Five - A clear night

We arrived at the final station on the city of Armando.

“It is here where we part ways, Bruce. I hope we meet again someday.”

He waved good-bye and smiled as he was leaving. I waved back. I do not think we will see each other again.

The nighttime is fresh and windy. Deserts are scalding during the day, but at night, at least this time of the year, it is very nice. I have to move as much as possible now with the lower temperatures.

My instructions are to go to another town, Kai Bell.

It is the closest to the main base of the Capital here on the north. Due to the heavy resistance, they were not able to go too much into the desert. This main base is where they have their supplies and workshops.

Destroying it, would be a great victory for us. Varenham can be free.

Even if we are on the same side, I can not have the rebels find me. Same side, does not mean friends.

We have different objectives, anyway.

Kai Bell is two days on foot. I am on time. There, I will find more instructions about the actual mission.

Walking at night in most cities became very dangerous because of the invasion. Surveillance is pretty thought everywhere. The cities that are closer to the border between Varenham and the Capital are the ones that are suffering more.

Even after the centralization of command, the Capital can not keep full control of everything. They do not have the men nor technology. So they keep a strict eye on the borders. It was their solution. They control what and who goes in and out, but they are more dependent on the northerners of Varenham than the northerners are on them.

The Capital seized Kai Bell three years ago. It was their only victory in this land. It was a lucky strike. They quickly raised walls, turrets, gargoyles, everything. In less them a day of time, this was the most the Capital army has ever militarized a place.

The Capital is now commanded by The Council of Artificers. A group of rich people that used the catastrophe created by Karlos to take control of the city.

Council Member III Olvad Heeran Autagavaia is a member of the council, one of the few that can actually use magic. People say he was born on a city here on Varenham but his family sent him to live and study magic at the Capital.

He invented the gargoyles.

Rumors says that he is the one in charge here in Kai Bell, even if no one actually knows where he is. He is a very discreet person.

The only prominent person of the council is Karlos. People like his populist and charismatic being while the other members of the Council are the ones acting more from the shadows. Karlos is just a glorified jester in my opinion.

The gargoyles can have a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common ones are the ones that fly. Olvad developed them during his college studies.

He was forbid to continue his research because of how much dangerous it was. The gargoyles can track any magic and attack the magical sources so fast that most people would not be able to react. He kept doing his research in secret until the events eight years ago. He became one of the heads of the coup and his gargoyles were the weapons used to keep warlocks under control. To keep us from using magic. To keep us under fear.

He was responsible for the death of hundreds of warlocks. After magic was forbidden, every corner of the Capital had a gargoyle. Every time someone tried to use their magic, they attacked with no warning.

The sun is already rising. It was a long walk during the night. I am halfway still. Looks like today is going to be a scalding day. I am tired and hungry.

I walked a little more then I saw an inn on the horizon.

It was full of guards and officers from the capital. They were drinking and talking very loud even that early in the morning. They look like they have been drinking the whole night.

I talk to the owner and he gives me key to a room upstairs. He is clearly unsatisfied with the officers presence. He could only pray they would leave soon.

I refreshed myself, ate some food. I was ready to rest until dusk.

It was not instructions the night. I dreamed of what was another lovely day back in WayDek.

I was at school with my friends, Du and Roger.

Du was a warlock that studied plants and water magic. Her family had been using this kind of magic through generations. She still believed she could make it better.

We were trying to make a schematic of water arrows so Roger could fire them.

Water magic is weird, because you need water near you to use it. It is not like my fire magic where I can spark a flame in the air. You have to control the water near you. Some of the strongest warlocks could condense the water in the air to use it anywhere. Before the eternal rain, for that matter. Now all the water is being sucked into the Capital. Inside the Capital water magic would be very useful. Or near the sea or a lake.

Our original idea was to encapsulate some magical water on the arrow so when it hit the target she could take them down from the inside by controlling their body water. Water warlocks embed their magic on the water so they can control it from afar.

We were always trying to come up with new ideas. Most of then never worked. It was fun to be with my friends like that. Remembering the old days is painful and good at the same time.

That same day, a teacher approached us and I remember Du becoming so infatuated with their presence. I think she liked them.

The teacher also did not know how to help us. I think our ideas were too far from reality. Du went with the teacher. Someone was at the school to see her that day.

And there was just me and Roger.

He was still focused on the arrows.

For someone who could not use magic he understood a lot. More than me, actually. The head of the arrow was crafted with a perfect aerodynamic that the water inside would not heavy it and would still tear the wind and the enemy. But it was also very brittle so on impact it would free the water on the target.

He was incredible. People should be more like him.

Even not being able to use magic he never gave up. He was still very strong.

I wake up close to dawn. The sun was no longer visible. The sky was a mix of orange and purple. I gathered my things and left.

The owner of the inn pointed me towards a car that was making the night shift transportation of supplies and commodities to Kai Bell.

I was happy that I would not need to walk all night long again.

The driver charged me a reasonable amount for the ride. It is worth to rest my feet. Thankfully, he did not talks too much. It will be a silent trip under the starry sky.

I'm in the bed along with the transported goods. I can see every constellation imaginable while lying here. It is completely dark but the light from the stars. An infinite number of stars.

Some clairvoyant warlocks use star magic to see the future. I slept through all this at school. It is very boring but it can be very precise and tell exactly what is going to happen. I wonder if they saw the coup coming.

It must have had been weird being able to know everything but being unable to prevent it. Very feel people continue with their minds intact after learning clairvoyance.