Library of Rain

Side stories 21 – 23

Two brothers stood on a balcony higher than all the others and gazed down on the lords beneath them. Behind them were four other lords, and to the older brother's left was a woman with hair of blood and a dress of night. 

“Thank you, Lord Imter, for arranging this game among the children. It's amusing to see how their alliances and tactics reflect their house,” the older brother complimented one of the lords in the back. 

“I’m glad you approve, Lord Tineak.” 

“Remember when we used to play that game, Oliver?” the older brother asked his younger sibling. 

“Yes. You always insisted I take the role of watch while you played the diplomat,” Oliver said, unable to hide his slight tone of bitterness.

“And we never lost. We played to each of our strengths and proved ourselves superior. Together, brother, we are unstoppable,” the older brother said, raising his drinking horn in a toast.

“To being unstoppable, Felix,” Oliver answered, raising his own horn in a toast.

“It warms my heart to know I still have you on my side. The lesser lords are growing restless, and black classers are becoming more frequent. We need to be strong.” 

“Have your men found anything on this Tyix character?”

“We summoned all the likely candidates; a scanner is testing them as we speak. We’ll have a better picture of the situation by the night's end.”

“I see. Well then, I have a party to attend; we can talk later, brother.” Oliver said, waiving one hand and casually heading to a lower floor.

The others were silent until he was gone before one of the lords standing back stepped forward and addressed Felix.

“I have a man following him. We’ll know if he tries to intercept the report on the children.”

“Thank you, Lord Sonom. What do you think the chances are?”

Lord Imter spoke up to answer the question. “A classer with the ability to make other classers? He would be a fool not to try and gain her.”

“We would be better off without her,” Felix muttered to himself. “Things are already bad enough without someone going around and ruining the balance of the Gathering at every turn. If we find out who Tyix is, I want her dead.”

That didn’t sit with Lord Rcher of the tower. 

“Arch-lord, please think about this before you act too hastily. Let my people study Tyix. If we can understand even a small portion of how she works, we could grow the power of everyone here.”

It was a tempting offer. The main reason Felix wanted Tyix dead was to avert strife. If he or any of his current allies gained control of such a powerful tool, the others would unite against them to keep the balance. But if they could share that power, it would only raise his faction even further above the wretches below. 

“Perhaps, but this decision can wait until after we find Tyix.”

The red-haired woman chuckled at that, drawing the eyes of the lords around her.

“Do you have something to add, witch?” Lord Sonom spat at the woman. 

His anger only amused the woman. 

“Not at all. Your search for the little Tyix has nothing to do with our deal.” 

The anger in Lord Sonom’s eyes dampened at the sound of the woman's voice. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t help but be sucked into her beautiful tones. 

Felix was the only one who resisted her voice and asked the question the others would have if they could. 

“Are you implying that you know something about Tyix and how to catch her that we don’t?”

“Not at all. Even if I do have that knowledge, what reason would I have to share it? I am already gaining one seat at the Gathering for my work; I don’t need a second.”

The smile she gave Lord Tineak made it clear that if he needed her help capturing or killing Tyix, it would cost him more than an island and a Title.

“It’s good we won't need you then. Now then, my lords, which of these children do you think are worth saving in the event of their house's untimely demise?”

And like that, the other lords gathered around to pick the children with enough value to be spared. 

***

Mirage watched his sisters sleeping through the window. His heart ached to go to them, to spend time with them, to be the family they once had. But that wasn’t an option right now. He had worked too hard and given too much to ruin this chance he’d earned for them to enter the Grand Academy. They would get a chance to read and write, learn useful skills, and be offered positions as clerks or scholars. They would have everything he never had.

He remained there watching them for a while longer before slipping off the roof and casting his illusion skill on himself to hide from any guard still looking for him. He needed to continue his work of spreading the faith of Tyix. A priest needed favor if they ever asked their deity for help, and he wanted to have as much as he could get in case his sisters ever needed him.

***

Lady Uelay gazed fondly at her son sitting across from her in the handcart. 

“Well, Ivar, how was the gation?”

Ivar beamed at her.

“It was just like you said. We are better than the other lords. You should have seen that sniveling wimp when I took his family's pins! Here, I wanted to give them to you.”

Her adorable little Ivar offered her two bronze coat pins with delicately carved Blackstone heads. The way he smiled and moved made her proud. It had been worth using her leverage on those fools to provide her boy the opportunity to feel true power. Nothing built up a boy's confidence like destroying one of his pears while others watched. After tonight, the whole Gathering would have to reevaluate where House Uelay sat in the hierarchy. 

She patted him on the head.

“Thank you, these are lovely.”