Whoever or whatever was following us, it was definitely a threat, but I knew I still had the advantage thanks to my time manipulation powers, so I reset to my save point with a wave of my will power.
Chime.
We were sitting on our horses’ backs just inside the walls of Bastianville an instant later, but I could still feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as the alarm sound faded. Zenda flashed me a bright smile over her shoulder as we rode beneath the archway of the gate, but her expression faltered when she picked up on my serious demeanor.
“Bash?” the Zaborian historian asked with a worried frown. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” I admitted. “It looks like there’s someone or something following us.”
“But we haven’t gone anywhere yet,” Zenda pointed out.
I glanced to either side of the road in front of the gate, and I didn’t spot any ominous shadows within the tree line. Could our follower have been inside Bastianville’s walls? Or had they been
waiting outside the city for me to leave town? There was no telling who or what it was based on the shapeless shadows I’d glimpsed during the previous run-through, but I had a strong feeling that my godly enemies were behind it.
Who else would be preoccupied with my comings and goings?
Other than the God of the Plague and his associate, the Goddess of Death, I’d defeated all who had opposed me, and to my knowledge, I had no other enemies.
“Let me rephrase that,” I chuckled. “We will be followed once we hit the road. I don’t see the shadow yet, but I’ll let you know when I do.”
“Oh.” Zenda furrowed her eyebrows as she looked around us.
“Should we reschedule our quest for another time? I wouldn’t want to put us at unnecessary risk.”
“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “I’m the God of Time, remember? I can handle a stalker, and I’d feel much more comfortable if any threats after us were headed away from Bastianville and the babies.”
“So, you want to keep going?” Zenda’s face was hopeful.
“Absolutely.” I grinned. “You seriously don’t think I’d let a little setback halt our entire quest, do you?”
“I just don’t want to distract you from more important things to go chasing after a possibility.” Zenda pressed her lips into a tight smile. “This could all end up being a waste of time, and I’d feel awful about taking you away from family for nothing.”
“If this works,” I said, “then it will be worth every minute. Even if it doesn’t, I wouldn’t consider any time spent with you to be wasted.
Besides, you are my family, too.”
“I hope you’re right.” Zenda repositioned the reins in her hands.
“Let’s find out,” I suggested, and I clicked my heels against Goliath’s flanks.
The white stallion trotted down the path away from Bastianville, and the Zaborian followed behind me after only a moment of hesitation. I wasn’t paying as much attention to the lovely weather this time, and my gaze constantly scanned the trees to either side of us in search of the shadowy figure stalking us.
The dark outline of Nameless’ flying form swept over the ground in front of me, and I glanced skyward to see the iridescent
dragon soaring with outstretched wings. The adolescent lizard was more powerful than he appeared, and I fondly remembered the moment he blasted the Hydra with his lightning breath. With Nameless watching over us from the skies, any enemy following us never even stood a chance.
Unless our stalker was a god or goddess.
Was it the Goddess of Death?
The emerald-green eyes and dark hair framing her pale face flashed before my eyes, and the blood-red rouge on her lips highlighted the white teeth I’d glimpsed when she smirked. The Goddess of Death and I had never met face to face in this lifetime, but I’d encountered her firsthand in a previous run-through. To say I was intrigued was an understatement, and while I wasn’t intimidated, I’d gathered enough information to know she was deadly.
I’d learned from a letter the God of the Plague had sent her that the two of them were working together to conquer this world, but with the shrewd intelligence of the Zaborian historian, the firepower of the dragon over our heads, and my own abilities at our disposal, I knew no one could stand in our way.
Not even the Goddess of Death.
“Do you see anything?” Zenda asked in a low voice as she rode up beside me.
I’d been scanning the sides of the road while I was lost in thought, but I hadn’t picked up on any movement yet. I pulled Goliath to a slower pace, and I inspected the trees around us. Suddenly, a black shadow darted from one trunk to another in my peripherals, but it was gone again the instant I turned my head in that direction.
“We’re definitely being followed,” I said under my breath. “But it doesn’t seem like they are going to attack us any time soon. Let’s lead them on a wild goose chase that takes them far away from Bastianville.”
