Legacy

Chapter 10 - A Brief Respite

It took almost a week for the travellers to make their way through the ravine and down the far side of the forest, their strength and fortitude all but depleted as they stumbled, hungry and dishevelled into a small way station. The way station wasn't much more than a few buildings at the intersection of the coach road and the Muddy River where travellers could rest and resupply. But at that moment it was a virtual palace and any trepidation about approaching vanished when the scent of fresh bread hit them.

The young prince was sweating and vomiting. Whether this was an after effect of the gas or the fire Kane wasn't sure, but sometimes he could barely stand. Kane himself was weak from blood loss and his back was badly blistered from the fire. His arm still had some feeling and he'd done the best he could with his field medical kit, but he needed proper treatment if it was to fully recover.

They slipped into the way station and Kane made a quiet agreement with the owner of the inn to rent a private room at the back for several days. He'd arranged for a doctor from the nearest town to make a visit but it would be about half a day before she'd arrive. In the meantime, there was nothing to do but rest and enjoy a hearty meal. The inn keeper's wife made a thick vegetable and razorback meat stew with a hefty crust of fresh bread that tasted divine. The wine was lightly spiced and brought a warm rosy glow back to their cheeks and the large, hot baths erased a multitude of sins and made them feel human again.

There was plenty of boisterous laughter and jokes being shared by various travellers in the dining hall. The latest news and gossip was of the Iron Army hunting for the fugitives behind the recent wildfire. The agent in charge of the hunt was paying good coin for anyone who could join the search and reconstruction efforts at Barren Ravine. Kane could not help but feel disappointed at the news, but he was not surprised. It was clear that Falstis was not one to give up easily. He was searching through the devastation for definitive proof that they were alive or dead. If that was the case, then he would have agents watching the roads as well. The only consolation was that no one knew it was them that Falstis was looking for.

"Kane, I think I'm going back to the room to rest. The meal is sitting better than the last one, but I'm still having dizzy spells," the prince said.

"I'll follow along in a while after another helping of stew and wine," Kane replied. The young prince vanished between patrons and returned to the modest room at the back. It was clean and comfortable and had a strong chest for travellers to lock away their valuables when they were away from their room. The prince counted the days since he'd been running; the time had flown by so quickly that hadn't been able to think straight. In all the rush, he'd been able to put the box out of mind. But here, in the quiet and the dark, it consumed him. Without even thinking, the box was taken from its locked hiding place and in his hands, ready to spill out more secrets and treasure.

There was an ancient brooch made of frozen sunlight and edged in stolen moonlight that never looked the same twice. A simple case containing a set of the first coins – a bronze common, a silver talent, and a gold crown each representing an hour's work for each of the three classes and worth sixty of its lesser. Next, he found the Lotus Blossom. It was a god's tear, the size of a fist, discovered at the bottom of a lake three hundred years ago. It was a gem considered so valuable that no one would ever be able to pay its true worth. Finally, in the depths of the box wrapped in protective purple cloth was a stone book.

The book was a tablet made of twilight black obsidian with an azure sheen and veins running throughout it. It was cool to the touch and gave off a slight hum in the prince's hand. This was a treasure beyond price, its value immeasurable. How many nights had he lain awake dreaming of holding a prize such as this? An actual stone book.

The legends of the Forgotten City spoke of them only occasionally and always with great reverence. Each book could hold a wealth of knowledge until the end of time. Whatever art the Magistar Lords had used to create them had been a closely guarded secret long since lost. Only a few tablets had ever been found and in the entire Elysium Empire not one existed for certain.