Chapter 23 Gordon at the ball

After being invited to a Ball we meet a Man called Gordon. is this the Necromancer thet made Flina evil?

CHAPTER 23

GORDON AT THE BALL

Amy and I did not share a room again that night. We all slept rather well though and in the morning we set out around the city Amy with Daniel, Emily with Amelia, and Ryan with me. I went into one shop and bought a large canvas while Ryan went into a shop just across the road a moment later he came out with a very cheap simple and light weight table and a tin saving us from having to go looking for a shop that would sell a container.

“Why do we have to do this Matt and why did you agree?” Ryan asked me as we headed back to the inn. “You know why Ryan”

“There are other ways to do it”

“Yes there are more ways... more ways that are likely to get us killed this is the safest way. And if you don’t shut up about it Ryan Amy will hear you and never let you forget about the fact that you don’t want to work your going to have the easiest job out of all of us!” I told Ryan. He looked at me sourly but dropped the subject. Ryan always had been fonder of simply running around waving a sword demanding the truth out of someone rather than a non-aggressive approached when it came to getting information. We waited at the inn table, after putting what we had bought in our room’s, for a few minutes before Daniel and Amy returned each one holding a slip of paper. They too sat down at the table and only about a minute later Emily and Amelia Came in and put a couple of containers in their rooms then came down the stairs and sat with us at our table.

“How’d you go?” I asked them

“We got paint wood cloth metal and people who would be happy to give us supplies at any time” Emily said “what about you?”

“I got a canvas that will be big enough once we cut it in half Ryan got a table and container” I said.

“And this is the document of ownership of a nice little house” Daniel said

“And this is the permission to set up a stall out front” Amy said. They were both holding up the slips of paper they had walked in with.

“When you say ‘little house’ I hope you don’t mean fits 3 people” Ryan said

“Oh we should be fine Ryan... though you might have to share a room with Amelia” Daniel said. I lent to my left to whisper in the ear of Amy who had sat down next to me.

“Carful Daniel might start giving you a run for your money”

“We can’t have that!” Amy whispered back and started insulting Ryan with natural ease.

 

“Wake up!” suddenly I sat bolt upright drenched in cold water which Amy had poured on me from the now empty bucket she held in her hands. I couldn’t help but smile as I said

“You do realise my beds still going to be wet tonight don’t you?” Amy simply smiled and walked out the room. I got dressed and headed down the stairs. We had moved into the ‘Little house’ only 2 weeks ago and set up a shop out the front and already we had so many customers that some were paying extra for special meetings. We figured that as everyone in this city carried weapons the best business to set up would be a weapons trade with things you could only get from us. So Ryan sat around making an assortment of weapons while we sold them. People came from neighbouring city’s simply to buy them and our prices were high we started a little experiment and raised the prices slightly, nothing happened we raised them a few more times and eventually a few of the poorer people stopped coming, the slightly richer people bought less, however the richest people just bought like the prices had never gone up we lowered the prices slightly. Enough to get some of our old customers back but not so much that we were charging original prices. This meant that our cheapest item was selling for no less than 300 gold it was not the quantity that made the items so expensive in fact everyone in the city could be seen carrying at least the cheapest item we sold. It was the Availability and the effectiveness. They were only available from us and they were all very effective they did exactly what we said, sometime more. Our plan was quite simple. Word would spread quickly of our weapons and we would get the money back we spent buying the house, rights to set up a shop, and the canvas and table for our shop but we would get extra for a comfortable living (we were way past both those objectives) and we would meet powerful and rich people and through them we will be able to get information on anyone with political, magical, and any other sort of power, you can think of, And in doing so hopefully we could learn of who it is that is controlling Flina. I walked into the dining room Ryan sat in a chair his one foot propped up on a chair the other hanging lazily his hand were a blur as he made weapons in the space of 10 seconds I watched him make 20 dirt bombs. The dirt bombs were quite popular but we had to show people how to use them and not everyone could use them properly so only those that could use them properly used them. They sold for 500 gold each so in a way I had just watched Ryan make 10000 gold in 10 seconds. Amelia was sitting next to Ryan watching him holding things out so Ryan could reach them. Daniel was sitting slouched reading in a soft chair in a corner next to the stairs. I could hear Amy and Emily laughing in the kitchen (I think I also heard something about cold water, a bucket, Amy’s hand s, and the name Matt). I dropped into a chair at the table and the girls brought out bacon and eggs for breakfast. They had decided that they would cook Amy had said.

