Page 25 of A Fable of Riddles and Redemption

Duke Armand nodded his thanks and said, “As you’ve likely heard by now, this mage—Caliban—has come to free Adael from the invasion of red pandas!”

Zorina rolled her eyes at the theatrics, though she watched with rapt attention like the rest of the townspeople.

The duke continued, “Caliban will first lure the vermin away before casting a barrier to keep them out. Adael will then be free!”

Cheering reverberated around the square, the sound overly loud to Zorina’s ears. Caliban hopped up onto the fountain’s stone wall and gave a flamboyant bow. Then, he removed the wooden flute from his belt and brought it to his lips.

Frowning, Zorina wondered how the small musical instrument would help him accomplish his task. She had never seen magic performed in such a way before, and the idea left her reeling in confusion.

Moments later, a haunting melody in a minor key began to fill the square. It was beautiful and enchanting. Zorina couldn’t recall ever hearing music sound so lovely in her life.

As the song continued, red pandas from all over the city—including Anala—trickled into the square. Caliban’s fingers flew across the flute as he played, while his eyes darted around as if to ensure all of the animals had gathered. When he seemed satisfied, he stepped down from the fountain, still playing his pipe while shifting the tune to a quick-paced march.

The red pandas immediately perked to attention at the change. Caliban strode off in time to the music, and the red pandas followed him.

Zorina stared in amazement, her mouth gaping open in shock. She could feel the magic in the air, but she had never seen it used like this before. No colorful ball of power had preceded the music, so the flute itself must have had some sort of enchantment on it.

How was this possible? It seemed contrary to everything she knew about magic—and she knew far more about magic than she would ever openly admit. She stared down at her hands for a moment, wondering if she could do the same with her own dark pink power.

The crowd around her moved to follow Caliban and the red pandas. Zorina jumped down to join the masses and was jostled along with them as Caliban led the march to the north end of town, toward the small forested area where she lived. She frowned at that, worried that her home would soon be surrounded by the creatures.

Great, so he rids the city of them…and sends them to my house instead.

Not that he knew she lived there. He likely didn’t even remember her from their brief encounter at a distance. And it was better if he hadn’t. The last thing Zorina needed was the attention of an unknown mage.

Red pandas—along with the astonished crowd—followed Caliban into the woods just on the northern edge of the city. Once all of the animals were outside of the city boundary, he paused, once again altering his song. This time, the march switched to a much slower ballad, the notes long and drawn out.

Power swelled with the notes, crescendoing along with the music. From where Caliban stood, a river of power poured out on either side of him, flowing along Adael’s border. Zorina felt the two ends connect on the south side of town with a jolt. The entire city was encircled by the invisible river of power, which continued to build with the song.

Caliban now played with his eyes closed, as if he were concentrating on the music—or, more accurately, on the magic. A wall of power surged upward until it domed over the city. Though it was invisible, Zorina could feel the power crackling. Once the dome was complete, Caliban played a few arpeggios bursting with magic. The song then slowed, the volume decreasing as it drew to a close at last.

Zorina couldn’t stop gaping at the masked piper in awe. She could still feel the power of the barrier he’d cast around Adael to keep the red pandas out. It was far stronger than anything she’d ever been able to perform. How was such a thing even possible? He must be a wizard…or a dark mage.

However, the only wizards Zorina had heard of were unaccountably old. Caliban was certainly not that—unless he wore some sort of magical disguise. But then, why would he wear a mask if that was the case?

As the piper opened his eyes and lowered his flute, his gaze landed on her. His eyes widened under his mask, and he tilted his head.

Thankfully, his curious gaze was broken when the man standing slightly to her left completely stepped in front of her. With a start, she realized it was a guard—specifically, Herrick. He was certainly tall enough to block Caliban’s view of her, which brought her a strange sense of comfort and protection.

Why had he done that? Had Herrick noticed Caliban looking at her? And why would he care in any case?

Rather than face either man, Zorina took advantage of their silent showdown and crept away through the crowd behind her.

Anala joined her then, just on the forest side of the barrier. When Zorina stepped across into the city, however, Anala was unable to follow. The red panda made several attempts to cross the border, but the barrier repelled her every time. Anala chirped sadly, clearly disappointed that she could not enter.

Zorina gave her an understanding smile. “I know you’re unhappy, but it’s probably for the best. This way, you can’t smash up Jurian’s pots anymore. He, for one, will be thrilled.”

Anala keened mournfully and scratched at the invisible wall keeping her out of the city.

A light laugh escaped Zorina. “You’ll be fine. Go home, Anala. I have to work now, but I will likely see you tonight.” At that, she spun around and returned to the city, making her way to the pottery shop for the day.

Herrick

Herrick turned around, only to find that Zorina had vanished. It’s better that she left, considering that Caliban apparently seeks her out. Do they know each other from before?

He peered back at Caliban, who watched him with narrowed eyes. There certainly seemed to be something beyond the usual reaction to a beautiful woman going on here, but he had no idea what exactly it was.

Herrick wanted answers, but he did not trust Caliban enough to ask him, and he doubted Zorina would volunteer such information, considering how reticent she was to give any details about herself or her life before she came to Adael. He would have to proceed very carefully or risk her completely shutting him out—and even with caution, such a result was highly probable.