“Has there been any developments with Thessa? I think I saw one of her blood feeders.”
“She has been distraught lately.”
“Her story is a tragedy and I am afraid it will only get worse the more she fights against Cassany.”
“I have not seen her creating blood feeders, though. What did you see?”
“I saw a man lurking in the shadows. When the light illuminated his face, I saw that it was sunken in and gaunt. He is unmistakably a vampire.”
“What should we do about it? Will it affect the tournament?”
“It could if it comes into contact with the right people. Keep an eye on it if you can while I’m gone. We need to make sure Thessa’s creations are at a minimum. Dead things tend to want to make other things dead too.”
“I will.”
A dryad came into the room bringing an afternoon snack of ripe fruit. Ephaltus stopped her when she passed him, “Please have the dryad smiths forge a Tourney Master ring for Marlee. Make certain they connect it with mine so she can contact me.” The dryad nodded and left the room.
“You’re diving me a ring?”
“It’s time. You can use it to contact me through my ring and you can stop having the dryads let you into the Arsenal and Earth Chamber when I’m gone.”
“Thank you!”
“I am going to use the portal now. Be sure to watch the blood feeders and let me know immediately if anything changes.”
“I will. Have a safe trip and good luck.”
“Tell no one of my quest. Not even the dryads.”
“All right.”
“At this point it’s only an investigation.”
Marlee nodded again, and Ephaltus nodded back before he left the Earth Chamber.
Chapter 21: The Sunken Lands
Ephaltus decided on the port city of King’s Cross. He had considered Seahorn to the north since King’s Cross was the capital of the six kingdoms and the home of the king himself; however, too many bored guards roamed the streets and docks of the city looking for things to do for his liking. He was in a hurry to ferry the Vestian channel to the island of the Sunken Lands, and Seahorn was much further away. He navigated the streets successfully avoiding the guards until he at last came to the ship docks in the eastern quarter. There were guards here too, but they were busy harassing the captains of the moored ships to notice him. How he loathed the king’s guardsmen, the vicious lot of undesirables that they were. He spied a ship at the final berth with men loading crates into the hold with the designation Arn stamped on one of them. Arn stood for Arnost. He made his way to the gangplank and stepped up next to the ship. “Permission to come aboard.” He said to the nearest officer.
“Who asks?” The officer replied.
“A simple traveler looking for passage to Arnost.”
“You got money?”
“Of course. I would be happy to negotiate a price.”
“We ain’t cheap, friend. Arnost is a treacherous voyage with the cities sunken beneath the waves jutting up all over the place.”
“Yes, but are you not already going there regardless of passengers?”
“You tryin’ to get smart, friend?”
“No, merely pointing out the obvious.”
“The odd what?”
“No, the obvious. You know what, never mind. I can pay you twenty gold.”
“Twenty gold! Say, how much you carrying?”
Ephaltus learned long ago to travel with an enchanted purse. It has an infinite amount of gold, as all Tourney Masters do, but the money only appears in it to him. When anyone else looks in it, the purse appears empty. “I have about twenty gold and a bit of silver and copper. You will get the lion’s share of what I brought.”
“I ain’t no liar!” The man was about to get physical. “I always share with the crew.”
“No, it’s an expression. Lion’s share means you get almost all of my money.”
“We are an honest crew. We will only need about fifteen of your gold. Keep your five for Arnost. You will need it there.”
“All right. Fifteen it is.”
“Well, come aboard then. Permission granted.” He turned to a young boy swabbing the deck. “You, cabin boy.”
“Yes sir?” The boy scrambled to the officer’s side. “Show this man to the passenger’s cabin below.”
“Aye, sir.”
The officer held out his hand.
“Oh, yes, of course.” Ephaltus removed his purse and counted fifteen gold into the officer’s hand.
“This way.” The boy beckoned.
Ephaltus followed him below. “How long is the voyage to Arnost?”
“About two days if the wind’s with us, three if not, probably three days.”
The boy showed him a small cabin with a hammock for a bed and a storage chest nailed to the floor. There was a port window and a mirror on the wall, but nothing else. It was a very sparse cabin for fifteen gold pieces.
The ride across the Vestian channel to the island went by without incident, and Ephaltus arrived in Arnost safely. The forest north of Arnost was the only vegetation of any import on the island. Other than Arnost and a few scattered villages, the rest of the main island consisted of the ruins of the lost civilization of Aubria. Since almost everything had to be imported to Arnost, the cost of living there was very expensive. The main island and the smaller island surrounding it were considered some of the most beautiful places known to the six kingdoms, but most people could not afford to travel there to visit.
Arnost was old but had been partially reconstructed over the years and now was a beautiful, ancient and exotic city. Ephaltus marveled at the marble gateway from the docks to the city proper. The first thing he did was acquire lodging at the Golden Ibis Inn, which
