Spirit Speaker

Desari was part of a loose confederation of city-states that bordered and surrounded the immediate west and northwest of the Elven Forest. It wasn't a large territory, relying mostly on trade for its income, nor was it a very wealthy city. 

But it was gorgeous. 

It stood like an artist's dream, sparkling white marble against the sun, like a giant ice sculpture melting into towers that reached for the sky.

The flat plains around it were covered in farmland, feeding the city's inhabitants, and giving them the freedom to pursue their true passion. 

"Desari, City Of Poets." Miss Rita breathed, her eyes sparkling. "The paintings did it a disservice."

"On the surface perhaps," Severen replied, "the stories don't tell the truth very well. Slums, relegated to the far ends of the city, servants treated no better than slaves, worked to the bone all to support their masters' useless projects." 

I couldn't agree more. Desari was a merchant's paradise and a playground for wastrel nobles, but if you didn't belong to either of those classes, it was a hellscape filled with endless hunger and poverty. 

"Right now, Severen, that city could be the Emperor's cesspool and I'd still walk backwards through the gates." Miss Rita said vehemently. "They have baths, and beds, and warm food." 

She turned to me. "We are stopping there, Master Lukas?"

I nodded. "Unfortunately. I need to pop into the School here, I have a question for a couple of the masters there."

"I still don't understand why we didn't stop at any of the inns on the way."

"We needed to prioritise the princess's safety." I responded. "I didn't want to take the chance of a wandering noble recognising her while on their way to Desari."

"Please tell me we'll stay here for a few days at least. I feel it will take me a week to get this dirt out of my hair." 

I shook my head. "One night. I don't want to spend more time here than I have to. Relations between Desari and The Kingdom are okay right now, but I wouldn't trust those wolves as far as I could throw them. Let's not risk the princess any more than we have to."

"I'll be fine, Lukas," Anna interjected, the irritation clear on her face. 

"I believe you, highness, but I'd rather not tempt fate. This place is dangerous."

"Don't worry highness," Severen said. "Rowan and I wouldd be happy to accompany you throughout the city. In fact, I know a couple of places you absolutely have to see."

Anna sighed. "Okay, Master Severen. I'd appreciate that." She turned to me. "See? I'll be fine."

"You could always come to the School with me highness." I offered. "Meet some more mages?"

"I'll pass on that, Lukas. I'd like to see the city."

It wasn't long before Rowan slowed the carriage to a halt. 

He opened the door. "Master, routine inspection, you might want to come deal with this."

"Damn it. Thank you, Rowan," I said, climbing out of the carriage, and looking witheringly at the guard who had stopped us.

"You the head man?" The guard asked, his voice officious, dismissive. 

"Sure am. What's the problem?"

"Where are you coming from?" 

"Arantha. We've been on the road for a week or so."

The guard nodded, marking something off on a board. "You don't look like a merchant. What's your purpose for visiting?"

"What's with all the questions?"

"Routine check sir, nothing sinister."

I didn't believe him. 

"I'm an Academy mage, I'm here to visit the branch here in the city, and then we'll be on our way."

The guard looked up from his board, his expression unreadable. "Academy mage," he muttered, writing something down on his board. 

"Okay, mage. You're free to go. Welcome to Desari."

*

The inn we stayed in was serviceable, and nondescript, even if its clientele leaned a little closer to the wealthy side of the city's socio-economic scale. 

Perfect for, let's say, a princess trying to stay out of the public eye.

"I didn't like the snooty look on the face of the innkeeper." I grumbled as I dropped my bags at the foot of my bed. 

"Cut him some slack, sir, we've been on the road for a week and a half. I doubt we match his regular patrons." Rowan sat down heavily and sighed. 'Sir, say what you like about the service, the beds are soft."

"You're surprisingly chipper today, Rowan." I said, looking at my servant surprised. 

He stretched his arms and clicked his neck. "Last night, sir. It was good to talk about it. I didn't realise how much it had been weighing on me until it was all out in the open."

"And? Did Anna look at you any differently because of it?"

"It wasn't about that, sir. You know that. I'm not ashamed of my past, my lord, I just try too hard to forget it sometimes."

"Something like that never leaves you." I mused, more to myself than to my companion. "It's carved into the bone." 

"As you say, sir." He stood, "I'll check on the others, and see how they're settling in."

"Sounds good, lad." I waited for him to leave, and then pulled one of my bags closer to me. I opened it, revealing three spirit prisons, stacked on top of each other, and secured with rope. 

I had scratched numbers into them just so I could tell them apart.

I wasn't hopeful, if the Board didn't know anything about these things, I doubted that the mages at the School in Desari would be any different. 

But, I had to try. They might have an idea of how to lock them up at least. 

I slung the bag across my back, the harness clicking securely into its clasp. And set off.