“We don’t want food poisoning and it’s bound to happen if you boys cook” we ate quickly then went outside and set up our shop. However it was kind of hard customers were already there and they were pushing and shoving and trying to see what we were selling while we set up in the end I drew my sword.

“Put it Away matt” Ryan whispered in my ear. Then yelled at the crowed “A free demonstration of a very good weapon that blinds your enemies will happen in 3 seconds if you don’t move back you will be blinded!” suddenly people were not rushing forward but backward. Ryan dropped a few dirt bombs creating a smokescreen so thick no one could see through. No one dared to come through after the first man who had closed his eyes, stepped through and returned to the crowd 10 feet in the air (I don’t THINK Emily meant to throw him that high). After that we got set up fast enough that by the time the dust had settled we were waiting patiently for our first customer. Our first customer walked away with 2500 gold’s worth of goods and then the customers came and never seemed to stop Ryan never stopped making weapons and we still ran out of things for a minute or two. We worked until midday then closed the shop and went inside for lunch in the time we had the shop open we had made approximately 1100,000 gold it had been our busiest day yet. We weren’t finished though. We used the mornings to sell openly and the afternoons were privet meetings and sales... and the time to get friendly with our powerful customers. Each of us had a speciality. Some of the powerful men would bring their daughters along in the hope of eventually a rich marriage. We would partner the daughter with Daniel usually the girls were unaware of what they knew or what it would matter to say what they knew. The men that liked fighting would spar with me as we talked that would get them relaxed and they would be friendly especially if I could best them but now and then lose. Of course I did best them but it was a struggle to lose and not make it look like I was trying to let them win. Ryan was the one that spoke when the men were threatening or rude... they were very quiet and polite after speaking with Ryan. Amelia was the sweet innocent one and was very good at seducing allot of the younger men... and then breaking their hearts (her favourite part) but still getting information out of them. Emily was the peaceful negotiator and Amy stood in the kitchen on standby with a glass of poison just in case (her idea),but most of the time she sat with whoever was talking to the customer and smiled her infectious smile which immediately made our customers feel good about talking to us about anything and everything. I was clearing away the plates after lunch with Amy when there was a loud clear knock on the door. Amy put down what she was carrying and skipped over to the door. As I picked up the plates and cups she had put down I heard her welcome 2 people. I carried the dishes into the kitchen and as I put them down I heard two pairs of feet stop outside the door and a man say

“My daughter just wants a quick word I’ll be there in a minute” I stopped moving immediately and strained my ears to hear I hadn’t made much noise and I was close to the door so it was likely they didn’t know I was there and that I was near enough to hear their whispering. It was difficult but I could still hear allot.

“What if I don’t like any of them?!” I heard the daughter hiss quietly.

“Come now Lasina” the father whispered back “three boys your age AND they are all rich? Besides if they are really that terrible then at least play along until we can find out about...” The father trailed off and then whispered something even quieter that I couldn’t hear.

“Ok” I heard Lasina sigh and then they walked off. I waited a couple of minutes and then exited the kitchen. As I reached the door of the living room I stopped and lent against the frame. The man was sitting on a couch and had his back to me and I knew the daughter would be with Daniel. Amy, Emily, And Ryan sat facing our customer and all could see me the only one that gave any indication that they knew I was there however was Amy whos eyes flashed to me and back to the man so fast I almost wasn’t sure I had seen it. As I leant against the frame I listened to what was being said.

“So anyway there I was” the man said “and I dared him to shoot

 Me I said ‘come on man shoot me!’ And the man lifted the cross bow up and BAM! He pulls the trigger and I make a sound like I’ve been hit turning around slightly as if from the force of the hit but enough so he can’t see me stick a bolt between my arms and I turn around hand covering were it really is. Up on the walls a great cheer goes up as I play dead for five minutes then I get up and they stopped I walk over to just under the wall and tell the man to check his cross bow. The bolt as planned had stayed loaded they tried all the cross bows and every single one couldn’t be fired and they couldn’t get rid of the bolts either and that is my greatest Victory!” the man concluded his story.

