Secret of the Sunstones, Part 1: The Wanton Kingdom

Chapter XXXV : Ambisanguinous

Midday of Tertius, Fourth Day of Autumnmoon

Bram rode in to Saladin on Yuri’s magical aeon viscar, with the child seated in front. As the city became visible in the distance, he understood the need to remove his armor and don civilian clothing. For one thing, a Gnostic’s garb was easily recognizable to any Angkorian soldiers seeking to apprehend him. But, more likely, it would aggravate the locals. Those native to the region would remember the many violent acts performed by the Knights during The War. Bram certainly didn’t want to clash with anyone looking for a bone to pick.

He ran into a peddler who had just left the city. The short, bearded man bartered hard for his wares; in the end, Bram parted with nearly half his coins, and all he got was some secondhand clothes for himself and Yuri, and a bonnet to cover the child’s conspicuous white hair. He also bought a large hemp sack to hide his armor. He offered to pay more for food and water, but the peddler wasn’t willing to part with provisions.

“Damned if I die in th’ desert,” he grumbled. “There’s an inn half a league that ’a way,” he pointed behind his shoulder. “You’ll find water an’ a good meal there.”

Bram thanked the man and counted his remaining coins. Given the high cost of lodging and provisions, he had to be more frugal. Peddlers in Saladin loved to haggle, but Bram lacked the skills to negotiate. Nor did he have the time to waste. He had to reach Rungholt before Angkor. Somehow, he needed to stretch his dwindling resources.

After lugging the bag for more than a few minutes, he already regretted his choice to remove his armor. It weighed a ton, yet it was still important for him to maintain a low profile. He wondered how to deal with this problem, when Yuri offered to help. The child conjured another aeon, which took the form of a white puff that floated in the air, looking like an overgrown dandelion seed with eyes. Yet when placed inside the bag, it lightened the load by tenfold.

Bram thanked the child before entering the city and suggested she send Waddles away. The mount was no longer needed, and he didn’t want to raise suspicion, especially to any nearby scholars who might detect its magic. The child leaned close to the viscar’s ear and whispered some words. The creature nodded before galloping away. As it departed, its body slowly faded until it was gone.

He was curious, so he asked Yuri. “Where do aeons go, when they disappear?”

She smiled innocently but didn’t respond.

Bram let the matter drop. He figured it probably would go over his head, anyway.

When they arrived at the inn, it was packed. The patrons were mostly merchants, no doubt enroute to neighboring countries, eager to sell their wares. Foreign goods commanded a handsome price. And in recent years, larger numbers of men headed through Saladin to make their fortunes. Even a single trip across the continent yielded enough gold to make peers back home envious. And that of course motivated more merchants the following year.

Autumnmoon was a good month for a peddler to start their commercial pilgrimage, and if they were wise, they brought bodyguards for protection against spawn or waylaying bandits. The threats grew worse every year, so as trade became more profitable, travelers hired more mercenaries. It was a virtuous cycle that resulted in entourages so large they occupied entire inns. With crowds like that, vacancy in the surrounding establishments was more difficult to find.

Bram could afford to go without lodging, but food and drink were urgent. He hadn’t eaten a full meal in two days, and neither had Yuri. He could probably last a bit longer, but small children needed nourishment.

He headed inside an inn that appeared less crowded and waited for the innkeeper behind an irate older gentleman—Vinetan, based on his accent. The man had a long white beard and was dressed in dusty gray robes. Brand new, they would have been exquisite, but they looked fairly travelworn. He carried a large walking stick, and his exposed skin was covered with tattoos of arcane symbols. Both he and the burly innkeeper were engaged in a passionate argument.

“What d’ ya mean, there’s no room?” the old man hounded. “Ah don’t care who ya ‘ave to kick out, but Ah’ll pay handsomely for anythin’ you can spare.”

The innkeeper was vexed and clearly out of patience. “I’m sorry, sir, but like I said—there’s no vacancy. I can’t evict another paying customer.”

