Shadow Dagger Ch. 09

"So, all your plans are for naught? Everything we have worked for and sacrificed?" Sanje asked, his tone dripping with contempt.

Raynolt felt his anger bubble to the surface. "Do not think me weak," he growled. "I was caught off guard, that's all. How in the nine hells was I suppose to know how powerful he is? I just need to work out a new plan."

"If he is as powerful as you claim, you are going to need a very good plan. But if he isn't under your control, then how did you get the declaration signed?"

Raynolt leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Evidently, he desires this war more than I do. He wants to completely wipe out the Magi Victus."

Sanje started. "What? Why?"

Raynolt shrugged. "He wasn't exactly open with me. He spouted some nonsense about saving the world. Really, I just think that man speaks to hear his own voice. He talked down to me like I was a child while he rambled on about intelligence and philosophy."

"To save the world?" Sanje repeated incredulously. He shook his head.

"He has a very high opinion about himself. He should hear how he gloated about bypassing my shields to bind me."

"I thought you said you said you were going to have extra shields on you when you went in there?"

"I did," Raynolt replied simply. He let the implication settle in Sanje's mind.

If Raynolt thought he saw shock on Sanje's face before, this time he was sure. He could even hear it in his voice. "He bypassed multiple shields? I thought that was impossible! Aren't shields supposed to weaken a spell as it rips through? Your second shield should have been more than enough to stop a simple binding spell."

"I couldn't believe it myself. According to him, shield spells have rather large gaps. He just slipped through my shields instead of using brute force."

"Who is this man?" Sanje asked. Raynolt said nothing. He was curious about that answer as well. Sanje took a breath. "Did you give him time to prepare for your attack?"

Raynolt shook his head. "No, as soon as I stepped through the door, I began casting. I couldn't bypass his shield but I wanted to give him a message, nonetheless. I wanted to make sure he knew who was in charge. But he was waiting for me."

"But how did he know you were going to attack?"

Raynolt said nothing but just looked at Sanje. Sanje didn't look away. Either he knew what Raynolt was about to say or he was just waiting for an explanation. Finally, Raynolt laid his cards out on the table, so to speak. "During our conversation, he made it clear that he had a spy in my circle."

Sanje said nothing for several long moments. Raynolt hadn't released his magic when Sanje startled him earlier. He silently began preparing spells, just in case. "And you've obviously eliminated me as a suspect, or you wouldn't have just told me that," Sanje said at last.

"Yes, I decided you had too much to lose by joining Reynar. And I think I have your loyalty, considering our—"

"Secrets spoken find wings," Sanje warned. "We agreed to never mention that connection, not even in private."

"Of course," Raynolt agreed, thinking privately that he would as soon jump off a cliff than tell someone that secret.

Sanje paced back and forth. "And since he revealed the presence of his spy, he obviously meant for you to know."

Raynolt nodded. "Of course. He wished to distract me so I would focus my attention on what he wanted."

Sanje scowled and gestured at the table. "And it's obviously working."

Raynolt waved his hand dismissively. "Don't you think I know that? But in order to build a new plan against him, I need to rid myself of his spy. Otherwise, he would know everything I planned. And he knows I can't carry out our plans by myself. I need help."

"Do you have a plan?"

Raynolt gestured toward the papers on the table. "I think so. Reynar knows everything about my plans. That knowledge eliminates the lesser people under my employ. Only my inner circle knew everything. And as a rule, I keep that circle very small. The spy has to be Lenard or Morgana."

"I can question them, if you like," Sanje said, fingering the hilt of his dagger.

Raynolt grimaced. "Tempting, but no. If I do that, I will lose both, no matter who the spy was. But I think I have a plan. It requires your help."

"I'm listening," Sanje said carefully.

"It's simple, really. I am going to feed them false information. Perhaps I will tell them I discovered Reynar's weakness and intend to assassinate him during my ceremony. What I need you to do is to stake out the palace and watch for any suspicious activity. They will need to go before the Festival to warn Reynar, so you shouldn't have to wait long."

Sanje snorted. "It may not be so simple. What if they don't communicate that way? What if they have their own method of communication?"

