The Falconer's Stairs

3. History Lessons

3

History Lessons

"My contact down in Mangin City came through," Melanie said. She reached down behind the counter and produced a hefty tome that was bound in ancient-looking brown leather. When she set it down atop the counter, Julian thought he could see little puffs of dust wafting out from between the pages, it looked so old. But that was surely just his imagination.

"That one of the books that came in the first caravan?" he asked.

She shook her head and let out a soft, slightly annoyed sigh. "No. Nor was it on the second." She turned a level gaze on Julian, then the other two men sitting next to him on stools in front of the counter. "You fellows have cost me a pretty penny on this research project."

Tolburt snorted softly. "I tried to tell you you didn't have to do it."

"We all know full well what would have happened had I not."

"Yes," Raedrick replied. "You would have driven yourself nuts from unsated curiosity, Melanie."

He got that level stare all to himself, but Raedrick didn't budge. He just looked back at her with an expression that seemed to say, "Prove me wrong." Finally, after a long moment, Melanie made a wry little smile and a small shrug.

"Perhaps. Regardless, I finally found it." She laid her hand gently atop the tome. "This dates back five hundred years."

Julian blinked. "The Kingdom didn't even exist then."

"You are a keen student of history, clearly." That wry smile returned, a bit broader this time. "You're right, of course. Back then this part of the world was ruled by numerous petty warlords. And Kalem, it seems, was the son of Botreaus Hevergod." She paused, looking at them as though expecting a reaction.

Julian looked over at Raedrick, who returned his gaze and shrugged. Tolburt clearly had no idea who that was either.

Julian cleared his throat. "Who?"

Melanie rolled her eyes. "Like I said, a true student of history. You've heard of the Butcher of Mardez?"

"Of course. Who hasn't?"

"Same person."

That set Julian back a tad. The Butcher was notorious, even all these years later. Julian had grown up with stories of his many atrocities: dead children by the thousands, women defaced and ravaged, men gelded or impaled. To defy the Butcher was to suffer a horrible, lingering death. If you were lucky.

Or at least, that's what the stories said.

"I never heard he had a son," Raedrick said, leaning forward with evident interest.

"Well, I think we can all figure out why that is," Melanie replied. "Obviously this Kalem did not collect his birthright, or else you would not have found that note to him."

Raedrick winced slightly at the mention of the note, and Julian couldn't blame him. The magic protecting the chest with Kalem's note had very nearly drained Raedrick of every last bit of warmth within his body. It made Julian shiver just thinking about it.

Melanie went on, "I think we can presume he died in the attempt. In his father's eyes he would have died a failure." She arched another eyebrow. "And tyrants are not known to record their failings for posterity to remember."

Raedrick nodded, conceding the point.

"But someone did record it," Tolburt piped up. His eyes glimmered with eagerness.

"Yes. This," she patted the book lightly, "is a history compiled by one of Hevergod's rival warlords. He clearly felt no compunction about discussing his rival's flaws."

Julian supposed that made sense. And the magical trap around the chest had begun to make sense as well. "They say the Butcher had powerful mages in his employ."

"They were called sorcerers, not mages, back then," Melanie said, "but yes, he did. And more than that, in addition to being a cunning war leader, he was quite possibly the most power sorcerer of his day."

"So what does that book say about Kalem?" Raedrick asked. He was definitely interested; he was leaning well forward, his elbows resting on the counter as he listened closely to the story.

"Evidently he was a cunning warrior, very charismatic. While Hevergod's people respected him, it was more out of fear than love. But according to this account, Kalem was different. His people held him in high esteem, and his men loved him. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, his father apparently treated him cruelly. It didn't help that, despite his skill at arms, he never acquired his father's talent for magic. The book doesn't quite say that Hevergod was looking for a way to get rid of Kalem, but it is strongly implied."

"Sounds like a swell guy," Julian said, earning soft snorts and bemused glances from the other men.

That set Julian's teeth on edge. Raedrick, he could take that from, but Tolburt? He was about to put the rat back in his place, but Melanie kept right on going as though he had not commented at all.

"Apparently, Hevergod decided to test Kalem, to make him earn the right to be heir. He and his closest sorcerer advisors constructed a series of physical and magical obstacles that Kalem would have to pass. If he succeeded, he would earn his father's regard and find the key to his realm."

"Does it say what that key was?"

Melanie shook her head. "From what I've learned of Hevergod's predilections, I can only presume it was a magical item of some kind."

Julian groaned. "I think I've had about enough of those. No end of trouble from them." He almost reflexively moved his hand down to his left knee. He had assisted Melanie in crafting a magical wedding gift for Raedrick, and had injured his knee in the process. It had healed, but sometimes he still felt a twinge from it. "And wouldn't the Magestirium have the cussed thing anyway? You said they have them all locked up in their vaults."

"Not all, Julian. If you recall, I said they keep all of the constructs they are in possession of in their vaults. That does not even include all the constructs they are aware of, despite the Magestirium's best efforts."

Raedrick raised an eyebrow. "How's that?"

"The Magestirium's writ does not extend to the entire world, Raedrick. Other nations have different policies, and many have managed to keep the Magestirium's grasping hands at bay." She sounded distinctly satisfied at that. "And besides, the only clues to the key's whereabouts were the map that Jared had," she nodded at Tolburt, who managed to look smug, "and the note you two found." Melanie shook her head briskly. "No, there's no reason to think the Magestirium has it, or even knows where to begin looking for it."

Raedrick narrowed his eyes. "But they know about it."

"Almost certainly. Their libraries are truly vast, and there are men in their number who do nothing but pour over the old tomes."