“Well done Mr Cunnanon” Amy said “but with our weapons we can guarantee a victory... if the other side does not have our weapons either”

“Yes I’m afraid you may have a bit of a problem if that’s the case" I said walking over and making my presence known. I sat next to Amy. The miner noble Cunnanon. Was a short round man with a tuft of shocking black hair.

“Amy where's Amelia?” I asked “I’m afraid she has run of with the order forms” I said I have a feeling we may need them especially with the very special deals we will be cutting today for special customers” I said with a quick wink at Cunnanon who chuckled and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. What I said however was a code which said I’m going to check on the others and were (or as Ryan liked to say where the hell) is Amelia? I could get three responses. If they told me Amelia was sleeping she was doing something important but not to do with selling. If Amelia was finishing something off. She was really spying on Daniel and the current daughter (sometimes daughters) that were here with their father trying to win Daniels heart. Or if she had something she was looking for. She was searching through the belongings of the current customer. If she could reach them without being noticed.

“She’s searching for something I think it was an order form a customer complained we gave them the wrong order we need to prove we gave them the right order” The last part of course is made up and means nothing we use the same code for everyone it depends on whose selling at the time. I got up to leave and Mr Cunnanon stopped me

“Ah when you go could you find my daughter. Lasina is her name. And could you tell her to come back I will make an order and leave it shouldn’t take long to decide what I can afford and what I can’t”

“Of course sir” I said and bowing I left the room. “I hate nobles” I mumbled “even minor ones. Always have to Bloody bow” I found Amelia in Daniels room searching Lasina's purse. And then I walked into the gardens and found Daniel with Lasina who was flirting with every breath she took and she was making sure Daniel could see all of her “best assets” as some people say.

“Hello” I called out The girl turned And immediately started flirting with me too And she tried to get me to notice her best assets but I completely ignored her and in the end she spoke to me normally but the moment she turned to Daniel she was flirting again I spoke to Daniel and Lasina for a while they were talking gossip and while we didn’t know much we didn’t have to say much because Lasina, it seems, loves to talk. Then she turned to noble black magic gossip and I jumped in

“I say Lasina have you heard the whispers that Flina may actually be getting controlled by someone else!?” Lasina nodded.

“That’s old talk” she told us “Ohhh But you haven’t been her long have you” she said in a whiny voice. Then she stood and curtsied to Daniel lifting her dress ridiculously high

“Sorry” she said then turned to me and curtsied normally “sorry” we waved of her apology as she sat down.

“Tell us about it we don’t know much”

“Well” she said “they say Flina was human once! And she was kind but a sorcerer turned her evil!”

“Sorcerer? So a man?” Daniel asked

“Yes silly if it were a woman it would be a sorceress!”

“We had heard it was a woman” I said “But continue”

“Well anyway this sorcerer was called Gordon and he loved Flina but she married the king so Gordon made her evil.

“Is there a man who is currently believed to be this same Gordon?” I asked

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“We just like meeting people who are put into gossip and such” Daniel answered

“I know!” Lasina said “I could get daddy to invite you to the Ball he’s holding in two weeks time! I could introduce you! He’s going to be there. They say that you have to invite him or he will force you to murder half your guests and all of your family if you don’t invite him and he always tells a story which every one listens to and not because they’re scared but because they are always very good I’ve heard three myself and...” I cut Lasina off.

“Oh my I almost forgot your father says you’re leaving soon.”

 

“It's an absolutely GOURGUS dress!” Amy Told me.

“So?” I said.

“So what?”

“Exactly!”

“What?” Amy asked frowning.

“Let’s start again Amy” I said “you told me it was a nice dress”

“It’s a GOURGES dress”

“Gorgeous then, you said it was a gorgeous dress and then stoped why are you telling me this?”

“Because I can!” Amy said.