"The only method of magical communication is a summons. And every Magi in the city will hear that. Even if they use some other form of communication, somebody will still need to enter the palace to deliver the message to Reynar. You can watch out for messenger birds, as well. You get the point? Just report anything suspicious to me."

"I will do this, because it affects my plans as well, but we still need to discuss this war."

Raynolt gathered his papers up and shoved them back in their respective files. "Meet me in my office in one hour."

When Raynolt turned around, Sanje was already gone.

***

Jon descended the stairs, his mind still working over the new information Marcus just gave him. Marcus had kept his word and returned early in the morning to deliver his news. Sophina and Ashford were breakfasting when he walked in.

"What news?" Ashford asked immediately, setting down his spoon.

Jon walked over to the table and picked up an apple. He bit into it and swallowed before answering. "The council has yet to reach a consensus on how to proceed with the war. However, King Reynar declared that the war will start during the Summer Festival. It seems that he will hold a ceremony for Raynolt that officially appoints him as the Grand Master of the Guild of Magi."

Sophina frowned and Ashford's jaw dropped in shock. "How does that homeless beggar gather his information? The council sessions are closed to everyone."

"I told you his name is Marcus," Jon replied coldly. Ashford swallowed nervously and nodded his head in apology. Jon sighed. "He...has his ways, trust me."

Sophina swirled her spoon through her porridge and seemed lost in thought. Jon winced every time he looked at her. He did what was necessary but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty about her current state. Sophina wasn't particularly comely before the healing, but now...The bones in her face stood out sharply. Her arms looked like they belonged on a ninety year old crone. Her hands trembled whenever she lifted her spoon.

"Finish that porridge," Jon demanded more harshly than he meant to. "And after you finish, I want you to eat three of these apples."

Sophina scowled at him. "This porridge tastes like something from a waste pit. I'm not even hungry."

Jon gave her a firm look. "I don't care what it tastes like. It has everything important that your body needs to rebuild itself. If you don't put fat back on your bones, then I can't train you."

Sophina looked up sharp at that. "Train me? What do you mean?"

Jon walked over and sat in the chair next to her. "I can train you to be a better swordsman. You had too much trouble with that one guard."

Sophina's face reddened. "In case you didn't notice, he was heavily armored and I was stark-naked!"

Ashford snorted into his food. Sophina shot him a withering glare that quickly wiped the smile from his face. Jon was wise to hold his smile. "Even so, I can teach you how to quickly dispatch men like that. Your sword skills are better suited to the chaos of battlefields. Your instructors had to train thousands of people at one time during the war, so individual training was lacking from your education. Your style is not suitable for the situation we find ourselves in."

Sophina grasped her spoon harder and harder as he went on. It seemed anger gave her strength. Jon filed that information away for later. "I did my best! And I have been in more battles than you can imagine! I think it says something about my skills that I always came out alive."

"Relax, Sophina. I'm not insulting your skills. I'm merely saying that you need to learn a different style that is better suited for what we will face."

"What, exactly, are we facing?" Ashford asked, as Sophina opened her mouth angrily.

"The King intends to instigate the war during the Summer Festival. The Magi Victus can't pass up the opportunity to strike with so many Magi gathered in one place. And we can't pass up the opportunity either."

"You mean to assassinate Raynolt during his ceremony?" Ashford asked.

Jon nodded. "And that means having to deal with dozens of Magi, hundreds of guards, and the King himself."

"We don't have to worry about the King," Ashford said confidently. "He will take the opportunity to remove Raynolt's leash. He will be a great ally when the fighting breaks out, just you watch."

Jon has his doubts but didn't voice them. Ashford would only argue with him until he was blue in the face. Jon looked at Sophina. "The guards will be just as deadly as the Magi when the fighting starts. That's why I need to train you fast."

Sophina nodded reluctantly and began shoveling porridge into her mouth. Jon smiled as he turned back to Ashford. "I will be giving you lessons in magic, as well. I can teach you some spells that will come in handy."

Ashford's eyes gleamed eagerly. "Thank you, I would appreciate that. So, do you have a plan?"

Jon shook his head. "I'm still working on it. The good news is that we have a month to plan our attack and to get you two trained up. And it will give me time to think about one other task."