The innkeeper tried sidestepping around the guy, but the old man blocked his progress. “Ya’ve no idea how far Ah’ve come. Ah’ve traveled from Vineta in two days, chasin’ the man who eloped with my daughter, and Ah don’t have time t’ waste! Ah need t’ get t’ Kitezh, an’ Ah need rest. One night’s all ah ask, then I’ll be off. So … how much will it cost me?”

“Two days? Right ….” The innkeeper rolled his eyes.

Indeed, it was impossible to cover that much distance so quickly, even on the fastest mount. But, not for a scholar. Bram figured the innkeeper didn’t realize who he was speaking to.

“Like I said, we’re booked. And if ya don’t stop pestering me, I’ll have ya thrown out!”

He gestured toward a couple of surly men by the entrance, hired peacekeepers by the look of them. They eyed the old man carefully, cracking their knuckles in the process.

The old man pointed with a gnarled index finger. “Don’t you threaten me, young man! He turned to the hired thugs. “As for you … if ya dare lay a hand on me, Ah’ll put a triple curse on ya!”

The innkeeper sidestepped the old man and gave Bram his attention. “I’m sure you overheard. There’s no rooms here, so ya might as well move on.” He made a shooing motion with his hands. “There’s plenty of inns further in the city.”

Bram tried to clarify. “I’m not here for a room. I just want to buy some food and water … for my daughter.” He placed his hands on Yuri’s shoulders, hoping to earn some sympathy.

The old man leaned over and spoke in Bram’s ear, just loud enough for the innkeeper to hear. “Ah wouldn’t, if Ah were you. When an inn has bad service, it usually means bad food!”

The innkeeper’s face turned red. “That’s it!” Pushing past Bram and the old man, he motioned to the thugs at the door for assistance.

Yuri yanked on Bram’s shirt. “Hu—un-gr—gry.”

Her little voice grabbed the old man’s attention. He looked at her fondly. “That’s no way for a young lass t’ feel.” He bent over and touched her on the cheek. As soon as he made contact, a small white light flashed from his fingertips. Bram didn’t know about Yuri, but his own hunger pains vanished immediately.

The thugs averted their eyes and uttered expletives.

“We don’t handle scholars,” one of them told the innkeeper. “Not in our contract.”

The innkeeper sneered, eyes bulging. He was about to scream something when the old man held up a hand.

“It’s alright. Ah’ll leave peacefully.” With a meeker attitude, he headed for the door.

Yuri tugged on Bram’s shirt and pointed.

“No, Yuri,” Bram told her. “We shouldn’t get involved.”

She moaned, clearly wanting to express something that her voice couldn’t. She tugged on his shirt harder. “He he—el—elp.”

Shockingly, Bram understood. Despite the man’s eccentricity, he was obviously an experienced scholar. Beyond the walls of Angkor’s capital, magic was rare. And Bram realized that if he needed a miracle to get to Kitezh, he’d need to start thinking differently. He usually avoided aid from strangers, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Besides, the old man mentioned he was headed to Kitezh already. If he’d be willing to make room for two more, Bram could save on both cost and travel time.

He found it remarkable, though. Somehow, Yuri understood his needs and devised her own solution. He hadn’t even discussed it with her. She had no way of knowing he needed to reach Kitezh, unless she had some kind of magical prescience. Then again, perhaps it was a coincidence, and all she wanted was to chase a kind old man who cured her hunger pains. Either way, a good idea was a good idea. Bram had nothing to lose from asking. But he had to hurry. He gave Yuri a nod and let her lead the way.

Once outdoors, he scanned the main street in both directions. The old man had already made it down the next block, so Bram scurried after, trying his best to flag him down.

“Sir!” he called out. “Excuse me—Mister!”

The old man spun around and waved his walking stick in the air, threateningly. “What d’ ya want?”

Bram backed away, holding his hands out peacefully. “Just a moment of your time. My name’s Bram, and this is my daughter, Yuri.”