“Matt every girl gets excited when they are buying an extremely beautiful dress which we have to do if we want to be presentable at the ball. Amy is excited and has already told Ryan who was the first person she saw after ordering her dress she has just told you and is now on her way up the stairs to tell Daniel.” Emily said stepping out of the kitchen with a bowl in one hand and a hand towel for drying dishes in the other.

“What about you and Amelia?” I asked Emily

“We were there in the shop when she ordered the dress” Amelia said walking into the room.

“No why aren’t you telling us about your ball Gowns?”

“Amelia and I haven’t bought ours yet we girls like to shop so we are doing one person each day.” Mr Cunnanon’s invitation had arrived 2 days later and we had, of course, accepted. Now the girls were running around the streets buying Ball gowns that not only looked beautiful and were very expensive but that could easily conceal a weapon and yet be easily reached if need be. We boys bought suits. Me and Daniel had sheaths for our swords fitted on the back as we were told this is what the men did. And Ryan had a special sleave fitted to the back of his for his staff. It wasn’t  very easy to find tailers that didn’t fit weapon holders or make ball gowns that concealed a weapon in an easy to reach place because everyone here carried a weapon however at a ball it was looked upon as profanity or blasphemy for a woman in a ball gown or dress to be seen holding a weapon unless they needed it Amy’s dress would have a simple dagger but she would ware 2 sets of gloves. Her black ones with hidden blades that we found in the crusaders temple and then a long pair of gloves that would match the colour of her dress, which she had told me, was midnight blue. Over the next few days Amy Amelia and Emily picked up there dresses but of course they would not let us see until the night of ball however when the night finally came we discovered we would not see until they arrived for apparently the men were supposed to arrive before the women. So I got in the carriage that was to take Me Ryan and Daniel and later the girls to the ball. When I first stepped out of the carriage the first thing I noticed was how big even this minor nobles house was 4 stories high and I couldn’t see each corner of the house from the door the walls simply disappeared into the night entering the ball hall I was struck by the immense stained glass windows I could just see that outside was a light that shone through the windows making colours shine on the floor. The second thing I noticed was the size of the ball hall itself. It was so big it probably cost 9000 gold alone so the whole house itself must have been millions. You could fit 10 houses in it with ease and that was only long ways. Mr Cunnanon welcomed us warmly and a few minutes later the ball started I asked one of the men why we weren’t waiting for the women. He looked at me strangely as he said that it was fashion. A few minutes later women started to drift in. I sat in a chair where I could see the door unless someone stood directly in my line of sight after a few more minutes My jaw dropped as a girl glided into the ball hall. Amelia in a very beautiful dress with the ease of someone who does this normally had caught everyone’s attention as she walked up to Ryan. There was no way anyone would be able to tell Amelia had recently been a thief, a street rat. They would assume she was too beautiful to have ever known that life. Even Ryan who had not taken to Amelia the way she had o him looked as if he might be having second thoughts. As we had to come with someone to keep hopeful suitors from hindering us to much we had stuck with each other Amelia had simply refused to go unless she was with Ryan. Daniel and Amy were uncomfortable with each other because of how me and Amy felt about each other Emily didn’t really mind but decide it would be best if Amy was with me and she was with Daniel. Next in the door was Emily who was just as beautiful as Amelia. I finally I closed my mouth before Amy stepped in. My jaw dropped again. Amy was in a midnight blue dress it was tight but not so much that she wouldn’t be able to breathe. There were long flowing sleeves at the waist the dress split down the front leaving a triangle of a shimmering Fabric underneath which was obviously like a second dress. She twirled as she came up to me. Her hair was up in a bun and she had a few curls that hung down nicely framing her face and I noticed the buttons on the back of the dress were pearls. As she reached me I slipped a single arm around her waist. As Ryan had rather tentatively and as Daniel had with Emily as if he did it every day (he didn’t... but he was close). Amy was totally relaxed and Amelia was kind of snuggling in to Ryan but Emily despite the fact that Daniels affection was an act was slightly tense. “Extra dagger?” I whispered into Amy’s ear. She giggled like I had said something funny and ever so slightly pulled away part of her dress. Attached to the shining fabric underneath was a sheath and dagger.

“I have my gloves too but there is a sheath in my right sleave. Emily and Amelia have a sheath in each sleave.” She whispered back. Lasina glided over.