“That makes sense.” Zenda bit her lip as she glanced around at the trees. “I’m just glad I have you by my side. Whoever is following us is idiotic if they think they can win this game.”
We rode onward in silence for a while, and I managed to catch the movement of the dark shadow in my peripheral vision a couple of times, but I couldn’t make out any details. They managed to stay just on the edge of my vision range, and they waited until my attention was turned before moving.
“They’re not very good at masking themselves,” I murmured.
“Unless we’re supposed to know we’re being followed. It might just be an attempt to track my location and cause paranoia.”
“You mean like a follower of your enemies who is keeping tabs on you?” Zenda frowned. “Well, that’s even less of a threat. They don’t have to know what we’re looking for. We can muddy the waters a bit by asking for numerous titles and authors that include the one we really want.”
“The less information we give out, the less likely we are to be caught in a trap.” I watched Nameless fly through the sky for a moment, and I wondered how much he understood about human relations. “A distraction ruse is a good idea, but the people of Wyndvale are loyal followers of mine. They’ll help us, and they won’t listen to the lies of a stranger.”
The day lengthened, and the sun arched through the sky above our heads until it was no longer shining directly in our eyes.
The road began to stretch to the north, and I knew we would arrive in Wyndvale in a couple of days if we rode at a leisurely pace. I wanted to waste as much of my stalker’s time as possible, and maybe if I stalled long enough, I’d find out exactly who it was.
“Why haven’t they attacked already?” Zenda asked a few hours later in a low voice. “They must have been waiting outside the walls of Bastianville, and now, you’re basically alone.”
“Far from it,” I chuckled. “I have you and Nameless. Besides, I can handle a mysterious stalker. Probably just an overeager fan who’s too shy to introduce themselves just yet.”
My lighthearted demeanor seemed to put my lover at ease, and she relaxed her shoulders as she nudged her heels against her mare’s flanks. My confidence was honest enough since I’d won every challenge I’d faced since arriving in this medieval world. One hundred percent completion had always been my goal, and that hadn’t changed. I knew in my heart I would do anything necessary to ensure the safety of my loved ones, and I set my chin at a proud angle as I returned my focus to the road.
We continued to veer slightly to the north until the sun was setting to my left side, and a chill breeze was coming directly at our faces. Despite the summer sun and blue skies I’d grown accustomed to in Bastianville, the closer we got to the mountains, the colder the air became. I’d traveled this way before, and I had formed a connection with the townspeople from the moment we met. I had to petition the king for the mountain village to become a part of my
territory because of the loyalty the villagers had shown me during my visits. They were good people, and I wanted to do everything in my power to make their lives better.
It was all part of being a god, but I believed that was where I would truly make a difference. All the connections I’d created because I’d taken the time to learn about people lifted me up, and I didn’t want to let anyone down.
“Tell me an Earth story,” Zenda requested sometime later.
“Take my mind off our shadow friend. I’m starting to get anxious, and I can’t ride and read at the same time.”
“Alright.” I flashed her a reassuring smile, but I also scanned our surroundings for the shadow figure making her nervous. I didn’t see anything, but I knew it would only be a matter of time until I had another sighting. “What kind of story? Funny? Sad? Romantic?”
“Um… Funny?” Zenda shrugged.
I scrunched up my nose as I tried to think of a good story to tell her, and I had a memory flash of one of my favorite movies. It was a funny story, but it would be even more hilarious if the God of Time was the narrator.
“Alright, so there were these two friends, Bill and Ted.” I grinned as I remembered the time traveling duo. “They’re in a band, but they end up getting an assignment in their history class.”
I began to explain the hilarious movie to the beautiful Zaborian, and her reactions were priceless. Zenda was immediately intrigued by the mention of history, and the more she learned about the story, the more connections she drew to our current quest.
“We are going to make you a magical time machine!” Zenda whispered excitedly. “Adventures of Bill, Ted, and Bash!”
“It would be fun to hang out with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter,” I chuckled.
“I thought they were Bill and Ted.” Zenda tilted her head to the side in confusion.
