Dragon's Mage (An Advent Mage Novel), The - Raconteur, Honor (18 page)

He said it so seriously that I couldn’t doubt him. Sensing that we needed to talk about this before landing, I signaled to Kaya to lower our speed and hover for a minute. When she had done so, and the wind stopped rushing past my ears, I asked Trev, “Really? How?”

“The streets are fairly flat,” he pointed out to me, his hand tracing the outlines of the city in illustration. “But see how they all point north and south? The main roads do, at least. If I can create a big hole outside the city, and change the roads enough to drain that direction, the water wouldn’t stay in the city.”

Very simplistic in theory, but it would take a lot of work and only an Earth Mage could pull it off. “Trev, I think we should do anything that can help at this point.”

“Then should I start?”

“Ah, no, let’s go ask permission first.” Kids were such impulsive creatures. Sheesh. I nudged Kaya around so that we headed back for the city.

“From Mari?” he asked.

“No, Mari won’t have enough authority for this. We’ll have to ask the mayor.”

“Oh.” He thought about that for a moment before asking, “Do you like Mari?”

Strange question. I gave him a bemused glance. “Sure I do.”

Trev nodded, as if this didn’t surprise him. “So when are you getting married?”

Ack. “Whoa, wait, not like
that.
I thought you meant if I liked her as a friend.”

Trev studied me through narrowed eyes for a long moment before he burst out into a mischievous grin. “You
do
like her.”

Why, why was this kid so sharp? He’d spent too much time around Chatta. (I knew better than to think he learned those kind of observational skills from Garth.) Right. Bluff didn’t work. Change tactics.

“Trev’nor, I’m asking man to man, here. Don’t say a word about this to anyone, got it? I’m still trying to figure out how to court a woman in Solian culture.”

“Ohhhh.” After going from Tonkowacon culture, to Hainian, to Chahiran, Trev’nor understood the gaps and goofs that could happen very well. Sympathizing, he patted me on the arm. “Lips are sealed. But should I ask Chatta to help you?”

What, does he think Mom can fix everything? Well, she probably still could at his age. “Ah, I don’t think she can help much in this case. But don’t worry, I’m getting closer to figuring it all out.”

That satisfied him. (Thank the guardians for small favors.) He went back to studying the city’s layout instead, pointing out to me areas that would work the best with his plan, and other areas he’d have to tweak more. Some of what he said went straight over my head, as I had very limited understanding of architecture and foundations, but it all made sense to him.

Usually during an emergency situation, the mayor’s office had a stream of people coming in and out, and this time was not an exception. We had to wade through people coming to ask questions, deliver reports, and so forth. The narrow hallway outside of his door had a sea of people stuffed into it. It took twenty minutes just to move five feet forward.

I finally did something absolutely ruthless and called to the front of the line, “Two mages back here that need emergency permission from the mayor!”

When that sentence penetrated, people automatically flattened their backs to the wall and encouraged us to go ahead. Trev’nor gave me an admiring look. I winked at him subtly and forged a path toward the door.

The Mayor must have heard us, or someone alerted him to our presence, as he had come around his desk in order to meet us halfway.

“Magus Haikrysen,” he started, only to pause when he took in Trev’nor. “Who might this young lad be?”

Trev’nor put both hands over his heart and bowed deeply to the man. “I am Trev’nor, Earth Mage.”

Mayor Hartmann’s raised eyebrows said,
Really?
And he looked to me for confirmation. I nodded to him but didn’t say another word. Learning how to negotiate with the higher-ups while on a job was also a very important thing for the young mages to learn. I would let Trev’nor do the talking as much as I could.

“I’ve come to get your permission,” Trev’nor started, drawing the Mayor’s attention back to him.

I stayed well back, near the door, to make it clear who the Mayor should be focusing on. This was Trev’nor request, his idea, and not mine.

Trev’nor had never known a moment of fear in his life and this time didn’t prove to be the exception. He launched into his request without hesitation. “Mayor Hartmann, I want to change your city and add water pools out of town to help control the flooding.”

If the mayor could ignore the oddity of hearing that serious request from a child’s tenor voice, the idea made sense. But would he be able to put Trev’nor’s obvious youth aside and consider it? I didn’t know.

