Heart of Dorkness

Scourge Forty-Seven - Luncheon

Scourge Forty-Seven - Luncheon

I stretch as best I can, because sleeping on the ground--even if Felix insisted last night that we find a spot where the dirt isnt too hard--is really uncomfortable.

Im not the only one waking up. Esmes rubbing at her face and Felix is rummaging around our bags for things to start breakfast with.

Biancas the only one here thats a morning person. She took two minutes to wake up, and since then shes been perfectly fine. Its a little maddening, actually, but I cant fault her too much for that.

So, whats the plan this morning? I asked.

Same, same as... Esme pauses to stifle a yawn. Same as last night. We have two directions we can go in. Ill check the compass again for any changes, but unless the books moved overnight, then we should be heading in roughly the same direction.

South and east then, I say.

I leave the tent to take care of a few things, then return to camp to find Felix warming us some food while Bianca provides a constant stream of fire for her. Esme leaves the tent, changed out from her night things to her usual outfit, so I take the opportunity to get changed too.

Is everyone ready to go? I ask as I step out.

No, Felix says. Foods not ready yet, we have a bunch of things to pack up, and the tents still up. Are we in a hurry?

No, not quite, I say. Im just feeling a little antsy. I dont know, I have the impression that we should be doing something.

Esme hums. Well, if we catch up with the book thieves, well have plenty of things to do. I cant wait to get those books back.

Im more curious about whats going on in Algecante, Bianca says.

Its everything, I think, I say. Everythings been pointing to Algecante and Altum doing something nasty, and I want to get to the bottom of it.

I sit down next to Esme while Felix finishes up breakfast, then I eat in a hurry. The others are doing the same, and I think maybe some of my nervous energy is leaking out because we pack up and are ready to go in record time.

The love birds are waiting for us, still loaded up with the things we didnt feel like unpacking the night before. Bianca and I hop onto one, and Felix and Esme onto the other, then we take off. Im not sure how long of a flight we have ahead of us, but Im hoping it goes smoothly.

The weather todays not as nice as yesterday. Theres a thick layer of clouds above, hanging low enough that were skimming along the bottom of the fattest ones as we fly.

We should find a place to stop, Esme says after about an hours flight.

I nod, then glance down and start looking for a nice area. Theres a lot of small hills here. Were about to cross a wide road heading from north to south. The main road to Algecante, I think. I point towards a clearing past some hills next to the road, and our birds coast down and into the clearing.

Esme pulls out her book compass machine, puts in one of the tags, and cranks it after focusing for a bit. She pushes a map against Felixs back while Felix stays still, then she glances between the compass and the map. I think were close, she says.

How close? I ask.

Very, she says. Maybe... twenty minutes of flying... that way. She points and its almost exactly the same direction the road is leading towards.

Lets circle around then. If we keep high no one will see us. Itll be harder to spot anyone if theres just a small group, but well see any bigger groups, at least.

I get agreements all around, so I pat my bird-monster on the neck and relay some instructions, and were off again.

This time we circle around towards the spot Esme pointed to, flying so high that we occasionally push through one of the clouds. Its really cold up here, and the airs a bit thin, but its not so bad that we cant manage.

Look! Bianca says. Shes pointing down, and I follow her finger, spotting what caught her eye.

Theres a camp down here. A decently big one too. Maybe twenty round tents, and two bigger ones. A wall surrounds the entire camp. I cant tell what its made of from up here, but it looks like a temporary thing. I see horses too, and lots of tiny moving shapes that have to be people.

That symbol, on the tents! Esme says. Those are Templars.

I frown. These are the Templars weve been hearing about. I start searching for a spot to land again, this one further south from the Templars and their camp. I notice first one, then a second tent being struck down. Theyre not going to stay in place forever. Probably for the best, since theyre camped right on the roadway.

We circle down to another clearing, this one a bit further away from the roadside. Wanna bet they have Sempers book? Felix asks.

We dont know that yet, Esme says, but shes quick to pull out the compass, place a tag in, and start working the machine. The compass whirls around a couple of times, then points north. Okay, so we do know that.

Right, the Templars have the book, which means... uh, I can think of a few things it could mean, and most arent great, I say. Either theyre working with Altum and the book was given to them, they were the ones to steal it and are framing Altum, or... maybe they took it from one of Altums followers?

Im hoping its the last one, Esme says. Heroes Templars arent exactly buddy-buddy with the Archivists, but were not enemies either. They often go out to clear monsters around some small towns, or leave on big quests. The smart ones will gather information before heading out, so they need the Archivists to help them.

Bianca slips off the back of the bird, then brushes down her skirts. Were not going to learn whats going on by staying here. So what do we do?

I could create some spy monsters, have them check on the camp. Itll be tricky though, I say. Theyre not very smart. And they wouldnt be able to recognize the right book from any other book. We could get a good count of the number of people.

Just the number of people? Felix asks.

Yeah. Is that bad? I ask.

Bet that a good number of the people over there arent Templars. They have horses and tents and things. So theyll have normal folk helping them. Cooks and animal handlers and that kind of thing.

Esme nods. Templars often go out with a retinue. A group that big probably only has a dozen Templars and twice that many acolytes, then the people like Felix said, cooks and aide-de-camps.

So no spying, then, I say. Do we walk over and just ask? I feel like Mom might want to spank me if I do that.

I can go, Bianca says. Im a noble lady of this country. Theyre technically part of an outside organisation. I have some political pull, though not much.

Im not sending you out there alone, I say. Nah, give me an hour or two.

Felix grins. Looking for a pool?

I nod. Exactly. Mom always says that theres no better position to negotiate than when you have overwhelming force on your side. So lets get some forces and make them overwhelming. I send out a few of my last little friends out to find a dark pool. I also ask them to start looking for any stray monsters in the area.

Felix laughs. Oh, this is going to be fun.

How are we going to negotiate though? I dont want to be next to some Templars when they learn we have an army of monsters with us. They can be fast, and theyre strong, Esme says.

I shrug. Well send them a letter or something.

A letter, Esme repeats.

Yeah. With a monster.

She blinks a few times, thinks about it, then starts to rummage through her pack for paper and something to write with. Okay, but let me compose this. Maybe itll soften the blow a little if the letter comes from an Archivist.

We should invite them for lunch, if we want to make them relax, Felix says.

That... sounds like a perfect plan. Felix, youre a genius.

I know, Felix says with a winning smile.

Were going to invite some Templars for lunch while also building an army of monsters right next to them so that they won't feel threatened while we ask about the suspicious things theyve been doing? Bianca asks.

Thats exactly right.

***