“You made it!” she said “ I’m afraid Gordon isn’t here yet he always waits then makes a...” suddenly the doors banged open loudly and a single man stood in the door he had scars all over his face and his clothes were brown and rugged he had no obvious weapon except a staff which he was using to support himself. “I wonder if the staff is just an act or if he really does need it to support himself?” Amy said voicing my thoughts as Lasina went over to greet him.

“He’s faking it!” Amelia exclaimed as he began limping with Lasina over to us “we used it allot on the street there are small signs of a  fake limp we had to do it perfect sometimes so we learnt how to notice a fake limp he’s good I almost didn’t realise!” Lasina and Gordon stopped in front of us.

“Gordon I would like you to meet Amy, Emily, Amelia, Matt, Ryan, and...” Lasina Immediately put on a shy act for Ryan and Daniel but batted her eyelids “...Daniel”

“Fine!” Gordon said roughly He was an old man with grey short hair. Lasina looked a little hurt by Gordon’s response and after a quick (and for Daniel and Ryan very Revealing) Curtsy, left.

“I thought she would Never leave, she usually just talks and talks” Gordon said Walking past us “Well you coming?!” we turned realising he wasn't muttering to himself but was talking to us then followed. He walked over to a table that was piled high with food he grabbed 2 chicken wings in one hand a chicken drumstick in another. Took one bite that took all the meat off the bones of both the wings. Then a servant walked past with a few glasses of wine he took 2 placing the chicken wing bones on the plate that held the glasses and held one glass in his now empty hand and one in the hand he held the chicken drumstick in then he tipped his head back and emptied one glass and then emptied the other in one mouthful for each then he laid them on the tray of another servant passing and bit into the drumstick.

“So” Gordon said bits of chicken falling out his mouth “you are the 6 that have been selling rare weapons and are now rich bustards living modestly?”

“Ahhh...” Amy said. I could understand her loss for words. This wasn’t what we had expected. A powerful and deadly magician eating like a pig? Still it was possible I guess.

“spii e ow gurl” Gordon said his words distorted through his mouthful of food.

“Pardon?” I asked. He gulped swallowing his mouthful of food then said

“I said... SPIT IT OUT GIRL.” He thundered the last part making us jump.

“Yes” Amy nodded.

“Humph” Gordon said “if it was me I would be buying a title and Noble house” he continued before Biting into the chicken drumstick again.

“Wait. BUY a title?” Amelia Asked her eyes shining like a child who had received an early Christmas gift that was exactly what they wanted.

“Finish your food first” I added hurriedly to Gordon as he opened his mouth to speak. But before he could speak a loud voice boomed over the hall.

“And now I was wondering if Gordon would be kind enough to grace us with a story or two!”

“That’s my cue” Gordon said “time to pay my entrance fee” and he hobbled over to small platform and sat on the seat waiting for everyone as they crowded around ready to listen. I was soon lost and separated from the others in the crowd.

“Not too far from this very hall” Gordon started “there once lived a man he was well respected. a healer one of the best magical and non magical healers and people came from all over to be healed by this man the power of healing ran through his hands and so the magical symbol for healing was imprinted on his palms” Gordon held his up as in to show us but his palms were plain with no symbol. “He kept to himself allot indeed the only people that would see him at home were those he deemed so sick they needed immediate attention or they might die. He would venture into town only twice a week. One day for food and supplies and one day for healing a few people he deemed healthy enough to not see him at home. On the days he went into town for food and supplies he would buy what he came for and then return home by the most direct route only stopping if he passed a stall that held something he wanted and knew he could afford and if there was no line. On the days he healed however after his healing was done a few hours before tea he would sit in an inn that was called the network inn. It was called the network inn because apparently the building used to belong to a spy network. So anyway the healer sat in this inn and people would come up to him and make appointments to see him and then he would eat his finale meal of the day and then get so drunk that he would stumble home and arrive in his house just before collapsing on the floor and for those of you who don’t know about magical healers they need to drink 2 full barrels before they start to sway and they don’t collapse so he always drunk allot thankfully however as a magical healer he never woke with a sore head and he was always fit to heal in the morning. One day just as he finished his meal and got up to go to the bar an order a drink a woman walked in the door. She had light red hair that reached just past her shoulders she was thin and tall and her green eyes were clear but piercing.” As Gordon continued his eyes took on a glassy look as if he was deep in thought remembering as if he was the healer and he was watching this woman step through the door.