Hartmann had been in politics too long to do more than blink at being confronted by a child mage. He studied Trev’nor’s upturned face for a long moment before he sank to one knee, putting them at eye level.

“Explain this request to me, Magus. How exactly do you want to alter my city?”

“I’ll change the street gutters, making them deeper, and leaning them so that they drain the water south,” Trev’nor explained, his hands illustrating in the air what he meant. “Then I’ll make some really big holes at the end, so the water can sit there.”

“And can you change everything back after this is done?” Hartmann asked without his expression changing.

“Of course,” Trev’nor assured him as if this was obvious. “I don’t need to change it much. Just a little bit.”

Hartmann looked up to me, as if for validation that Trev’nor could do what he suggested. I didn’t say anything, and I didn’t even nod, but he must have seen the confidence that I had in Trev from my expression. Garth would have never sent him if he didn’t think that Trev’nor could handle anything thrown at him.

After a long moment, Hartmann turned back to Trev’nor and smiled in agreement. “Magus, if you think it’ll work, then try it.”

“Right.” Rubbing his hands together briskly, Trev’nor bobbed a quick bow to the Mayor before heading straight for the door. “Time to get wet!”

What, like we weren’t already?

“Magus,” the Mayor called to me before we could leave his office. Of course, we both stopped and looked at him, and he amended, “Magus Haikrysen, do you know when your Water Mage and expert are due to arrive?”

“Sometime this afternoon or early tomorrow morning is what I was told.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Nodding to him, I turned and herded Trev’nor out. “Let’s get back to work, kiddo.”

~*~

Changing the layout of a city took more finesse and Trev’nor went slow and steady as he changed the streets, making sure that he didn’t crack anyone’s foundations as he worked. He also made sure to line his new “holes” with stone so that the water would stay and not seep into the ground. Because of his caution, only about half the city was done by nightfall, but I could already see an improvement. The water overhead still came relentlessly down, but now it had somewhere to go so that only inches of water stood on the road instead of whole feet.

One matron, after seeing Trev’nor work, kept track of us and, when we stopped for the day, hauled us both into her house for a very filling and delicious meal. Trev’nor, used to strange people feeding him, had two plates and probably would have had a third if Mari hadn’t finally tracked us down and hauled us home again.

A good portion of the city had retreated to the inns, as they had higher ground to offer, so Mari hadn’t been able to find a single room. She finally just prepared enough cots and blankets that everyone could sleep at my place. When I finally did get home, she had laid out two pallets near Kaya’s bedding, one more in my guest room, and another at the foot of my bed.

Cora and Nolan had beaten us there, and Nolan had already changed into dry clothing and taken a cot near Kaya’s nest. His limbs were sprawled in every direction, fast asleep.

Trev’nor would join him pretty soon, considering how bad he swayed on his feet.

Cora took one look at him and put a mothering arm around his shoulder, leading him off. “Come on, Trev, let’s get you into dry clothes so you can sleep. Did you eat already?”

He mumbled out an answer that I could barely understand, sleepily following directions.

Shaking my head, I let Cora deal with him and turned to Mari. “Thanks for this. I know you had to be busy today.”

“Significantly
less
busy after your boy mage went to work.” She stared at Trev’nor’s retreating back in amazement. “I knew when you introduced him that you had complete faith in his abilities, but actually
see
him work was…words fail me. To think so much power is harnessed in such a small body. How is he able to do it?”

“Honestly? We don’t know.” I shrugged wearily, starting to feel the effects of running around for three days straight on little sleep. “Most mages are awakened somewhere around fourteen or fifteen. I was actually a late bloomer at sixteen. Trev’nor and Nolan both break all the rules. They’re child prodigies in a world where such a thing doesn’t exist.”

“Your child prodigies did enough work today to put most adults to shame. I’m glad they’re here.”

“Do us all a favor? Tell them that when they wake up?” Lowering my tone, I admitted to her, “This is their first official job.”

“Ohhh?” She looked at Nolan’s sprawled body. “Then I’ll be sure to say something to them. Not to change the subject, but did you know you’re swaying?”

