The Tower Of The Watchful Eye: The Legend Of Kairu Book 1 (34 page)

“’
The enemy of my enemy is my friend’, I believe is the old
expression,” I smiled. “Until I am given the chance to prove my
loyalty to the mission, you have to take my word and my behaviour
as a sign of good faith.”

Narrilok shook
his head but looked to his Chieftain and Harkis nodded.

“
We have to try,” Harkis said. “We can’t live like this
forever, going nowhere.”

Narrilok
sighed. “Very well, Chieftain.”

“
Thank you for your trust, Chieftain,” I said with a slight
bow. “I will not let you down.”

“
See that you don’t,” he responded. “This is the first sign of
anything good in a long time. I’d hate to be the Chieftain that
forever doomed my people.”

“
It is good that hope is returning to this rebellion,” I
said.

“
The task is still too great to even hope it can come true,”
he said. “But maybe...just maybe...if we take The Valley and The
Mine; the capital could be in our reach.”

“
With you leading the charge we will not fail,” I
said.

“
I’m going to have to learn to be a leader first,” he said
trying to downplay his excitement. “Narrilok, perhaps it is time I
read those old war journals you’ve wanted me to read for so
long.”

“
Yes, Chieftain,” Narrilok bowed. “Verats, deliver the
journals to his room.”

Verats bowed
and hurried out with Harkis following behind him. The guards that
had been watching over me were sent out to gather the troops and
Narrilok leaned over the table towards me.

“
He is young and a bit naive but I see through you,” he said
in a low voice. “There is something you are after and you are using
us to get it. I will kill you the second you betray us.”

I smiled and
leaned in close too. “I hate to disappoint you but that day will
never come. Now, where are The Valley and The Mine?”

Narrilok
indicated two points on the map close to Scert’chak. “They are the
life blood of the capital. Taking them back stops the shipment of
raw materials to the Mages.”

“
So, we have two options after that,” I said looking at the
map. “We hold them off and hope to weaken their army before they
can call for reinforcements or we take our troops and ride the
momentum into the Scert’chak.”

“
If what you say about the Mages warring with each other is
true, we can take our time,” Narrilok said. “Weaken the capital
before we march in.”

I shook my
head. “They will just unite against you because they’ll see it as a
small problem. We have to strike the capital quickly. Losing
control of that will push the Mages over the edge as they blame
each other. This will give you the time you need to unite all the
tribes and defend your lands.”

Narrilok
mulled it over. “We’ll see what happens after we take The Mine and
Valley.”

I chuckled.
“Yes, give me a chance to prove myself before we debate long term
strategies.”

He looked up
at me and smiled weakly. “Prepare yourself then. I’ll have someone
fly you with the troops. Work out a signal with Bak, he’ll be me
out there.”

“
Done,” I nodded straightening out from the table. “Is there
any way I can leave my pack and maybe get something smaller for a
few items. It will make it easier on whoever has to fly
me.”

“
Yes, the troops will be gathering around the quartermaster,”
Narrilok explained. “Leave your pack here and follow the troops.
You’ll find what you need.”

“
Thanks,” I said. “Good luck out there.”

“
Just be ready,” he replied.

I slid the
pack of my shoulders and placed it on the ground. I pulled out my
book and left everything else.

This is going to be exciting,
Cathy
said.

Did you find
out anything from your past possessions?

No, sorry,
she
answered
. I DID possess someone that lived
close to here I think. I remember being knocked out of a tree
before everything went black but nothing useful.

Do you
remember any of the person’s memories?

No, I could only access them if I was still in his
head
, she explained.

So,
essentially, don’t fall out of a tree is all the advice you
have.

Best advice in my opinion
, Cathy
chuckled as I left the building to search for the
quartermaster.

Chapter 29

The Evenawk
set me down on the ground with surprising grace. I really thought I
would have just been dropped without a care but this Evenawk had
been gentle. He introduced himself as Garoks but didn’t mention the
process the troops must have been through to determine who had to
carry the Mage.

The flight
here hadn’t been any more entertaining than my first flight. The
only difference was everyone flew closer to the trees to not give
away our position. This, of course, meant I was the victim of any
high reaching branch.

I really didn’t think it was that sensitive down
there,
Cathy said.
How there is not armour specifically designed for that
area?

I’m sure there
is, we’re not going to find it in the mountains though.

Bak gathered
the platoon of about ten Evenawks for a quick word while I adjusted
the messenger satchel I had picked up for my tome. It was nice to
finally have the giant pack off my shoulders. I just hope the
Evenawks don’t take the Staff and Demon’s Bane. I’d hate to have to
go back and try to get more.

You should be okay,
Cathy
said
. I don’t think they would understand
the importance of that stuff. Your cookware on the other
hand...

That’s okay. I
don’t think I’ve used it since I smashed that bandit over the head
at Aaron’s farm.

Ah, good times
, Cathy said
dreamily.

I don’t see
why I had to leave my hat though.

So, you wouldn’t lose it during the flight
here
, she answered happily.

Seems like a
weak excuse.

I know, it’s great
, she said
excited.

Bak approached
me and nodded. “The boys are ready. We’ll wait for your signal
before charging in.”

“
I wasn’t expecting THIS small of an army,” I said. “Are you
sure you’re up for this?”

“
Don’t doubt us, Mage,” he responded. “These boys want their
freedom and they will fight hard for it.”

“
Very well,” I nodded. “Watch the skies. I’ll send something
up to signal you.”