"What's that?" Ashford asked curiously.

Jon waved his hand, dispelling thoughts of his plan for Evelyn from his mind. She would have to wait. He knew what he had to do but he didn't want to contemplate it until he needed to. "Where is Evelyn?" he asked instead.

Sophina swallowed and said, "She is sitting in the guest room. I already fed her breakfast. She is just sitting there, looking at the wall," she added sadly.

"Good," Jon replied absently, already pushing her from his mind. "How do you feel, Sophina?"

Sophina shrugged her shoulders and swallowed the last of her porridge. "I'm ok. My right arm feels pretty weak. I was surprised I didn't lose it."

"I did the best I could for it," Jon said apologetically.

Sophina waved it away. "You saved my life. I'm grateful, trust me. But I'm still getting used to this body. I don't have a lot of strength or energy right now, I'm afraid."

Jon grimaced. "I'm sorry but we have little time. I will give you another day to recover but we must start your training tomorrow. I am going to quadruple your rations to make up for the weight you will lose from training."

Sophina's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Quadruple rations?" she said faintly.

Even Ashford looked taken aback. "Isn't that a little too much?"

"No, trust me. You still have to recover the fat you lost from the healing and your training isn't going to make that easier. On the bright side, you are going to be leaner and quicker than you ever were before."

"I can't wait," she groaned.

***

Raynolt left the council meeting feeling little better than he did before going in. The council was proving to be stubborn about the method of fighting this war. At least they didn't dismiss his idea just yet. If I ever forget why I wanted to rise to power, then I only need to spend five minutes with this lot! They are the reason why I have to change how things are done in this country.

He also found it hard to stomach the sight of Lenard and Morgana sitting in front of him, glancing at him every so often. They still wanted answers. He had summoned them the night before, after his meeting with Sanje, to tell them of his plan to assassinate Reynar during the Summer Festival.

They had pestered him with questions about how he was to accomplish that. He told them he had discovered a weakness in Reynar's shields. Raynolt almost smiled as he said it. He had made a promise to himself to take to heart what Reynar told him and it was already coming in handy.

He didn't get a good read on either of them during that meeting. But a spy had to be a well-trained actor to go so long undetected. Sanje kept watch last night on the palace and reported this morning of no unusual activity. He said he will have Magi Victus stationed around the palace all day long.

So Raynolt lingered after the meeting to make sure neither one of them stayed behind to talk to Reynar. They came to talk to him again about the details of his plan. He waved them off and told them all will be revealed in due time.

Raynolt brought his thoughts back to the present as he entered the large doorway of the Emporium. Now that the search for the spy was out of his hands, he could concentrate on preparing the Magi for war. He had never imagined there were so many little tasks to accomplish to start a war. The stack of papers and the group of Magi battle-masters waiting in his office daunted him.

The battle-masters wouldn't be happy that the strategy of the war had yet to be determined. But there were hundreds of other tasks to complete in the mean time. He just hoped that Sanje found the spy before the Summer Festival. His life depended on it.

***

Sophina groaned as she strapped on her familiar breastplate. The weight of her armor nearly buckled her knees. I'm still not strong enough for this. Jon saved her life but that didn't stop her from feeling bitter about her current weakness.

She unsheathed her sword and held it straight out in her right arm. Her arm quivered and she had to quickly lower it. Sweat was already beading on her forehead. The muscles in her legs were screaming. She slammed her sword back in its sheath and stalked from her room.

She stopped at the doorway. "I will be back shortly," she told Evelyn. Evelyn said nothing as she continued to sit in her chair and stare at the wall.

Sophina sighed and closed the door. She made her way down the hall and knocked on Jon's bedroom door. "Come in," he said.

Sophina pushed open the door and walked in. Jon rose from his small desk and put down a quill. Sophina looked around the room. He had a large four-poster bed in the center of the room and a small desk in the left corner. There was a plain wooden chest in front of his bed. That was all the furniture the room held.

"Impressive," Sophina smirked, indicating the room with her hand.

Jon nodded as though it was a real compliment. "A warrior needs no other treasure than the sword in his hand and his enemies at his feet, am I right?"

Sophina laughed. "That sounds nice but I doubt you will find many warriors who follow that belief."