“In the movie they are,” I said. “They’re actors-- You know what, never mind, it’s just a funny story. The more I think about it, Earth was really weird.”
“I can agree with you on that,” Zenda said with a sage nod.
“The things you have described… Well, it’s clearly from another world.”
“The Zaborial Isles feel like an alien planet,” I pointed out.
“Alien?” Another adorable head tilt.
“From space,” I said as I pointed to the sky, and the look of shock and awe on Zenda’s face was equal parts cute and amusing.
“Like birds?” Zenda breathed.
“No. Well, maybe.” I laughed. “There’s a lot of debate about what aliens are actually like. A lot of people claim to have been abducted, but in general, society treats them like freaks.”
“How strange.” Zenda pressed her lips together, and her sapphire eyes turned to the tree line. “How do you feel about your enemies both being from Earth?”
“I’m not sure.” I frowned. “On the one hand, it seems like there’s a greater purpose behind our arrival in this world. All of us were brought here for a reason, right?”
“Perhaps they were summoned to be a challenge for you, the conqueror of realms.” The look of pride on Zenda’s face was unmistakable. “Like toys.”
“While it seems like there is something toying with our lives,” I said in a hesitant tone, “I don’t think I received any specific favoritism to support that.”
“True.” Zenda’s eyes twinkled. “You had to earn every ounce of power for yourself.”
“Exactly.” I grinned at the blue-skinned beauty. “And every heart connected to mine.”
The Zaborian historian let me claim her hand across the distance between our horses, and I quickly brushed my lips against the back of her fingers before her mare carried her out of reach. I wasn’t going to let any opportunity for a little romance go to waste, and no matter what happened, I wanted to make this trip enjoyable for my blue-skinned lover.
We waited until the sun was hovering over the horizon to our left before we started to look for a good camping location, but it didn’t take long to find a clearing near a small stream. Nameless noticed us leave the road, and the dragon swooped out of the air and plopped down in front of us to lead the way. The horses drank their fill while we prepared for the night, and once I had a little fire burning, I warmed up some of our dinner rations. Zenda unpacked our dishware, and we listened to the crackle of the fire while we enjoyed our meal.
Nameless shuffled through the underbrush for a few moments before a high-pitched squeal pierced the air, but the sound was cut
off by a crunch a moment later, and the dragon returned with a rabbit in his jaws. He was certainly an efficient hunter, and he’d become quite independent lately.
Once my belly was full, I leaned back, supported my weight on my arms, and gazed up at the stars visible through the canopy of leaves over our head. The sparkling lights looked completely different from the constellations I’d grown up seeing, but there was a magical feeling to that. I was far away from my mediocre life on Earth, and a whole world of possibilities lay before me.
“Do you see the dragon constellation?” Zenda asked as she pointed to a curving formation of stars.
“Just as shiny as Nameless,” I said.
I am star born. The dragon had paused his rabbit munching to peer at me with his stardust eyes, and his voice sounded assured in my head.
“Is he speaking to you?” Zenda’s sapphire eyes widened.
“He sure is.” I grinned. “He said he is star born.”
“What does that mean?” Curiosity immediately lit up the historian’s pale blue face.
“Who knows.” I shrugged. “It is an odd thing to say, even for a dragon.”
“It seems like most things dragons say are odd.” Zenda smirked. “I really wish I could have been in Sorreyal while you were hunting Smiguel. The tales are so compelling.”
“Hey, there’s a lot of other stories we can make all on our own.”
I smirked. “Take this trip, for example. It might be like my previous journeys to Wyndvale, but it’s also completely different because I’m here with you.”
“What happened during your previous trips?” Zenda cuddled up against me, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
“The first time I ever visited Wyndvale was while I was on my way to Arginold Hold, and the town used to be in the Duke of Arginold’s territory.” My eyes went unfocused as I remembered one of my earliest adventures in Sorreyal. “When we arrived in the small mountain village, the town was besieged by mercenaries looking for me. With Mahini, Elissa, and Eva’s help, we killed them all before they hurt anyone in town.”
