The empress of beasts, p.63
The Empress of Beasts, page 63
part #13 of The Wandering Inn Series
“Yes sir. But that was luck as much as strategy. I’m talking about me as a student.”
The Titan shrugged lightly. Umina watched him, her tail curled up.
“You’re gifted, sharp—you come up with the most unorthodox solutions most often, which is what I like to see. Of course you’re special!”
“Professor.”
The Fraerling paused. Umina looked at him and spoke slowly.
“I think you’re lying to me. Or—telling half-truths. I need to know. What if I made it my question, Professor? Honestly, am I unique?”
Niers looked at her. Really looked at Umina. And she felt a pit in her stomach. She’d admired him. She wanted to be like him. She’d tried her best to excel, to be worthy of the legend of her teacher. So she knew the answer when he covered up his reply with his praise. And she knew the answer before he spoke now.
“No.”
The word hit Umina like a brick. Niers sat up. He looked at her. A bit sadly.
“You did ask. And if you made it our question, Umina, I would say…no. Do you stand out? Yes. But are you…”
“Special?”
She looked at him. Niers shook his head slowly.
“I’m sorry. But if you’re asking if I see something I haven’t seen before? I don’t. I see a brilliant young [Strategist], Umina. But you have to understand. I taught Perorn, Umina. Perorn, Tulm—all of them. They were all my best students. And you know what? I didn’t even think they were the best at the time.”
“You didn’t?”
The Professor sat back. He looked backwards and shook his head.
“Some of them stood out, like Tulm. Most surprised me. I can remember students I thought would change the world, replace me, who died. Or just never became anything. Some of them were so gifted I couldn’t believe it. Others had special talents, Skills, classes. That made them ‘special’. If you want to know if I see that spark—”
He shook his head. Umina bit her lip. She wasn’t going to cry. Niers was speaking to her like an adult, not a child. He looked up, kindly, but seriously.
“I’m sorry to tell you like that. But if you were asking if I saw a great spark in you—I don’t. And overconfidence—”
“—Kills. I know, Professor.”
Did you have to ask? His gaze looked pained. Umina only dipped her head once. She’d wanted to know. It was a bitter truth. It had soured the moment. After a moment, Niers sighed.
“Umina—”
“It’s fine, Professor. Was—was that my question?”
“No. No, it wasn’t. Ask. By all means.”
He shook his head firmly. That relieved Umina. She sat up. And he looked at her.
“You have any question in the world, Umina. Any one within my power. Ask.”
She nodded. She looked him in the eye. And she channeled her pain, her disappointment, into a question that was the best she could ask.
“Professor, what is the identity of your mysterious chess opponent?”
Niers Astoragon blinked. He stared at Umina. And she rejoiced in the surprise on his face. He stared at her, smiled, and then grew serious. He shook his head.
“Ask me another question, Umina. Please.”
“That was my question, Professor. Can’t you answer it?”
She challenged him, shaking with nerves. The Titan laughed softly. He raked a hand through his hair.
“I’d forgotten there was a question I could be asked that would bother me! Sudden developments—to answer you, Umina. No. I don’t know for certain. I have a guess. And I could tell you a number of things. But let me speak.”
He held up a hand, forestalling Umina. The Titan got up, looked at her.
“I know what I promised. But I don’t want to tell you. I—sometimes I advise students on what question they should ask. Or guide them to the right answer. I’m doing the same now. Umina, ask me where some buried treasure is. I do actually know a cache or two. Ask me about something else. This answer won’t bring you anything of benefit, I promise you.”
“But it’s my question. Why don’t you want to answer it?”
The Lizardgirl persisted. Niers sighed again.
“It’s dangerous. Some questions my students have asked in this room, Umina? They’ve gotten them killed. Others are safer. This question? It’s very dangerous.”
“Why? Because of who your opponent is?”
She was fishing. Niers ignored her question.
