Sunstone - Dishonor's Bane (Book 2) (8 page)

Chapter Eight

~

T
wo weeks later, Boreko collapsed
into the arms of a shepherd as the pair stumbled in, gaunt and tattered, from the Barren Lands. Through puffed eyes, Shiro could barely make out the village of stuccoed mud huts and meager gray-green vegetation. The lanes were filled with debris blown in from the lands they had just emerged. Shiro saw men, women and children dressed in dusty black. They had reached their goal.

A man brought a jug of water.

“Thank you.” Shiro croaked as his energy had been magically used up keeping Boreko alive. He gave in to oblivion now that he no longer needed to keep driving to survive.

~

He woke, seeing the smiling, now clean-shaven face of Boreko above him.

“Welcome to the land of the living. We didn’t know if you had enough life left in you to recharge your power.” His mentor looked worried as well as younger without his wispy beard.

“I wouldn’t say my energy level is high, but I’m greatly recovered. There must be some power running close to this village. How are you, my friend? You lost your brush.” Shiro felt his own stubbled face.

“I just needed some food, water, rest and a new look to celebrate our survival.” Boreko smiled, patting his clean-shaven skin. He actually looked rather fit, having lost so much weight on the trek.

“Survival. I wasn’t sure we’d make it, but I’m glad we did.” Shiro raised his hand and Boreko grabbed it. “Are imperial notes good here?”

“Yes, but at a steep discount. We have enough funds to get us back to the Guild, although I’m sure we’d not be welcome there.” Boreko let go of Shiro’s hand and went to the end of the bed. “Remember my advice to you at the Guild about not getting involved in a political fight?”

Shiro nodded as he pushed himself to a sitting position, sipping from a cup of water.

“I think it’s time to fight back. I’ve spent my whole career in the Guild cowering to exist. They never trusted me enough to be a court sorcerer and I’m not ready to forgive the masters for what they did to you. You shouldn’t have been culled and I shouldn’t have joined you. Not that your company went unappreciated.” Boreko gave Shiro a half smile.

“So what do you propose we do?”

“Go into competition.” Boreko folded his arms with a defiant look.

“That won’t work. You’ve let your anger twist your mind, a bit. As you recently taught me, the bureaucracy has a strict compact with the Guild. We haven’t the ability or the resources. I think of the Guild as a farm. They have the best land. They have a contract to deliver the best they produce. Everybody thinks the price is fair. If the produce isn’t right, the Guild will replace it without further charge, even if the customer throws the produce away. I don’t see how we could compete with no farm, no seeds, and no labor except for the two of us. I’m of a mind to head back to Koriaki and become a farmer again. But then, perhaps the Guild might have ways to eventually find us.

Boreko put his hand to his chin and thought for a few seconds. “Let’s assume they can. We’ll have to do something. What do you suggest? If we can’t compete, we can go into hiding until we develop a better strategy—something that we’ve never attempted.”

“Right we can both leave the Guild and not practice again.” Shiro said.

“We could fight back, but you are the only one that has superior power.  In any event, the bureaucracy is everywhere on Roppon. No one in all of the Ropponi islands would wish to help us, even if we did try to disappear, the bureaucracy would end our attempt from the outside and the other sorcerers from the inside. Besides, the common people wouldn’t risk supporting us. They like things the way they are. If the bureaucracy oppressed Roppon, it might be a different story, but most people don’t mind the way things are.”

“Unless you have talent.” Shiro had to admit he had learned his lesson about letting his anger get the best of him.

Boreko shrugged. “Maybe we could just leave. Maybe we could make our way to Besseti.”

“I’m afraid we’d always be different. I’ve not liked being different at the Guild.  Anyway, we have to find a way to shield ourselves from being discovered while we travelled,” Shiro said.

“Easy enough. Just dampen your power. Let it flow back into the ground. It’s not much different from shielding your power from others.”

Shiro cocked his eyebrow. “They didn’t teach us that. If you let your power out, you won’t have enough to defend yourself.”

Boreko sighed. “You are probably right. In any case, we need to know more before we can re-enter into the world. I know just the man who can teach us,” Boreko said.