“Yes, Ah remember.” The old man’s face softened at the sight of her, and his lips curled into a smile. “Are ya feelin’ better, lass?”

She smiled and nodded vigorously.

Bram swooped in for the icebreaker. “I recognized your sorcery, earlier, and I wanted to offer my appreciation. What’s your name, good sir?”

The man’s smile widened, and he cleared his throat. “Ya mean … ya’ve never heard of Matthias, the Ambisanguinous?”

Bram shook his head. “Ambi—what? Sorry, I don’t know what that is.”

Matthias guffawed loudly. “Well, then, lad … ya’d best get educated!”

Yuri tried uttering more words. “R-r-re-red … b-b-b-blue.”

The old man’s eyes lit up. “Hoho! She gets it!”

Bram sighed. The whole thing seemed like a fever dream. “Get what?”

Matthias sobered up and furrowed his brow. “Alright, listen. Ya know what it means to be ambidextrous, don’t ya?

Bram folded his arms, ready to tackle this deceptively simple question. “That’s when you’re versatile with both hands.”

The old man used his forefinger to poke a point in mid-air. A flurry of white sparks drifted to the ground. “Ya got it. Now, what d’ ya think it means when it comes to magic?”

Bram’s mouth hung open. Red … blue … Yuri referred to manna. “You’re a wizard and a sorcerer?”

Matthias nodded with emphasis. “Ah‘ve two types o’ blood in my veins. Therefore, I’m Ambisanguinous.”

Bram was amazed. Scholars were already rare, but a person containing both types of manna was unheard of. It was also difficult to imagine the effects it would have on a person’s personality. Red manna drove folks to be bold and ambitious, while blue manna made people prudent and reserved. He wondered what it would do when both forces competed in the same person’s blood.

The old man’s eyes were bright and vibrant. “Well, now ya know. Your thanks are appreciated. Now, if ya don’t mind, Ah’m in a bit ova rush. Bye now.”

“Wait!” Bram held out his hands, pleadingly. “We overhead that you’re trying to reach Kitezh. We need to get there, too. Is there anything we could offer in exchange for traveling together?”

Matthias frowned. “Eh? Ah don’t know. You’d only slow me down.”

Bram tried to think of something. “I’m … uh … handy with a sword. I’d be useful if we run into spawn or bandits.”

“Pfft.” The old magus waved his hand as if shooing away a fly. “Ah can take care o’ those myself.”

“We can compensate you,” Bram lied.

“Ah don’t need yar money—”

“Sir, please!” Bram was done bartering. He would try one last time to appeal to the old man’s charity before giving up. “Did you not tell the innkeeper that you were heading to Kitezh to find your daughter?”

The scholar’s eyes narrowed. “What of it?”

He one again placed his hands on Yuri’s shoulders. “I must also travel to Kitezh to find someone dear to me.” He thought of Rosa and decided to push his lie a bit further. “My daughter needs her mother. We’ve come a long way, but we don’t have the funds to make it all the way to Rungholt. Please, Sir, this can’t be the end of the road for us.”

Matthias looked at the child, and then back at Bram. He almost looked ready to refuse … but then his face softened. The frosty attitude thawed, and he let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, all right! First Ah’ll need to rest and eat. Then, restock my supplies. If you put forth yar remainin’ coin, Ah’ll make sure to get ya the rest o’ th’ way.”

Bram balanced his smile to look both grateful and genuine. “If you get us there, we’ll give you all we have.”

Matthias nodded with a grunt. He curled his hand, gesturing for them to follow. As they walked down the streets of Saladin, his attitude shifted to something more lighthearted.

“Ah’ve been to the city b’fore, ya know. We’ll want to stock up at th’ Herdrick Bazaar. It’s the best market in all the Northern Continent. It’s this a’ way!”

He pointed with his walking stick.

Yuri looked up at Bram and smiled approvingly. Bram only hoped that Matthias the Ambisanguinous deserved her trust.