“It’s a dangerous question because I’ll know that you know. And you might find yourself on the board against the deadliest of opponents. It touches my affairs, Umina. And that’s a precarious spot to be in, even if I’m trying to protect you. What would you do with the information? Use it? Sell it? Either way, you put a target on your back.”
That was true. But Umina was certain.
“I want to know, Professor. But if you want me to, I’ll ask another one.”
“Yes! Go on. Please.”
Niers looked relieved. Umina stared him right in the eye. Her neck-frills opened a bit. She felt powerful in this moment. She’d bothered the Titan, the Professor. Now she asked the second question on her mind.
“Okay then, Professor. Then here’s my second question. What was the answer to the question Tulm the Mithril was going to ask you if he won at Daquin?”
This time, the pause was even longer. Niers looked up at Umina. And she saw his indecision. At last, he turned and reached for his cup. He took a long drink, and then turned and grinned at her.
“Clever. I don’t want to answer that one either.”
“Really? Are these questions so hard, Professor?”
Umina almost felt like she was teasing him. It was a heady feeling. Niers waved one hand, shaking his head.
“Honestly? Yes, Umina. Not many of my students ask questions that are so…dangerous. It’s actually hard to ask that kind of question. But these two secrets?”
He waved a hand.
“Congratulations. Many of my students ask about secrets. Personal ones, like the identity of a father. The location of something. The truth about…well, I can’t say. And I find it for them, or I tell them. It’s students like you, who don’t have anything they want that trouble me. Are you sure I can’t offer you a question about gold? Personal power? An artifact?”
He looked at her hopelessly. Because he knew her, and he knew the answer before Umina shook her head. She smiled at him, delighting in the moment.
“One or the other, Professor. A classic chess fork.”
He blew out his cheeks.
“Did I hurt your feelings that much earlier?”
She nearly laughed at him.
“No, Professor. I’m just your student, and I chose the two questions I thought would bother you most in the world. Because they’re the most valuable to me.”
He laughed. And there was pride in that laughter. Umina laughed too. And her hurt heart soothed. She wasn’t special. And she had known that. She had wanted to be—just like Wil wanted to be a hero. But she was ordinary. And yet, this ordinary student had the Titan in a trap.
It was a moment she’d remember forever. Niers Astoragon saluted Umina with his mug and drained it. He stared at her, weighing both questions. She didn’t know which was worth more. But he did. And his decision told her just as much about the invisible weight of each question.
At last, Niers Astoragon spoke. He stepped forwards and Umina lowered her head. Niers smiled, sighed, and shrugged. As if to say, ‘what can you do’? Umina wished she’d asked him if he was really cursed by killing Queravia. But then he whispered towards her earhole.
“Alright. Listen carefully. Because I will only ever say this once. The answer to…”
——
Later. Umina walked through the streets of Elvallian. It was close to dawn; she’d been speaking with the Professor and Wil all night. And her question had come as the next day began. She was drunk, and her head was spinning. She was upset too, as she stumbled down the street. Regrets—oh, they piled on her.
She had her answer. But it was confusing. And it was—well, Umina felt like she’d made a mistake. She should have asked for gold, or the location of a magical artifact. Or made him tell her about his chess partner. That way Umina would at least be the most popular student in the academy…for months! Instead, all she had was a secret that belonged to someone else.
It was a big secret. Yes. But it put her in danger. Niers had bid Umina good night and she’d seen the worry in his eyes. For her. Not-special Umina. Why had she asked that? It was just—she’d always wanted to know—
It hurt. Umina stumbled into her apartment after eight tries. The door hadn’t been locked. She looked up and heard an exclamation.
“Umina!”
The Lizardgirl lurched backwards. But it was only Marian. The Centauress got up from where she’d been resting.
“It’s so late! Are you drunk?”
“Maybe.”
Umina mumbled. Marian guided her to her bed, fishing for a water canteen.
“You were out for ages! Wil got back—everyone’s pestering him and he says the Professor talked! About his past!”
“We did. And then we got our questions answered. Just like promised.”