“I’m sure they were grateful for that,” Zenda said. “It’s good you arrived when you did.”
“A god is never late, nor is he early,” I quipped. “He arrives precisely when he is meant to.”
Zenda got that look in her eyes that said she was going to write my words down as soon as she got her hands on paper and ink. I got up and retrieved her journal, and the grateful smile I received made it entirely worth it.
As I turned to hand her the notebook, I spotted the top of a dark hood sticking out from the bushes on the edge of the circle of firelight. It was gone when I blinked, but I knew I wasn’t imagining things.
“We should take turns watching over the campsite,” I said quietly as I turned back to my lover. “I wouldn’t want our stalker friend to take advantage of us while we slept.”
“True.” A flash of disappointment crossed Zenda’s face.
“Although, I was hoping to get some cuddles with you tonight.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” I smirked. “But my number one priority is keeping you safe.”
“I understand.” Zenda smiled sweetly, but then she looked pointedly at her journal. “Can I have that now?”
“Of course.” I laughed as I handed it over, and I sat down next to her while she jotted some crisp lines in her journal. “I can’t wait ‘til we get to Wyndvale, and I can introduce you to all the nice townspeople. They’re going to love you.”
“I find it very interesting that such a small secluded village would find it necessary to build a library.” Zenda’s eyebrows creased in a thoughtful manner. “I’m not complaining, but it is unusual.
Libraries are a common feature of larger towns and cities where travelers come from all over. I think it speaks to the standard of living within Wyndvale.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Reading is a luxury many cannot afford,” Zenda pointed out.
“While a lot of people have to perform menial tasks and hard labor in order to earn a living, the rich and powerful have the time to sit back and study academic literature.”
“I see.” I nodded. “So, if Wyndvale felt the need for a library, then the majority of the residents are well off enough to enjoy some leisurely reading.”
“Exactly.” Zenda grinned. “Of course, with you as the leader of this territory, it comes as no surprise.”
“Do you think Bastianville needs a library?” I asked.
“Oh, of course!” Zenda giggled. “Why do you think I’ve been gathering so many books? I want to create a thorough history of the entire world, and bring education to all children.”
“We should get to work on that when we get back,” I suggested.
“Really?” Zenda’s face split with an ear-to-ear grin. “I’ve been eyeing one of the older houses in town. It’s near the main street, but not directly on it, and it is large enough for my needs.”
“I’ll make it happen,” I promised.
Then I heard a twig snap in the shadows of the forest, and my head whipped toward the direction of the sound. Nameless tilted his head as well, but he didn’t act defensive or threatened. The flap of a cloak tail disappeared into the darkness beyond the light of the fire, but it was unmistakable. It was a person following us, and I had a strong feeling it was someone I’d met in a previous run-through.
The Goddess of Death.
“Is something wrong?” Zenda asked as she followed my gaze into the forest. “Do you see something?”
“I did.” I nodded, but then I turned back to the fire. “I’m almost certain I know who it is.”
“The goddess you told us about?” Zenda always seemed to connect the dots faster than I could blink.
“The God of the Plague seems to be a bit of a recluse at the moment,” I said. “He’s sent others to do his dirty work on multiple occasions, but most recently, the goddess was on a mission for him.
If she’s the one doing the grunt work, it would make sense it’s her out there.”
“You’re right,” Zenda agreed. “Lark and Noa wouldn’t have been able to get into the treasury without her guidance, but from what you said, it seemed they hardly mentioned meeting the God of the Plague.”
The two thieves had infiltrated the ranks of the palace staff in Vallenwood, but the king had already brought me in to root out spies.
After I followed the pair around and got to know them, I watched them die at the hands of the Goddess of Death before I reset. I’d saved their lives the next run-through, and I’d urged them to go to Bastianville to get a second chance at life. I hadn’t heard any updates on if they’d made it yet, but the trip from the capital city was quite a journey when you couldn’t fast travel.
