James Wyatt: In the Claws of the Tiger

Mathas nodded slowly, his eyes focused somewhere over Janik’s shoulder. “And Dania?”

“She wasn’t there.”

“Ah.” They sat in silence for many moments.

“Well,” Mathas said finally, gesturing at two doors behind him. “There are beds in those rooms. I think I’m going to see how comfortable they are, and determine whether the Cathedral’s hospitality truly knows no bounds.”

“Sleep well, Mathas.” Janik didn’t shift his gaze from the ceiling.

“I don’t sleep.” The elf seemed older than Janik remembered as he rose slowly to his feet and shuffled into the other room.

What am I doing here? Janik fumed, not sure why he was so angry. I came because I wanted to see Dania. So the Keeper of the Flame tries to buy my services-why not? It’s a job, right? But no, not Mel-Aqat. Nothing could get me back there. Not even Dania.

He pulled Dania’s letter out of his coat again, carefully unfolding it for the hundredth time. “I urge you to come to Thrane and hear what the Keeper of the Flame has to say.”

“All right, Dania,” he muttered, “I came to Thrane. I heard the Keeper’s little speech. Where are you?”

His eyes closed. His thoughts still raging through his mind, he fell into a fitful sleep.

He wasn’t sure how long he had slept when a gentle knock at the door roused him. From where he sat, he could see light pouring in the windows of the empty bedroom. Janik stumbled groggily to the door and threw it open. The smiling blond knight stood there. Beside her, a man in a servant’s uniform steered a cart laden with food. Janik stepped aside as the servant wheeled the cart into the room.

“I hope you find your rooms acceptable,” the knight said. Janik grunted and managed a half smile. “We invite you to enjoy the hospitality of the Cathedral as long as you wish. My name is Tierese, and your comfort is in my charge.”

“Thank you.” Janik was confused. He had dreamt of Maija again, and Tierese’s smiling face reminded him of her.

“If you would be gracious enough to return to the Cathedral in the morning, your presence would be appreciated.”

Ah, the Cathedral, he thought. Dream and reality became more distinct in Janik’s mind. “All right,” he said, “I’ll hear the Keeper one more time.”

“I am pleased to hear it.” Tierese’s smile was unwavering, and Janik began to distrust it. “After breakfast tomorrow, I will escort you to your audience.” She gave a small bow, which Janik returned.

“Thank you,” Janik said again, feeling stupid and still quite groggy. Tierese turned and left, and the servant hustled after her, leaving a fine lunch spread on the table in the suite’s outer room. Janik closed and bolted the door, then stumbled into the vacant bedroom. He threw himself down on the bed and fell at once into a much deeper sleep, leaving the food untouched.

Janik awoke with a much clearer head and made his way to the main room of the suite. Mathas had returned to his chair and his weighty tome, which was draped over his lap. An empty plate lay on a side table beside the elf, and plenty of food remained spread on the larger table.

Mathas looked up and smiled as Janik emerged. “A day on an airship is like two on the ground,” he said. “Traveling always exhausts me.”

Janik laughed. “It wasn’t that long ago you spent a year traveling to Mel-Aqat and back.” He sat on the edge of the chair facing his friend and started loading a plate for himself.

“And a year in the wilderness is like ten in the city. No wonder I feel so old.”

“No wonder.” Janik bit into a ripe plum, then dabbed his chin with a white napkin. “I’ve been summoned back to the Cathedral tomorrow.”

“Of course you have. They served us lunch.”

Janik smiled. “Rather than turning us out on the street? You’re right. Apparently whoever is behind this isn’t going to give up that easily.”

“And who is behind this? Did you get any sense of that?”

“It’s hard to say.” Janik took another bite of his plum and continued with his mouth full. “The Keeper had six attendants who did most of the talking.” He swallowed. “Four of them spoke, and none said more than a sentence or two. I couldn’t tell whether one of them was pulling the strings.” He stared thoughtfully at the wall and took another bite of his plum.

“Well,” Mathas said, “while you were there, I learned a little more about the government of Thrane. The girl has mostly abdicated control of the government to a Council of Cardinals, and she concerns herself primarily with the spiritual well-being of the people.”

“Interesting,” Janik said. “I don’t think I was dealing with Cardinals.”

“No, I’m sure you would know if you had been.”

“But if they’re the ones really running the country, why wasn’t I talking to them?”

“Perhaps this isn’t the kind of job you thought it was.” Mathas watched Janik consider this for a moment. “Did the Keeper speak at all?”

“She spoke first, just welcoming me here. Then when she spoke again, all the attendants looked surprised, like she had strayed from the script.” He poured himself a glass of wine. “Probably played trump too early.”

“Trump?”

“Oh, she was good. She pulled almost a prophetic vision thing-had me going for a moment.”

Mathas leaned forward with interest. “What did she say?”

“Something like, ‘What you have lost is still in those ruins.’ And then, ‘The Silver Flame calls you there.’ Trying to make it sound like this job’s divinely ordained, and hoping to make it personal.”

“What have you lost, Janik?”

“Oh, don’t you start now! I work for money, not out of some quest for personal fulfillment. I don’t care what this one pays. I’m not going back there.”

“It seems to me you’ve lost a great deal, then.” Mathas’s voice was quiet, in contrast to Janik’s outburst.

“Yes, I have.” Janik stood. “I’ve lost the woman I loved and one of my best friends. I’ve lost any belief I used to have that the universe was a just and fair place ruled by a Host that cares about such things. I’ve lost my passion for my work, my thirst to learn more about the ancient civilizations of Xen’drik. I’ve lost everything that matters to me. But I’ve been to Mel-Aqat and I know what’s there, and I’m not going to find those things there.” He stormed to the door, grabbing his coat from a nearby chair.

“Where are you going?” Mathas asked.

“I need to walk, clear my head,” Janik said. He threw the door open. The knight Tierese was there, a respectful distance away. He called to her. “Am I allowed to go into the city and look around?”

“Of course,” the knight replied. “If you would like, I can arrange a carriage for you.”

Janik stepped out of the room, then looked back at Mathas. “I’m sorry I lost my temper, Mathas,” he said, then pulled the door closed behind him and addressed Tierese. “Thank you. That won’t be necessary.” He swept past the knight and stalked down the hall toward the stairs.

“An escort?” Tierese said to his back. “Flamekeep is quite safe, but to be sure …”

“No.” He sped down the steps, out of the palace, and into the city beyond.

Janik walked for over an hour, but saw very little of the city. He drifted along the jumbled streets, oblivious to the autumn chill, too lost in his thoughts to notice the architecture, the statuary, the murals, and especially the people.

Not noticing the people of Flamekeep, he also didn’t notice the distinct lack of people when he turned down a narrow street. He was only vaguely aware of the buildings standing more closely together, forming a narrow canyon that blocked the sun, shrouded in shadow. Something about the sound of footsteps behind him, though, triggered his combat reflexes, and he snapped out of his reverie and spun around, his short sword springing to his hand.