Marian paused. She looked at Umina and the Lizardgirl saw her friend bite her lip.
“You don’t look happy. Was it something bad?”
“Maybe? I don’t know. It’s not that, Marian. I asked the Professor a question before that. I asked him—”
Umina broke off. But Marian was looking at her and the words spilled forth.
“I wanted to ask if I was, you know, special—”
Marian’s face fell. She trotted over and sank to her knees. Her upper body hugged Umina.
“Oh, Umina. You silly little lizard! Why’d you do that?”
That brought on the tears at last. She’d held them so well in the Titan’s office. Now though, with Marian hugging her, Umina let them spill out. That was the thing about good friends. Umina didn’t have to speak. She just let Marian hug her as she sniffled into her friend’s shirt. The Centauress sighed.
“I get it. I understand, Umina. Everyone wants to know. I mean, Yerranola, Feshi—I bet they’re curious too. But there’s a difference between knowing and knowing. Why did you ask?”
“I don’t know! But I had to ask! I wanted to be, Marian. And I was drunk and—he said no.”
Marian stroked Umina’s head softly.
“It’s okay. It’s okay, Umina. You had to know—but you knew the answer. We all do!”
Umina stiffened. The words hurt. But Marian was looking at her and Umina couldn’t escape the obvious. She sniffed. It was true. Look at Perorn! Or Tulm! It had been arrogance that made her think she was special, someone Niers hadn’t ever seen before. It was right that he’d taught her. Arrogance killed. But Marian was going on, patting Umina on the back.
“And it’d never work out, anyways. I mean, I had a huge crush on the Professor the first year, but when you think about it—his age is the least of the problems. He’s a teacher, we’re students. And Fraerlings just can’t have relationships with other species. It’s just unrealistic to assume…what?”
Umina stared up at her. The Centauress hesitated. Slowly, Umina shook her head.
“Marian. I asked him if I was a special student. If I stood out from the rest! What did you think I asked?”
The Centauress froze. Then she scrambled to her hooves. Suddenly, Marian was bright red. She stammered.
“Me? Nothing! That’s what I said! You’re not a special student! Of course you’re not! That’s hubris! I never—you didn’t hear—that’s a secret, understand? I’ve gotta go!”
She looked around, and then practically galloped out of Umina’s room. The Lizardgirl stared at the open door, listening to Marian clatter down the incline. She laughed, shakily, and wiped at her tears.
“Now that’s a secret.”
She felt calmer now, after crying a bit. And Umina did regret asking that question. It was stupid vanity. She crawled into bed. She shouldn’t have asked. But she could only add that to a list of her mistakes she’d remember forever.
And the night had been glorious. She still remembered the Titan’s face. Umina comforted herself with that. She had a secret, an answer to a question even one of the Titan’s best students couldn’t figure out. She had that.
The Lizardgirl wiped at her running nostrils and curled up into a ball in her covers to make herself feel better. As if she was in the very egg she’d hatched from. It was childish, but it made her feel better.
And as the warm coverlet engulfed her, providing a shield from the world, Umina thought. She remembered the Titan’s words. His answer. It was simple. Not like Wil’s long answer.
“The answer to Tulm’s question is this. What I would have said, verbatim: ‘No, you idiot. You got a young one. There are more. Perhaps on Baleros, but I know of two on Izril. They walk among us. Leave them alone.’”
——
“Leave them alone.”
Niers Astoragon sat in his room after Umina had left. He was drunk, but Fraerling metabolisms were so fast that he was sobering up again. He still had the remnants of his last drink, so he picked it up.
The Titan sighed as he downed the fiery remnants of his cup. Foliana was probably going to kill him for this. But a promise was a promise. He stood in front of the ajar door, staring at the light permeating into his room. He’d have to close the door too. He raised the empty cup.
“Umina. If you asked me now—I’d have to say yes. I’ll remember your question. Of all my students, you’ve been the hardest to predict. Two hard questions. A fork in the road. One answer might lead to war. The other? An entire world, perhaps.”