I hoped Lark and Noa did come to Bastianville, and maybe after they’d gotten to start fresh, they would be more willing to tell me everything they knew about the two supposed immortals. I’d killed the God of the Purge in the Zaborial Isles, but I had to retrieve a special amulet that protected me from his mind control powers. Once he couldn’t use me like a puppet as he had done to so many others, I was able to deal him a fatal blow.
His dying words were of Hitler.
It seemed as though he had been summoned from the era of the dictator of doom and was likely a soldier in Hitler’s army. Did this mean he’d been in this fantasy world for that long?
“Bash? Bash!” Zenda shook me with a laugh. “You’re zoning out again. What are you thinking about?”
“The trip to the Zaborial Isles,” I admitted, but then I lowered my voice to a low whisper. “I can’t help but wonder what the powers of these others are. The Purge guy could control minds, even mine, but he seems to be the weakest among us. What do these new bastards have in store for us?”
“Surely nothing that could beat you,” Zenda said. “I have never seen you fail at anything you set out to do.”
“Time versus death and plague,” I chuckled.
The two of us continued to talk about everything we were up against until the moon rose into the space in the canopy above our heads, but I let Zenda take the first round of sleep time. I sat by the fire standing guard, and I sensed more than saw the shadowy figure watching me.
If she was going to watch me and not attack, I might as well put on a show. I could give her something to take back to her master, and maybe the two of them would think twice before making a move.
The letter from the God of the Plague did mention how I was too powerful to face head-on, but of course they would want to keep me under surveillance.
I could go one of two ways. I could withhold information, resist any urges to use my powers in the open, and appear less threatening so I could shock them later when I revealed my true abilities. Or I could lean into being on display, and I could show the Goddess of Death exactly what she was up against. If she saw even a glimpse of my full potential, she would be running scared back to her master.
There was minimal movement in the shadows beneath the trees as I considered my options, and I wasn’t going to wake Zenda
up for a while, but the blue-skinned beauty soon emerged from the tent with a sleepy smile.
“Your turn.” She gestured to the tent. “Get some sleep.”
“I worry about you being out here alone,” I argued.
“I’ll sit right in front of the tent entrance,” the Zaborian suggested. “I can reach in and shake your foot the second I hear a noise.”
“Alright,” I relented, and I crawled inside the tent.
I fell asleep faster than I thought, and it was almost dawn when I woke again. I let Zenda nap while I broke down the campsite, and once I had the fire smothered and the horses packed, I woke her up.
We worked together to quickly take down the temporary dwelling, but it only took us a few moments to get back on the road. Nameless laid napping in a pile of leaves until the last possible moment, but then he jumped into the air and took flight. I wondered if he’d gotten much sleep the night before, but he was starting to seem more nocturnal as he grew.
Zenda and I shared a bag of trail mix between us as we rode, and we both had our cloaks pulled tightly around our torsos as the wind swept over us. The road began to angle and curve upward until
it felt like we were going straight up, but the path leveled out after the steep rise. The trees started to shift from the broad-leafed deciduous trees to the evergreen coniferous trees, and the clay and dirt of the road grew muddy in the shadows.
Once we were on the other side of the hill, the wind ceased its constant whipping around our faces, and I pushed back the hood of my cloak. Then I flashed Zenda a broad smile, and I pointed to the top of the next small mountain.
“Wyndvale is at the top,” I explained. “And Arginold Hold is beyond that to the northeast. If we don’t find what we need here, we’ll go to see Ako.”
If any of my friends and followers could keep pace with me, it was the shapeshifting wizard wielder of the Razmadan ghost swords. He wouldn’t be intimidated by the idea of the Goddess of Death stalking my every movement, and I was certain the extravagant cat-man would be open to putting on a show for our audience.
It was late in the afternoon when the first roofs of Wyndvale came into view, but the sight encouraged us to increase our pace. I made a new save point with a mental command as we paused at the top of a ridge to gaze at the distant town, and I savored the moment
before we continued onward. The horses’ breaths created puffs of steam in the chilly evening air, and I spotted a few ice crystals on Goliath’s eyelashes. I felt bad for the warhorse, but the sturdy stallion had faced far worse and continued to hold himself with pride.
