Chapter Twenty-one

From a completed epic fantasy novel told across two time periods.

Erden

Year 1348 (Thirty Years Prior to Present Day)

“It all appears to be in order,” Sarthak said as he paced the storage room. “Well done, quartermaster.”

Erden felt relieved until Kingsley, a step behind Sarthak gave him a mad grin, his blue eyes somehow shimmering despite the lack of light.

Sarthak stopped his examination of the supplies of crates filled with foodstuffs, blankets, and first aid materials, and faced Erden. “We will be moving out in two days,” he said. “There is but one final preparation to be made, for which you will accompany Kingsley and myself.”

Not knowing if he needed to respond, Erden simply stood in place and nodded, his right hand clenched around the vial in his pocket. Kingsley continued to stare at him intensely until Erden had to look away. When he looked back, the lieutenant was shaking his head and laughing silently to himself.

Sarthak could not hide his amusement as he explained the situation further. “We will be making a purchase of tonics. This specific concoction grants vigor, while supposedly allowing one to endure pain, to the point where he feels nothing from even a broken bone, for a time. I was skeptical upon hearing the claim, but when I heard the name of its creator, I no longer had any doubts.”

“Enfildio, the master herbalist,” Kingsley said.

The two men must have noticed Erden’s eyes go wide, for they chuckled again. “Indeed,” Sarthak said. “In this company, we rub elbows with persons of legendary reputation. In fact, we have a bit of a history of employing his creations, and they have always given us an edge. As quartermaster, you will be present to assist in determining how much we can afford, both in regards to coin and space. We will be meeting him and his assistant at the fifteenth bell. Until then, get some rest. Your first march is approaching, and it would not do for you to collapse from exhaustion.”

“And there won’t be room on any of the wagons for you if you do,” Kingsley added. “Even if you plan on shorting us on supplies, so don’t even consider it.”

“Not everyone thinks as diabolically as you do,” Sarthak said to his lieutenant, patting him on the back.

“Not everyone’s as handsome either,” Kingsley said, winking.

When the two officers exited, Erden made his way back to the barracks, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the course fabric of his pillow.

No dreams came, and had not since he began his work as quartermaster. He attributed it to a kind of fatigue he had never experienced before, one which left his body too exhausted to do more than stay alive. The scare free time he had ended up being used for sleep. Most nights he was too tired to even eat. Despite that, he was content knowing he was making incremental progress towards a life as a man of great deeds, instead of a bystander.

A soft kick to the back awoke him. He felt his body covered in sweat from the poor ventilation in the room, and his mouth was dry and irritated. A soldier whose name he did not yet know looked down at him. “Captain’s waiting for you outside,” he said, his footsteps trailing away.

It took a moment for him to realize where he was, his mind first considering the idea he was back in his parent’s home. The rank smell of the barracks gradually brought him back into the present. He opened his eyes and rolled onto the floor before pausing again, his mind completely blank. Laughter from a nearby bedroll finally broke him out of his stupor.

Sarthak, Kingsley, and two other Blades were standing just outside the barracks door.

“You have the budget?” Sarthak asked.

“Yes, sir,” Erden said, patting a deer hide wrapped notebook.

“This meeting with Enfildio is not officially sanctioned,” he said. “If the Royal Herbalist knew we were going to a private vendor to acquire tonics, she would not be pleased. And let’s not even mention how the Divine King would see this.”

“If they don’t like it, they should develop some better tonics,” Kingsley growled.

“I forgot to mention that when I was being chewed out for failing to stop this uprising. Now,” Sarthak said, looking to Erden, “this goes down on the record as medical supplies, which it is. No need to describe it any further. Understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“And no talking,” Kingsley said, jabbing an elbow into Erden’s side. “Not just for the meeting, but in general.”

Erden tried to nod as he rubbed his ribs.

They traveled out of the royal district and into the Topaz merchant district. Erden hoped that at least one person he knew would pass by now, to see him in his uniform, walking alongside the captain of The Blades. He held his head up high and pushed his chest out, doing his best to play the part. It felt good and right to be in the company of brave men, as though their courage emanated from them in waves which rippled over him. The uniform which had felt constrictive and muggy just bells ago was now a point of pride as Erden looked out over the common citizens in their white cloth tunics.

They came to a narrow building which was situated between a money-lending institution and a house of imports. No signage indicated what purpose the building served, and Erden could not recall ever having noticed its existence before, despite his frequent visits to the district when running errands.

The front door opened two heartbeats after the captain knocked, revealing a corpulent man of middling age. He gave a curt bow and gestured for the men to enter. “Welcome to The Roots. You may call me Finder,” he said. “The other party has already arrived.”