~

Spires and pagodas dominated the ancient skyline of Sekkoro, as Shiro and Boreko rode through the city gate. The old city spilled over from its prominent position guarding a large bay to the river delta below. Stone seawalls lined the lower town and created the base for docks jutting out into the bay. The myriad spikes of masts created the illusion of reeds on a shoreline.

The upper city held the private library of one of the few retired sorcerers that Boreko knew. After wandering in the old twisting streets, they finally reached Ashiyo’s house. Shiro looked up at a soaring tower capped by a golden spire as Boreko pounded on the man-door at the side of set of high double doors, large enough for two carriages to pass.

“Who knocks?” a man said from a peephole.

“Tell your master that Boreko from the Guild awaits his audience.”

They didn’t have to wait long before the large gates opened and a man with lanky white hair flowing down his shoulders stood waiting for them to pass through.

“Boreko,” he said with outstretched arms. The two men hugged. “It’s been five years at least. What brings you to my home? I haven’t heard of a ship arriving from Boriako.”

“Let us talk inside. This is my friend, Shiro.” All three men bowed and then entered Ashiyo’s house.

The room was built in, what Ashiyo claimed, was typical Sekkoro fashion. Large open windows let in the sea breezes. In terraces that jutted out from every window, massive shutters were folded back ready to close and protect the interiors from angry autumn storms. The walls were stucco inside and thick enough to retain the coolness in the summer and heat in the winter. The architecture was much different from what Shiro had been used to far to the north.

Ashiyo’s main room sported walls painted a light orange. Koriaki dwellings all used whitewash on the plaster walls in the village. Here, decorative mosaics of sea creatures created with embedded seashells broke up the flat surfaces on Ashiyo’s interior walls.

After they all held cups of wine and were seated and sipping comfortably in his sitting room, Boreko recounted every detail of their journey.

“I wouldn’t have believed it, if anyone else told me this story. Something is wrong with the Guild to allow this. Yushidon was always a bit of a puffed up charlatan, but this—how can I help?”

Shiro moved up to the edge of his cushion. “We need to learn defensive spells to protect us from Guild retribution.”

Boreko interrupted, “The Guild Council, especially Roniki and Yushidon might have to be removed in order to be certain of our safety.”  Why did Boreko say that?  They hadn’t agreed to do that.

Ashiyo sputtered. “You can’t be serious. One can’t just walk in and take over. There are protocols and procedures.”

Everywhere there were protocols and procedures. The bureaucracy insinuated its tentacles everywhere. “Which is why we are here,” Shiro said. “We don’t want to destroy the Guild, just disappear. Boreko tells me that you have the most complete library outside of the Guild.”

“It exceeds the scope of the Guild, I assure you,” Ashiyo said. “Show me something that shows me you are a sorcerer.”

“Lightning storm.” Boreko pointed to a large bowl of fruit on a high shallow table next to the wall across the room.

Shiro walked over to the bowl emptied it and showed Ashiyo his miniature storm.

From across the room, Ashiyo said, “Marvelous. No one taught you this?”

“I followed the instructions, I just put more into the spell.”

“I can feel your strength, even from over here. I believe you. Boreko? Shiro? My library and even I am at your disposal.”

~

“You said Ashiyo had a better library than at the Guild?” Shiro scratched his head as he closed another book.

“I heard it many times,” Boreko said. He gave Shiro a worried look.

“Ashiyo has perhaps twenty or thirty books on spells. I’ve read them all in my studies.” Shiro heard footsteps outside the library. “What’s going on?”

Ashiyo stepped inside the door. “I have a visitor.” Master Yushidon poked his head inside the library.

Shiro felt his stomach flip. He looked at Boreko and clamped his lips.

“I told you I wasn’t good at politics. Now you know why. I trusted Ashiyo.” Boreko looked at his host.

“I couldn’t say it better, my friend. I couldn’t have entered retirement without the cooperation of the Guild,” Ashiyo said.

“You lied about your library.” Shiro glared at Ashiyo and then at Yushidon.

Ashiyo waved his hand smiling. “I do have a more extensive library, it’s just not all magic and spells. If you will come with me.” He walked back into the corridor.