Jon smiled. "Ok, maybe a warrior needs a little more than that. Perhaps tokens of his defeated enemies?"

Sophina nodded. "I knew many soldiers who liked to loot the battlefield."

"A wise man once told me that a man should not show his wealth for all to see. Rather, he should keep it secret to deter thieves and to make his enemies underestimate him." Jon held out his hand, inviting Sophina to follow him.

Frowning, Sophina nodded. Where could we go in this small room? Jon walked to the far right wall and pressed his hand against a small brick in the middle of the wall. Immediately, a seam appeared along the length of the wall and swung open to reveal a cleverly designed door.

Sophina shook her head. This man has hidden doors everywhere! I wonder, did he build this place himself?

"After you," Jon said, bowing low to her.

Sophina smirked and walked through the doorway. She stopped immediately, her mouth suddenly hanging open. It was a large circular room with a padded floor. Weapon racks containing hundreds of different types of weapons circled the room. And hanging on the stone walls were the most beautiful weapons and armor she had ever seen. They made the ancient weapons decorating Jon's living room look like children's toys.

Sophina stood in the center of the room, slowly circling to take it all in. Her eyes lingered on a set of armor that decorated a wooden dummy. The armor was designed in overlapping scales and was a deep, emerald green. She spotted a spear on the wall that had to be almost ten feet long. Long, colorful feathers adorned the spearhead. The metal gleamed in the mage-light.

"So what do you think?" Jon asked, startling Sophina.

She had forgotten that he was even there. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "It's beautiful," she whispered. "Where did you get all of this?"

"I have collected it over the years," he replied casually.

"But I don't even recognize some of these weapons! What period did they come from?"

"A long time ago," he said simply. "Now that you have had your fill, are you ready to start?"

Sophina eyed the weapons in the weapon racks. She glanced down at her own battered sword. "I don't know. My armor already strains my endurance and my sword feels too heavy."

"First, take off that armor. You will no longer wear armor. It will only slow you down."

Sophina gasped. "Are you insane? I will get massacred without armor!"

"Take it off," Jon repeated. "I will teach you to kill your enemies before they have time to kill you. Eventually, you will wear light armor but nothing more."

Sophina stared at him doubtfully but began removing her armor. When she deposited the last piece on the floor, she let out a sigh of relief. She could breathe again. Jon strode over to the weapon racks and took his time selecting weapons. Finally, he pulled two wooden practice swords from a barrel. He tossed one to Sophina.

Sophina caught it and brought it close to her eyes. It was not the type of sword she was used to. Her sword was a large, double-edged longsword. The practice sword she now held was much lighter and had only one edged side that curved upwards.

She looked up at Jon. "Are you sure?" she asked.

He spun his practice sword in his hand and brought it up before him. "Yes, this type of sword will be much better suited to you. You won't be hacking through armor like you did on the battlefield. You will be as quick as lightning."

He suddenly darted forward and thrust his sword in a short jab. Sophina gasped and jumped back. His speed was incredible. She watched in awe as he darted around, slashing and stabbing his sword in a beautiful dance of death.

"You will strike where there is weakness." His sword was a blur in his hand. "You will read every movement your opponent makes like a book." His sword dance changed. Somehow he made it look like he was engaging an imaginary foe. Sophina almost wanted to laugh in child-like wonder.

"A master swordsman will often finish a fight in one move."

Sophina felt her heart clinch in terror as Jon suddenly appeared in front of her, his sword resting against her neck. "That's not fair," she whispered.

Jon lowered his sword and raised his eyebrow. Sophina hurried to explain. "You are a Magi Victus. You can manipulate the magic in your body to achieve a speed that is otherwise inhumanely possible."

"Yes, I can," Jon agreed. He titled his head and studied her. "But I didn't manipulate my magic just now."

Sophina's eyes widened. "Impossible! You moved too fast!"

"Years of practice," Jon shrugged. He leaned in closer. "Listen, Sophina. I will teach you the best I can for the next month. But it's only a month. If I had several years to teach you, I could turn you into a master swordsman. You have the raw talent. But we don't have that time. So how much you improve over this next month is up to you, understand?"