“
We’ll be ready,” he said as he turned around to head back to
his troops.

I turned and
scanned through the forest. Every direction looked the same.

“
Hey, which way to the Mine?” I asked.

All the
Evenawks pointed into the same direction and I nodded in
embarrassment as I disappeared into the trees. One day, I will be
able to travel through forests without incident. Today is not that
day.

A branch to
the face and a stumble into a bush made me wish I could transform
MY arms into wings. Luckily I emerged from the forest near the
small mining camp at the base of a small mountain. I shook the
leaves and twigs out of my hair and robes as a couple Mages
approached me cautiously.

How are you going to play this?
Cathy asked.

Guess I should
have thought of something.

Well, they think you are a Keeper
,
she suggested.

Hm. Maybe
there is a little lie that could work.

Work the ‘I’m more important then you’ attitude to really
sell it,
she said excitedly.

“
Don’t move,” the older of the two Mages said. “Who are you
and what are you doing out here?”

“
I’m pissed off that’s who I am,” I said shaking my robe out.
“And I think there’s a bug down my robe so I’ll move as I damn well
please.”

“
What’s a Keeper doing way out here?” the Mage asked pointing
to my robe.

“
Give the guy a cookie, he can recognize colours,” I said
straightening myself out. “I’m here because the Tower wants a
report on the entire Mine's records.”

“
Why?” he asked confused but taking on a friendly
stance.

“
Because they hate me, that’s why,” I answered. “Make the new
guy run around the freaking forest.” I scoffed. “Should have chosen
Elemental, bah! ‘Learn the secrets’ my butt.”

“
Well, is there anything I could get you, maybe?” the Mage
asked showing his lack of spine around ‘authority’.

“
A cold drink and the directions to the man in charge,” I
replied already walking towards the camp.

“
This way, Keeper,” the younger Mage said running to get ahead
of me.

The camp was a
simple place with wooden buildings and a guard tower in a small
clearing. A small wall surrounded the camp to keep out the local
wildlife. I can’t imagine it being used to hold back the rebels.
Creatures that fly don’t really care about walls.

Most of the
buildings were drab looking bunkhouses which were most likely home
to the Evenawk miners. A fancy looking tall building must have been
the Mages'. I couldn’t see any other building that they would
consider using as their sleeping quarters so it was most likely to
be on one of the levels of the fancy building.

The Mage ahead
of me opened the door and I entered behind him. There was a sweet
smell in the air, either from something burning or it being closer
to dinner time then I thought. The aroma came from a kitchen close
to the front door. Sitting on a table, ready for consumption was a
large pie.

“
Oh, I’ll take a piece of that pie too, when they begin
serving it,” I said to my Mage escort.

“
Yes, Keeper,” he responded.

Aside from the
kitchen, the first floor was mostly storage. Crates of mined
material occupied the floor while two Mages recorded information on
their writing pads. Both the Mages stopped what they were doing to
watch me curiously.

They are not
trying to stop me so that’s a good sign.

Just keep acting like you own the place and nobody should get
suspicious,
Cathy said.
That’s what I always did.

Didn’t you end
up dying every time though?

Only because blending in gets boring
, she answered.

At the base of
a staircase, the young Mage turned to me and pointed up the stairs.
“Mage Contee’s office and personal quarters are on the top floor
past the sleeping quarters. I have to get back to my post. Good
luck, Keeper.”

“
What about the pie and my drink?” I asked.

“
I’ll past it along to the kitchen staff,” he said nervously.
“But I really should return to my duties.”

“
Good,” I replied without looking at him as I started up the
stairs.

The second
floor was a long hallway with doors on each side. A few Mages stood
in the middle of the hall talking but when they say me and looked
down at my robes they broke away from each other and disappeared
into their rooms.

That’s odd.
Mage’s aren’t usually this docile.

Something tells me the man in charge isn’t a people
person,
Cathy said.

What do you
recommend?

The rule of power is: ‘No matter how powerful you think you
are there will always be someone more powerful then you’,
she said.

So I need to
be more powerful.

Or at least, create the...Illusion...of it,
she said playfully.

I nodded
slowly as I started climbing the last flight of stairs. Illusion is
what I do best.

Mage Contee’s
office was a small space just large enough to fit his desk and a
couple of bookcases. I couldn’t imagine there being enough books on
mining to fill one bookcase but here he sat with two. Contee looked
up from the book he was working on and his face twisted in
frustration.

His smooth
bald head glistened with sweat as the look in his eyes told his
whole life story. Overly ambitious, he had climbed through the
ranks until he had stepped on someone’s toes. He was shipped away
to this backwater post as punishment and now he takes it out on
everyone around them.

He will still bow down to his superiors,
Cathy said.
As ambitious and beaten
down as people can be, they always respect the chain of
command.

“
Who are you?” Mage Contee asked.

“
Second Keeper Holcombe,” I answered. “Are you Mage
Contee?”

“
Yes I am Jaramogl Contee,” he said leaning back into his
chair. “What brings a Keeper out to my outpost?”

I grabbed one
of the chairs closest to his desk and pulled it back so I could
sit. “The Masters have noticed that the shipments coming out of the
mines have been smaller than expected. They suspect that someone is
stealing from them.”

“
And they sent you here to me?” he asked amused.

“
I am to check everywhere,” I smiled, “a little punishment for
asking too many questions.”

He smiled
weakly. “Well, this is their favourite place to send people. So
what can I do for you?”

“
I need access to all the records and to inspect the mine,” I
answered.