Boreko followed Yushidon. Shiro looked out the window and down the steep slope of the grounds. He wouldn’t last a minute in the Guild’s clutches. Could he abandon Boreko? Panic told him that he could. He made a move towards the windows and froze, unable to move his limbs.

“I’ll not give you an avenue of retreat,” Roniki said from behind. Shiro couldn’t turn to see his sneering face, but he could hear it plainly enough in the tone of his voice. “Sleep, farmer.”

~~~

Chapter Nine

~

S
hiro awoke at the bottom of a boat
with five others rocking back and forth over him. He looked up at Boreko. “Sorry, old friend. I thought we’d be sent back to the Barren Lands.”

“It was easier to banish us to the most remote prison in Roppon. Not even a hearing. Yushidon handed us over to the Sekkoro authorities and we were immediately shipped out.”

“But we can use magic to escape.”

Boreko gave Shiro a weary look and helped him up. “Look.”

Shiro gazed out at the ocean and a lonely pier. “An island?”

His friend nodded his head. “We are three leagues from the main island shore. Roniki spelled you unconscious. Yushidon and he know neither of us know how to teleport. I woke just before we boarded. You were out cold when he put you to sleep.”

His stomach flopped at the prospect of spending the rest of his life on a prison island. He squinted up at the sun and sat up.

“I guess there is one positive thing. There’s one thing I am excellent at, farming.” He put a positive spin on his words, but as he looked out at the horizon, he couldn’t shake the feeling of failure.

“Never fear, friend. We’ll find a way to leave sooner than later. I have faith in you.” Boreko clutched Shiro’s shoulder and gave him a smile.

Rock-filled forests covered half of the island. Half of the arable land grew vegetables of many kinds, rice fields covered most of the flat land and the last portion of land produced wine grapes. Rain fell often and active springs provided drinking water. However, Shiro could feel only a trickle of power from the nexus. Not enough to quickly generate power. It could easily dribble out if he wasn’t careful and wouldn’t be able to refill enough of his ability to get them off of the island.

The guards assigned Shiro to the vegetable gardens and Boreko plucked weeds from between the grape vines. Both of them were surprised that the island held both male and female prisoners. All were banished for non-violent crimes or for irritating some noble.

Shiro weeded between rows of peas and ended up working alongside a rather homely old woman. He looked at her and found something odd about her appearance. She moved fluidly for one her age. Shiro tried to use his talent to see her through different eyes, but felt a barrier that appeared to him as a haze.

The mystery moved him to speak. “Hello,” he said.

The woman only grunted.

“I said hello. Aren’t men and women workers allowed to talk?”

“They are if they are willing. I’m not willing,” the woman said as she continued to work with her weeding tool.

Her voice wasn’t the voice of an old woman. Some kind of glamour surrounded her. Could it be a shield? Shiro wanted to know more about the woman but she took her implement and walked off before he could ask.

That night, Shiro told Boreko about the old woman. “Have you heard of such a thing? I couldn’t sense power. But then, from what you told me, if she drained her power, would she be able to maintain the glamour? Could someone else have thrown a disguise over her?”

“You didn’t sense any magic?  This is something new. But give it time. We might have our whole lives to puzzle it out.” Boreko sighed and looked at his blistered hands. “It will be easy to keep my weight off in this place. I am worn out every single night.” He looked around.

Shiro followed his eyes. They sat across from each other in a barracks. Their beds consisted of thin straw mattresses supported by a rope grid over a wooden frame, just a few inches off of bare dirt. He noticed Boreko clamping his lips as he lay down to sleep for the night. The physical work didn’t harden him up like it did Shiro. The daily toil seemed to wear away at Boreko’s stamina.

Shiro continued to sit wondering what he would do. He didn’t feel as dejected as the day he set off for the Guildhall. His talent remained with him, but he now knew how to use it. Shiro wondered if he could learn the woman’s shield spell. Perhaps talent could be hidden in a similar method.  Why not? He rubbed his hand across his mouth, feeling his lips and his growing beard. Boreko spoke the truth; there would be plenty of time to figure out how.

~~~