The day ended on a very good note, and even though I was sad I hadn’t been able to flirt with Edwin all day, I’d made progress of a different sort. I’d gained good ground on getting my friends back, which was just as precious.
Nine
James
Three days later, we finally arrived in Berengar. I didn’t even greet the mayor of the town, just beelined straight for the portal. I needed to see it shut and properly warded just so I could sleep at night.
Oh thank Vuheia, the portal was still sealed shut.
I didn’t have authorization to actually cross the ward already up around the portal, but I did walk around the perimeter, getting a good look. The portal formed a rough circle in the ground, covered by a large metal door with engravings from an earlier time, unreadable in this modern age. It had a roof of sorts off to the side for those standing guard or visiting, but the portal itself was in a slight depression, so I could easily peer down into it. I tried to remember how the original one-hundred-year-old seal had operated and failed.
Well, I at least remembered the fix. They’d incorporated the river nearby and used Orichalcum spikes to anchor the ward. Apparently running water, when used with the right sigils, created a strong magical power. It had boosted the sealwonderfully and, in this timeline, would probably solve all problems. I’d already spoken with the mages I’d brought up with me about the portal and had them “teach” me about wards in general, trying to drop hints without sounding weird. They’d been quite intrigued and said they’d look more into the spikes. In fact, they were even now nearby and refining the designs of the sigils, accommodating for the river’s edge—a touch farther away than planned—and so on.
I didn’t like standing here, though. Too many bad memories. I found myself staring at the portal sideways, distinctly uneasy, some part of me ready to leap to the defense. I was armed, obviously; being defenseless in this area would make my nerves jump right out of my skin. I kept gripping the hilt of my sword, perhaps for reassurance, but managed to refrain from unsheathing it.
Edwin came up to stand beside me, almost close enough for our arms to brush, which secretly thrilled me. Backing down had been the right tactic. He wasn’t as wary of me now and had stopped giving me thoselooksas if he were questioning my sanity.
Granted, my sanity was often in question. Mostly by me.
“Seal seems to be fine, doesn’t it?” he asked.
“Fortunately, yes.” I looked at him from the corner of my eye. If he knew what I did, he’d have a much stronger opinion.
“Were you really so worried about the demons breaking free?”
“I’ve had nightmares about the Demon King doing just that.” Which was absolutely the truth. Hopefully with a guard posted and a brand-new ward, those nightmares would stop. “I also hate, absolutely loathe, having things hanging over my head. I know we had more years on this ward, but isn’t it better to have a new one up so we don’t have to worry about it again in our lifetimes?”
“I’m not arguing. Just curious what drove you to do this first thing.”
“Ah.” I couldn’t explain without sounding unhinged. Still, I felt delighted he’d become comfortable enough with me over the past several days of traveling to ask me those slightly “impertinent” questions.
I heard a great deal of movement behind me and realized the court mages were setting up to recast the ward. “We’re in the way, I think.”
“Yes, let’s move.” Edwin promptly turned and took several steps away.
I stepped aside to speak with Mage Wyverstone, who was overseeing the casting. “Will the redesign work as is, then?”
“It will, and splendidly,” he answered cheerfully. “To be frank, our records indicate the first casting of the seal was done in a rush. The state of the seal now is a testament to that. By incorporating the collected sunlight overhead and the power of the river nearby, we can directly fuel the seal with a passive power source, which is always for the better. As long as the sun shines and the river flows, we will not have to worry about this portal to hell. The Orichalcum spikes will cement the design, keep the power flow steady and anchored to the ward.”
“Splendid. I’ll leave you to it, then.”
While the court mages worked, I had to as well. Edwin went about organizing our accommodations here, which left me on my own for a while, with only Sir Alloways following after me.
I first talked with the mayor of the town, explaining my plan to post knights here and make it an official imperial order. He had no problem with that—I didn’t expect he would—and it didn’t take much at all to select a house for the knights to live in while they were stationed here. I allocated a budget to have the place furnished and stocked with supplies.
All this planning took up most of the day. I decided I might as well stop working and have an early dinner at the inn.
I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned, saw no one, then realized I had to look farther down. A child of perhaps seven or so stood there looking up at me. She wore a simple blue dress, red hair in pigtails on either side of her head, and looked on the verge of tears. What was this?
Sir Alloways belatedly tried to intercept her, but I waved him off. I was in no danger and was quite curious why she’d approached me.
“Young miss, may I help you?”
“Are you a knight?” she asked, a catch in her high voice.
“I am not, but I’ll gladly assist you. I’m James.”
“I’m Maggie. Um, Toby threw my Bear Bear into the river, and I can’t get it back.”