We passed what used to be a field of wildflowers, but now it was mostly just tall grasses and scrub brush. I frowned as I thought about the colorful buds that had previously decorated the meadow, but maybe it was just the off season.
Eventually, I saw a man leading a horse and wagon full of sawed logs on the road ahead of us, and he paused to stare at me as I approached. The stock looked to be good Wyndvale lumber, and I made a mental note to express how beautiful the wood elements of my castle turned out to the mayor of the lumber town. We’d created a circular flow of trade within my territory, and it seemed as though everyone was prospering.
“Good evening,” I greeted with a friendly smile. “Headed to Wyndvale?”
“Aye,” the man grunted. “Going home for the night, but it’s harvest day, so it’s taking me longer to get there.”
“Well, I hope to catch you in the tavern later.” I waved as we passed him by and continued toward the small mountain town.
The streets of Wyndvale were quiet when we trotted between the first row of buildings, and I led the way to the inn where I’d stayed previously. Nameless landed on the roof of the inn, and he turned in a circle a few times before he settled into a perch. It was getting dark, so the dragon didn’t draw much attention in the growing shadows, and for that I was thankful. A stablehand met us out in the street and offered to take our horses, and he said he’d bring our baggage to our room later. We paid him and walked inside the inn, and the innkeeper’s face lit up when we entered the common room.
“Why! Sir Sebastian, our lord and benefactor in the flesh!”
Chaz Worthy stepped out from behind the counter, and he opened his beefy arms up for me to hug him.
The dark-skinned giant was a teddy bear of a man, and he owned the quaint bed and breakfast style establishment where I’d always stayed while in Wyndvale. His wife wasn’t as involved in the business as her husband was, but she would occasionally grace the guests with a lute performance.
“Chaz, my friend,” I said as I fell into his arms, and we both patted each other firmly on the back a few times. “It is so good to see
you.”
“What brings you to our fair town?” the innkeeper asked as he released me from his bro embrace. “Taking a new beautiful companion on a tour through your holdings?”
“In so many words,” I laughed, but I gestured for the blue-skinned beauty to come forward. “This is the lovely Zenda, daughter of the High Priest of the Zaborial Isles. She left her homeland to join me in Sorreyal, and we are on an academic mission.”
“Ah, a woman of the mind,” Chaz said with a broad smile, and his large hands engulfed my lover’s dainty fingers as he shook her hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Zenda. You’ve got a good one here, but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that.”
“We’re looking for a room,” I said. “Got anything available?”
“Absolutely,” Chaz said, and he clapped his hands together before he returned to business.
Chaz put us up in a room with a king-sized bed and a view of the hillside below the town, and it wasn’t long before our possessions were brought upstairs for us. We changed out of our dirty road clothes and bathed before redressing, and then I escorted the blue-skinned beauty to the local tavern. Nameless took flight
behind us, but he returned to a perched position on the tavern roof as we jogged up the steps. The dragon made a good watchman, and I felt like I could relax as long as he was standing guard.
Dom Surly was the first person I saw when we entered the tavern, and he was stooped over a table as he wiped it down. His stained gray apron hung loosely around him, and his general disheveled appearance was in stark contrast to his uptight and well-groomed wife. Elizabeth saw me a moment later, and she quickly ushered me through the small crowd to her best booth.
Zenda and I slid onto the cushioned seats as the tavern owner dashed off to retrieve some beverages, and as soon as she walked away, I could sense several pairs of eyes turn in our direction. I pretended not to notice, but I didn’t sense any hostility. These people were my followers, and their quality of living had drastically improved ever since I took control over their town.
Once our drinks arrived in the hands of a smiling Elizabeth, I surveyed the room over the rim of my mug. There were several familiar faces in the small crowd, but there were even more I’d never seen before. Wyndvale was busier than it had been the last time I visited, and I was pleased to see the increase in business.
“Sir Sebastian?” a timid male voice asked.
I turned to see a thin auburn-haired young man with an ear-to-ear grin on his face, and I recognized him as one of my favorite drinking buddies in town.
“Jonas!” I rose from the table and clasped his forearm with mine. “Sit, have a drink with us.”