The interior of the building did not match its inconspicuous exterior. The aroma of coffee and vanilla incense filled the air, and landscapes of different regions of the world covered the walls, from the tundra of northern Ebanigan to the rumored oases of the Crystal Desert. The paint shined as the light from nearby torches reflected off its glossy texture, giving the art works a fantastical feel.

They progressed through a long hallway which opened onto several rooms, many more than Erden thought possible, each one adorned with exotic furniture. Their destination was the final room on the left, the only one which remained closed. The man who let them in rapped gently on the door, then opened it cautiously. “The Blades,” he announced to whomever awaited within, before turning to look at the soldiers. “I do want you to be aware that you are here only due to the word of the master herbalist,” he said. “In most cases, the presence of armed men is unheard of and… undesirable. I assume I need not say more.”

“We understand, and are grateful for the exception you have made for us,” Sarthak said.

Although he did not look pleased, Finder gave another bow and stepped aside. As Sarthak, Kingsley and the other two men found seats, Erden entered the room. Seated at the far end of a long, cherrywood table sat an older man in a black top hat and cloak. That must be—

The thought ended abruptly when Erden saw who was seated on the man’s left. Cupela.

She looked at him for a moment, her face puzzled. When recognition struck her, Erden could see her posture stiffen. He was about to greet her before she turned away to face Enfildio.

No doubt she could put the pieces together as to what had happened to lead Erden here. Oddly, he did not feel any anger toward her. He never had. Though he had not put focused thought on it, he could now recognize that he was thankful that he had been dismissed from the library. Cupela might feel guilt and pity him, as though he had no other option but to enlist. For Erden, a fog had been lifted from his life, revealing a sunnier horizon that nearly blinded him with its brilliance.

He was unaware of how much time passed before Kingsley cleared his throat, drawing Erden’s attention. The lieutenant gave him a threatening look, then motioned to the chair next to him. Erden moved to take the seat with an enthusiasm only exercised by one who is nearly delirious from lack of sleep, or inebriated.

“My apologizes for our late arrival, master herbalist” Sarthak began. “I know you are a man faced with many demands.”

“I am,” Enfildio replied. “Let us be on with this.”

It took a few moments for Erden to have enough awareness to recognize that he did not know if the meeting had even begun. Now afraid that he had missed crucial information, he wished only to be ignored for the duration of the negotiation. If he were to be called upon to speak, he did not think he would be able to respond intelligibly.

Sarthak and Enfildio went back and forth, discussing figures and quantities. Ever charming, Sarthak did his best to procure a bargain, but Enfildio knew he held the upper hand, and so the company ended the negotiations with less than they had hoped for, at a higher price.

Cupela did not speak for the entirety of the meeting, and each time Erden ventured a look her way, her eyes were fixed on Enfildio, though the rigidness her posture developed the moment he turned to her told him that she could sense his gaze. He had wished to speak with her, but now he believed her reluctance to acknowledge was not solely due to what had occurred at the library. She does not want Enfildio to know see that she knows me. He could think of two possible explanations for that. One was that Cupela did not want Enfildio to think she had a relationship with Erden. That felt false however. That Cupela idolized the man was easy to see, and although he was much older, he had an air of authority about him which Erden did not doubt any woman would find appealing. Erden was no threat to this man.

Therefore, it would have to be the second possibility- that Cupela feared Enfildio learning that she had a relationship with anyone, even if it was devoid of romance. Yes, that felt true, and it frightened him. He suddenly came to an understanding of why he rarely saw his old friend. She no longer had a life of her own. She was as property to this older man. And she has no issue with that. She would do anything for him. It was a disquieting thought.

“Thank you for your time, master herbalist,” Sarthak said as he stood. “Perhaps one day circumstances will be such that we can meet openly.”

Enfildio forced a harsh laugh as he too left his seat, Cupela following his lead immediately. “That day will never come. You do not know Oslian and Esther as I do,” he said. As he swept his cloak over his shoulder, he called for Finder.

The heavyset man appeared in the doorway, and surveyed the room. “Yes, master herbalist?”

“We are done here. Please have six crates of the tonic delivered to the usual location, and give the address to the quartermaster there,” he said gesturing to Erden.

“Of course. Thank you for your patronage, as always.”

Cupela followed in Enfildio’s wake, her steps in time with his despite how much longer his strides were. As Enfildio stepped out of the room, Cupela looked back. They locked eyes for an instant, and Erden saw her mouth the words, “I’m sorry,” before turning away without breaking stride and disappearing into the hallway.

He did not think he would ever see her again. It was in the moment of despair that he had the realization that he was in love with her.