He shook his head. And he’d answered her. Niers thought of Tulm. He scowled. What might happen? What might Umina do with the information? But then he laughed.
“Change! It’s always hard! And to protect you—”
He stumbled over to the magical chessboard, staring at it. Then at the other board he’d had commissioned. The Go stones were neatly organized, but they hadn’t moved. Niers sat down, drunk, and stared at the board.
“I need to meet you soon. Let me find these Humans first. These children. Then—who are you? Male? Female? Drake? Human?”
He thought of the young woman. Of the inn. Liscor. The word, the knowledge burned in his mind. But he had work to do. If he left, his company might fall apart. It all hung on him. The Titan bowed his head.
“Responsibilities? Dead gods, I’m old. How did I ever get…?”
He looked around. The Titan wandered from bowl to bowl, looking for his cup. And then he realized it was in his hand. He filled it, and then stomped over to his wardrobe. His mirror. He stared into it, looking into his worn face. He toasted himself silently.
“You’re too old to think of romance, you idiot! Too old by decades! And too small. Look at you! You’re afraid of the change you’re trying to bring about! What will happen next? Better something than anything! You’re so old! But I want to be young forever!”
Niers Astoragon scowled. Then he kicked the mirror. He shook his head. And then, finally, he laughed. He raised the mug, drinking, and staring into the mirror, remembering a much younger face, dreaming of the future.
It still felt like yesterday.
——
Umina lay there in bed. Puzzling it over. She was still drunk, but the answer was obvious. It sank into her. Things she knew about Tulm. Reasons why he would ask a question with such a curious response. It was a mark of how drunk she was that it took her a few minutes to figure it out.
Who was Tulm? She didn’t know too much, but she knew the obvious. [Strategist]. Mithril. Dullahan. Iron Vanguard’s second-in-command. And there was that legend about him. The one people said was true.
And like that, the pieces fell into place. Umina sat up. Her eyes went wide. She breathed a word into the night, the name that legends were made of.
“Dragons.”
——
Dragons. A laughing Titan. Mystery and past and conversations and happiness and bittersweet tears. But that wasn’t the end of the night. There was one last thing.
Wil Kallinad thought it was over. He’d fended off his friends, and he was in his rooms, sobering up, preparing a [Message] of the highest confidentiality to his father. He was staring at the quill and ink drying on the tip. Unhappy, but he had his answer and there was some peace in it. Regrets? The drink was making it hard to push them away. Foliana stood behind him.
But it was over. Right up until it wasn’t. Wil sighed, reached over to dip his quill in the ink—
And Foliana cleared her throat. Wil looked up. Had he heard…?
He turned around. And Foliana was there, staring at him. Wil hesitated. Something was—he focused blearily. He looked at Foliana. And she stared back.
“Hello.”
And then she was there. Suddenly, without warning Foliana was there. It wasn’t that she had appeared or magically become not-invisible. It was just that Wil realized she had been standing next to him, sniffing his ink pot and peering at his letter the entire time. He turned, stared at her.
Then he screamed. Foliana immediately slapped him. The furry paw turned Wil’s head. She raised a finger.
“Shh. It’s late.”
“Lady Foliana! What are you—”
“I have something for you.”
Wil tried to scramble out of his seat. Foliana was reaching for something. A scroll. She unfurled it, frowned at the contents. And began to read it silently.
The [Lord] was used to magical scrolls. He saw the flash as the magical writing containing the spell lit up. His warning pendant began to shake, but it was too late. He opened his mouth.
“Lady Foliana! What are you—”
“[Erase Memory].”
Foliana’s hands glowed with a pale nimbus as the scroll turned to dust in her hands. She reached out, her eyes glowing with magic and flicked Wil on the head. His mind went blank. He stumbled back, and she neatly snatched the paper he’d been writing on. She peered at it, and then began to eat it, piece by piece.
