."

"Yes, of course."

"You will take with you three ravens," the Emperor continued. "Send me word the moment they arrive in Pizer. Then follow after them in secrecy if you can and send the other ravens if you are able to learn anything more from your spying."

"There is a chance," Wulfram added, "that she may not come at all or come by another route."

"No," the Emperor said. "You have gathered the pieces well, my wolf. It is a complex puzzle, but a puzzle that is becoming clearer. The guild has found this girl and has hidden her away from us beneath the Barrier Mountains, but she will come to me. Who comes with her I cannot say, but she will come. I have a sense for these matters. It is in my blood."

"As you say," Wulfram conceded. "Still, I wish you would allow me to stay here with you. You may need my assistance."

"No, your job is to lead my army against Pyrthinia. I will stay here and await the girl. I fear not the prophecy of my childhood. I have done much to change the face of the earth we walk upon. This is not the same world which that seer saw. And besides, you have brought me a great gift, a token of insurance that the girl will surrender herself to me. We cannot fail. Go now, both of you. It is time to bring forth the Sargothian Empire to its true glory and strength."

~~~

It was still dark, some hours before dawn, and the wind was cold on the deck of the airship. Caile bundled his cloak tighter around his shoulders and gazed over the bow at the lights far below them.

"There lies Kylep," Siegbjorn said.

Caile could still hardly believe how quickly the trip had gone. They had left the cavern of ice at first light three days before and traversed the mountain passes in the safety of the daylight, then continued on throughout the night and left Makarria and Talitha several miles east of Arnsfeld with a few short goodbyes and well wishes. It had been hard for Taera to let Makarria go, but she was strong and smiled for Makarria as they flew away. When dawn approached, Siegbjorn set the airship down to anchor in the highlands to the south and east of the city. They stayed anchored throughout the day, then when the cover of night came again they took to the skies and continued southward, only to stop again when the sun rose. Now on their third night, Siegbjorn, Caile, and Taera approached the city of Kylep. It was a journey that would have taken three weeks by land, even if they had horses and pushed their mounts hard. The world is changing, Caile mused, thinking of the airship, the steam wagons he had seen in Col Sargoth, and the war machines Talitha had spoken of. And not at all for the better.