“All eyes in the inn turned to this woman as a silence spread over all there. The healer had stopped in his tracks but now recovering he took another step but stoped again in shock as the woman spoke. Her voice was pure a crystal clear. It was quite but could have easily carried over the loudest inn. However it was not the voice that stoped the healer but the words. ‘I’m looking for the healer that frequents this inn’ all eyes turned to the healer frozen midstride. Now what you must all remember is that in this time only people that used magic knew the spoken language except for people of royal status or a few people who had too much time on their hands to learn and that knew a magi user that would be willing to teach in secret so of course it was highly unlikely that anyone in the Inn except the healer knew the language. The woman crossed over to him and said.

‘Aj xpae il Flina pxg I rpce xeeg oh p reamey’ now for those of you ignorant of the language” Gordon said “I will translate it for you she said, ‘My name is Flina and I have need of a healer.’ As you can imagine the healer was shocked and almost without realising it he replied in the same tongue.

‘Zrj lfepv ix krie mpxnwpne?’ now English ‘why speak in the language?’

‘Loae krixnl pye xok aepxk ko se vxozx’ or ‘some things are not meant to be known’ Knowing this the healer jumped on the chance to have this beautiful and attractive woman to himself so he did something that he had never done before.

‘ih jow mive ze towmg kpmv ofexmj pk aj fmpte?’ ‘If you like we could talk openly at my place?’ Flina Nodded and signalled for the healer to lead the way and for the first time the healer left that inn without staggering...” I felt a dress brush against my dress pants and followed by an elbow that dug gently into my side. I hit Amy’s elbow away and then lent towards her.

“I reckon it’s the story of the necromancer and Flina!”Amy said “and I don’t trust him. I reckon he’s the healer”

“He showed us his hands” Emily said coming up on the other side of Amy.

“There are ways to hide symbols” I said “Besides we don’t know enough about magic to know if becoming a necromancer gets rid of the other symbols” Emily nodded.

“I guess”

“I know” I jumped as Daniel came up beside me.

“Daniel knows something without using his pendant” Amy mocked him “Wow!” I covered a laugh as we all went back to listening to Gordon. He told of a conspiracy that had lead to A life threatening sickness that had affected Flina's father how Flina had grown closer to the healer but how the healer was unable to save her father and discovered the sickness had been the work of a necromancer and in a bid to be able to help someone if they ever came to him with a sickness caused my necromancy he had started to learn it himself and how jealousy finally lead to his first use of necromancy and how he used it to control Flina and use it to kill the man she had married... The king. Every one clapped but as he stood someone shouted.

“One more!” and then the crowd picked up the chant.

“One more, one more, one more!”

“Oh bloody hell, Fine” Gordon complained but his groans and muttering was drowned out by the crowds cheer. When they stopped clapping he began.

“Once there were 5 people from another world” I ceased all movement and listened as hard as I could. “they were not old Nor were they very young. The youngest among them was a girl of 14 and the eldest was a man of almost 18. The names of these people were Amy the 14 year old girl. Ryan a boy of 15. Emily a girl whom is also 15 but older than Ryan. Matthew a boy of 17. And the eldest Daniel, the soon to be 18 man. By pure chance they ended up in this world and...”

“have you noticed the same thing as me matt?”

“that he’s telling everyone our story...? Yeah I did” I answered Amy

“Amy was a small girl who was so white she could become completely Invisible. Ryan was a Broad handsome man that the girls would melt if he so much as looked 3 meters to their left. Emily was an ordinary girl whose black hair was so long it sat level with the top of her shoes. Matt was stick thin with pitch black and fire red hair. And Daniel was a small giant and was as tall as a two story house...!”

“His description of us is wrong but it’s still us we should tred carefully or people will suspect the story has been exaggerated and after that it won’t be long until they know who we really are and what we’re doing” Daniel said. It was at that point that Amelia came up to us.

“Has anyone seen Ryan?”