“I would love to, but…” The young man glanced over his shoulder, and I followed his gaze to a beautiful girl with dirty-blonde hair. “I’m here with someone.”
“I understand,” I chuckled. “Well, good for you.”
Several other people came up to either introduce themselves or see if I remembered them, and then I spotted Chaz Worthy and his wife enter the tavern. I waved them over, and the couple grabbed drinks before they joined us at our table.
“Chaz says you’re here on an academic mission,” the innkeeper’s wife said with a warm smile. “What are you searching for?”
“Well, we heard about the new library,” I explained as I cast a sideways glance at Zenda.
“I’m a scholar,” the Zaborian added. “I’m in search of several volumes, and I’ve heard good things about your inventory.”
“Ah, yes, it’s been quite a fun adventure.” Chaz took a long slurp from his mug. “Adorno championed the whole project, and he even traveled to Vallenwood to get books himself.”
“Is that where most of your inventory comes from?” I asked.
“Not entirely,” the innkeeper said. “There’s a wizard who donated a huge load of books once word spread about our project.”
“That’s exciting,” I said. “We’ll check it out first thing in the morning.”
“Do my eyes deceive me?” a deep masculine voice asked from behind me. “Is it truly the God of Time?”
I peered over my shoulder, but I immediately smiled when I saw the mayor of Wyndvale. Adorno pulled up a chair to the table, and we shook hands over the wooden surface. Then I introduced him to Zenda, and he asked a few follow-up questions about her homeland before I redirected the conversation.
“How have you been?” I asked in a friendly tone. “It seems like things are good in Wyndvale.”
“Ah, yes, very good.” Adorno’s eyes twinkled over the rim as he took a swig of his beer. “We’ve opened a new library, and several new businesses have come to town.”
“I heard about the library,” I said. “That’s actually why we’re here.”
“So, it’s not just a social call?” Adorno chuckled. “I mean no offense, I’m sure the life of a god is busy enough.”
“Who says I can’t do both?” I laughed. “I’m here tonight, aren’t I?”
“Well, the library is closed at the moment,” the mayor pointed out. “But I am very glad to see you this evening.”
“The feeling is mutual.” I raised my mug in a toast, and the rest of the table’s occupants clinked their glasses against mine.
“Anything specific you’re hoping to find in the library?” Adorno asked as his gaze flicked between me and Zenda. “I transported a lot of the inventory myself, and I remember a few of the titles I saw.”
“There’s quite a list, actually,” Zenda said in a cautious tone. “It would be simpler just to scan the shelves in person.”
“Well, I hope you find everything you’re looking for,” Adorno said with a wide smile. “Let me know if you need any assistance.”
We thanked the mayor, and after a while of small talk, he left our table to mingle with the other patrons. Chaz and his wife stayed for a while longer, and the innkeeper’s wife even graced us with a
song on her lute. It was late in the night when we finally returned to the inn, and Nameless reflected the light of the torches lining the street like a disco ball.
Zenda and I climbed the steps to our room while yawning, and it was clear we were both ready for a good night’s sleep. With Nameless watching the building, I knew we were safe from watching eyes, and I doubted the Goddess of Death would have the balls to attack us in our sleep in the middle of town.
“I am so sleepy,” Zenda admitted with a tired smile. “I forgot how difficult it is to travel for multiple days. My bottom is still numb from the saddle.”
“Well, you can get as much sleep as you need,” I said. “We’ll head over to the library after breakfast, and we can spend the rest of the day combing through the stacks.”
“That sounds lovely,” the Zaborian sighed.
Zenda crawled into bed, but I did a lap around the inn to lock doors and windows before I joined her. Better safe than sorry, and I wanted to get some good sleep as well.
It felt like only a few moments had passed when the sound of bells ringing awakened me, and then I heard the frantic shouting
from outside our room. I rushed to the window, but as soon as I pulled back the curtains, I could see the angry glow of a fire and the thick black plumes of smoke rising above the other buildings.
“-- fire, the library is on fire!” a voice shouted as a villager ran through the streets.
Fuck.