Halls of Stone

--Azala--

The night was falling in equal inverse proportion to my irritation by the time I received word. According to the messenger, the head mage of the Order had considered my case. He would be available for a meeting in two hours. All good, but that left me with another hour to kill.

As if I haven't been doing enough of that already. Thankfully, some of that time was spent in the relaxing water of a bath. It was a shame I could not resort to my uncovered form, but it was better than waiting in a room with nothing to do. It was no replacement for the oasis, but I made do.

Eventually, it became time for Cafi to escort me to the palace. By now, some of the irritation was replaced with worry for Gatix. His plan was unorthodox, but I couldn't deny the results. I did have doubts whether being carried away in a cocoon of rock with only his head sticking out was part of the plan. The sturdiness of his armor was proven, but the Order might have taken precautions against his weapons if Donkor had informed them.

“O' Lordess?”

“Hm?” I looked up at Cafi's inquiry. “Can I help you?”

“I would like to turn the question around, O' Lordess. You look troubled. Is something the matter?”

“I am pondering the best course of action, as you might understand.”

“I understand.” Cafi nodded in return. “Follow me. We will be taking an alternative route.”

Huh? The palace walls were now close enough to hit with a stone, yet he was taking us on a route parallel to it. “This is an unusual path. I hope you do not have any ill intentions towards me.”

“No, O' Lordess. I am merely taking you to a side entrance.”

“Isn't a side entrance a security risk?”

“In normal situations, yes. In this case, it is a matter of convenience. The palace gates close before sunset only to open at sunrise. As the Wolani order has members who often require late entry due to travels, both the king and the Order decided constantly asking for exceptions is, well, a bit of a hassle. The king decided a side entrance should be constructed to be used by the Wolani order, with strict rules about its use and security. I can assure you, O' Lordess. The side entrance is just as safe as the main gate.”

“So you say.” I kept an eye on the palace walls as we walked. This would have been the perfect place for an ambush, but I hadn't seen anything unordinary.

“Over here.” Cafi held open a large gate, politely standing to the side as he let me enter first. A clang signaled its closure before he stepped past, clicking his fingers once. Lig! A series of torches along the walls burst to life, illuminating a large tunnel in a warm light. Everything was paved with bricks at least half an arm's length long, and half of that wide. Care had been given when constructing this.

“I'm impressed.”

“I'm told construction was quite intricate.” Cafi smiled as he started walking again. I followed him through the corridor down a spiral staircase. It made sense we'd be going underground. The areas above would be reserved for the castle's barracks, throne, and living quarters. Underground would be the perfect place to practice magic and give the king plausible deniability if anything went wrong.

“Quite a big space you have here.” I peered down some corridors that split off like a spider's web.

“The Order has been given about seventeen rooms in which we can conduct our research,” Cafi answered. “There were negotiations with the king on whether we could occupy more space, but everything else has been spoken for already.”

“Seems like the Order is growing then.” Which could be a problem in the future.

“Praise be to the goddess for having blessed us with a period of prosperity.”

“Indeed. Can you tell me a bit about what projects the Order is busy with?”

“Unfortunately, such information cannot be shared with anyone outside the royal family.”

“Even though I am nobility?”

“But as you have stated, not in any line to the throne.” Cafi bowed his head apologetically. “I am sure you understand, O' Lordess.”

“Of course. Just wondering, considering our location.”

“Entirely-” Cafi's words were cut off when a mage girl bumped into him, a shattering of glass bringing my attention to a series of shards around our feet.

“I... I'm so sorry...”

“Do not worry, accidents tend to happen.” Cafi was already down on his knees, aiding the mage in picking up the pieces. “Please excuse me, O' Lordess. This will but a second.”

“Of course.” It took little more than a minute to have the girl on her way again, glassware deconstructed but collected. The make-shift bandage on Cafi's hand was new.

“Again, my apologies for the delay, O' Lordess.”

“I would have thought less of you had you ignored a fellow member.”

“I wish all visitors were as even-tempered as yourself.” Cafi exhaled a sigh before pressing himself against a wall. “Oh, please stand to one side, O' Lordess.” Copying his movement allowed four mages to walk past, each noticeably bigger than those I'd encountered before. Their staves were closer to spears than magical attuners.

“You have Spears here?” I asked as we started walking.

“Force is sometimes needed to protect our sanctuary.” Cafi nodded back. “The ones you've just seen are of steel rank. There should be a chrome-ranked Spear here, but I don't know whether he is currently on assignment.”

“A great honor to be blessed with such might.”

“We thank the goddess for it each day.” Cafi stopped next to a door, knocking twice before peering inside. Getting the response he was looking for, he nodded in return before turning to me. “You may enter. Luck be with you on future journeys.”

“And on yours, young Cafi.” Bowing his thanks, he merely turned around and continued down the corridor. I hope our paths do not cross again. Pushing the door aside revealed a surprisingly empty room, except for a solitary figure standing in the middle. Damn, let my age show there for a second.

“Are you th-”

Rank spies... skiet!