That evoked a frown from Raedrick, and Julian couldn't blame him. If the Magestirium knew of this thing, whatever it was, they probably would be extremely interested in finding it. And if he knew one thing, it was that he did not want to cross that bunch, not if he could help it. Not again. He, and Raedrick and Melanie as well—Melanie in particular—had done enough to put themselves in their bad graces. No need for anything more.

He shook his head, then reached over and clapped Tolburt on the shoulder hard enough that the little rat winced slightly. It was petty, perhaps, but Julian got a bit of satisfaction from that. "Too bad, Tolburt," he said. "No treasure for you after all."

Tolburt looked at him quizzically.

"What?" Julian said. "You heard her. That thing's magical, which means it's Magestirium business." He shook his head again. "Not something we're going to get involved with."

Tolburt took a second to respond, but his expression remained the same. "Who said anything about we? I've got the claim, I'm going to claim it."

"Oh for the love of… Tell him, Rae." Julian looked over at Raedrick, expectantly.

And found his partner frowning at him in disapproval. "He's got the right to it."

"You can't be serious."

Raedrick shrugged. "I checked with Povol. The lodge is finished; his debt is paid. Tolburt upheld his part of the deal, so he's free to go." His glanced sidelong at Tolburt and seemed to mull it over for a second, then added, "I'd say his claim on the key is better than just about anyone. The Butcher's line ended with him, and that was five hundred years ago."

Julian threw his hands up. "But the Magestirium - "

"Has no claim on it."

"Come again?"

Raedrick smiled in that infuriatingly calm way he did when he was being clever. "As Melanie pointed out, even now the Magestirium's authority is not worldwide, and it didn't even exist when the key was made. How can it have claim over something that predates itself?"

Julian just stared at him. That was… It was…

Actually, it was a fair point.

And what did he care anyway? If it got Tolburt out of town, it was all to the good.

He nodded acquiescence and said, "Alright then," then managed a grin for Tolburt that probably didn't succeed in being encouraging. "Well, good luck finding it, I guess. Just have to figure out what the Falconer's Stairs are and you're all set, eh?"

Tolburt smirked at him, and Melanie cleared her throat softly.

"I was just about to get to that," she said.

She reached beneath the counter and withdrew a second book, smaller in every way and very clearly newer. The pages were hardly discolored at all, like it was only a few years old at most. "The answer was in here." She turned it so the cover was plainly visible.

A Geologic Survey of the Upper Saddleback Mountains.

Melanie looked from Julian to Raedrick and back, clearly expecting a reaction of some sort. For his part, Julian wasn't sure what she was looking for. The book had a boring-sounding title. That was not so unusual. It was a part of Melanie's library now, after all.

She rolled her eyes, managing to look amused and irked at the same time. More amused, from the tone of her voice when she spoke again. "The team that did this survey was quite detailed, and extremely organized. It didn't take long to find the answer." She opened up the book to a page that had been marked with a small scrap of paper, then read from it. "The formation, called the Raptor's Ascent by residents of the region, is nondescript unless viewed from the northwest. From that angle, it takes on the appearance of a carved set of stairs, curving up the side of the mountain, that end at the feet of a bird of prey with wings extended."

She looked up from the book, smiling triumphantly.

Raedrick's eyebrows climbed high on his head. "The Raptor's Ascent… The Falconer's Stairs… It fits."

Melanie nodded. "The name would have shifted over the centuries, but the formation itself, apparently, did not."

"Hold on a second. Wind and rain and snow would have worn it away," Julian said, confused.

"Magic, remember?" Tolburt said, his grin matching the triumph in Melanie's, except it just made Julian want to hit him. More.

"Does it say the formation's location?" Raedrick asked, either missing the smugness in Tolburt's tone or not caring about it.

Melanie nodded. "About seventy-five to eighty miles north and east of Mangin City, in the eastern spur of the mountain range."

That was music to Julian's ears. "Well, I guess that's it then." He returned Tolburt's grin with another of his own. "Have fun on your treasure hunt, Tolburt." And don't waste any time in leaving town, he didn't add.

Raedrick nodded, looking almost wistful as he turned his attention away from Melanie and fully on Tolburt. "Yes, good luck, Jared." He extended his hand and, after a second, Tolburt clasped hands with him. "You did well by us here, and you'll always be welcome if you wish to return."

Julian wasn't so sure of that, but no need to ruin a nice, and hopefully quick, goodbye.

"Truth to tell," Raedrick added, "I wish I could go with you. It will probably be a fascinating trip. But…" He trailed off.

"You can't leave your wife with the baby due in a few months," Tolburt said, almost as though chiding him for even considering doing such a thing.

Raedrick nodded, that wistful look still his his eyes.

Julian found himself rolling his eyes. "When are you heading out?" he said, to get the conversation back to its important point.

Tolburt shrugged. "Now that I've got leave to go…" He trailed off and looked over at Melanie, questioningly.

She pursed her lips for a moment, considering. "I should be ready the day after tomorrow, if that works for you."

"Absolutely," Tolburt said.

"Whoa, hang on." Julian narrowed his eyes at Melanie, incredulity mixed with dread suddenly filling him. "You're not - "

"Going? Of course I am."

"Magic, remember?" Tolburt said. Again.

Julian about hit him, but Tolburt slid off his stool and began sauntering away toward the door before he could do more than think about it.

"I'll see to the supplies then," Tolburt said, pausing at the door and looking back at Melanie. "First light?"

She nodded. "Agreed."

Tolburt left without further discussion, the tinkling of the bell the only evidence he had been there.

Son. Of. A. b***h.