“And here I thought it was the building,” I tried to joke. The look she gave me flattened my attempt at levity. “Yes, I know. I’ll head to bed in a minute. I want to make sure Kaya is in first. Where is she, anyway?”

“She went to fish for dinner.”

I’d sent her to go check on Cora and Nolan earlier, when it became obvious she couldn’t help us with the city streets. Even I was little more than a bystander most of the time, just there in case Trev’nor needed me. I hadn’t seen my familiar for hours.

“Go to bed,” she advised, patting me on the shoulder before she headed for the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

I hoped she would take her own advice. She didn’t exactly have a steady gate as she walked either.

Cora came back with her hands on Trev’s shoulders, not so subtly guiding him toward bed. He more or less flopped into it, fast asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

“How did it go today?” I asked her quietly. Why, I don’t know, because I could have shouted and not woken either one of them up.

“Not well,” she admitted in the same low tone. “Or, not as well as I’d hoped. We mapped out the underground water routes, but it’s a labyrinth down there. We couldn’t pinpoint a particular source for the towers. It actually looks like it feeds from several sources and I wouldn’t advise shutting them all down. Two or three of them are all that’s keeping that lake as full as it is.”

Not exactly the news I’d hoped for. I rubbed at my face with both hands, fighting the urge to scream or beat on something in frustration. “Can this week get any worse?”

“Yes, it can, and don’t you
dare
jinx us by saying that.”

Good point. “Any news from Helen or our expert, whoever that is?”

“Chatta called me with an update earlier. Helen is due to arrive in the morning with our expert in tow.”

Best news I’d heard all day. “In that case, let’s get some sleep so we’re ready for them.”

Chapter Thirteen: Plan C

Helen called us early the next morning, almost before we could finish breakfast, requesting a ride for the last leg of the trip. She had apparently gone south first, grabbing our expert from the Sojavel Ra Institute and then riding up the Semanai River with him in tow. Of course, a Water Mage had to have water to travel, and she could only go as far as the source of the river, which ended halfway through Warwick.

Trev’nor and Cora went by earth path to Warwick to get them, and they were back by the time I’d cleaned up the breakfast dishes, saddled Kaya, and reported to Mari. In fact, those four met me at her office, looking rather the worse for wear. Helen must have been pushing herself hard to make the time that she did, and it showed in the bags under her eyes and the rumpled state of her clothes and hair.  Usually every blonde hair would be in place, her blue robes lying in pristine lines, but now she just looked like she had slept in her clothes and only tugged her hair into a very unruly bun.

The man with her didn’t look any better. When he stepped through the door, my first uncharitable impression was of a doddering toad. Balding head, bulbous nose, fat lips, portly frame, and his black wizard robes so wet that he actually dripped on the floor. Then again, unlike Helen, he didn’t have any protection against the water falling relentlessly overhead.

I didn’t really care what either of them looked like. Relieved to see them, I greeted them both with a quick bow. “Helen, thanks for coming.”

She gave me a wan smile in return and gestured to the man at her side. “This is Wizard Kogan Harlet. He’s an authority on several different dead languages but his specialty lies in ancient machines. He’s volunteered to help us.”

“Not sure how much help I can be,” he admitted, voice raspy but strong. “It might take me a few weeks or months to figure those towers out. But I’ll give it my best shot.”

“We’re glad to see you, sir,” I assured him. “Let me take you straight up so that you can see it for yourself.”

“Ahhh…” he looked out the window at the tower. “By up, you mean the writing on the tower you mentioned is at the very top?”

“Yes, sir. There’s a patio area on the back edge of the roof.”

He looked a little green. “I don’t do well with heights, you see. But you’ve seen this yourself, have you?”

“I was the one sent to investigate it,” I admitted. “But I didn’t focus much on the writing,” I said apologetically, guessing why he asked the question. If he thought he could study everything up there from a memory crystal, it wouldn’t work. “Any memory you retrieve from me won’t have much information.”

Kogan let out a resigned sigh. “In that case, I’ll go up. I probably won’t stay up there long, though. Hard to concentrate up there.”