(31) Powerful Mage

Tara slumped against Nephthys’s back, swaying slightly with Shadowstreak’s canter. She had initially felt awkward clinging to the woman so tightly. Sure, she had agreed to teach Tara some things, but they had only known each other a few weeks, and even that contact was not constant.

Such thoughts had vanished as the saddle bruised her backside and chafed her thighs. It only took a few minutes to figure out that pressing her weight against Nephthys, regardless of awkwardness, was far preferable to squeezing the saddle. Still, there was no way to offload the bumps onto Nephthys, and Tara felt she would be unable to sit down for a week after this ride.

And it had only been a few hours.

The sun hung low in the sky, and the wall in the distance was even more imposing for it, casting long shadows across the plains. It stood at least twenty feet high, made of a smooth gray stone, and stretched nearly as far as the eye could see.

This was Gloamview, a frontier city in the Radaar Kingdom. As the name suggested, it was the final checkpoint between the more civilized lands and the Gloam. There were sparse villages further out, but this was the final city. As such, it was a hub for trade from those few braving the frontier and those wishing to purchase frontier goods.

Strangely, Tara noticed that the gate was closed. The sun had not even fully set, so unless there were extenuating circumstances, it should still be open.

“Ho there!” Tara called as Shadowstreak approached the gate, slowing to a walk.

A guard’s head appeared over the battlements, and though he was far away, Tara thought she saw surprise on his face.

“Who goes there?” he called down.

“We are travelers seeking respite,” Tara answered.

The guard grunted and disappeared. After about three to five minutes, a porthole beside the postern gate opened. The same guard’s face appeared, though only his beady eyes were visible behind the visor of his now-donned sallet.

“Travelers comin’ from the Gloam, eh?” he asked.

“Indeed. There is great wealth to be found amidst great danger,” Tara answered cryptically.

“…why’re you speakin’? Somethin’ wrong with the lady?” the guard said, eyes shifting between Tara and Nephthys.

“My master handles the arcane, while I handle the mundane,” Tara said quickly, thinking on her feet.

She was pretty proud of that one.

“Your master, huh? Teachin’ you what, magic? Out in the Gloam?” the guard said, a brow quirked.

“Great rewards for great danger,” Tara reiterated.

The guard grunted, seeming to take in Nephthys and Shadowstreak properly for the first time. He must have confirmed something, as he visibly relaxed, if only a little.

“Well, I’d love to let you two in, but the city’s on lockdown, what with the Wraith about,” the guard said with a shrug.

“The Wraith?” Nephthys asked, surprising both Tara and the guard.

“Aye, suppose that would pique the interest of you magic types,” the guard chuckled. He then leaned in conspiratorially, his mouth and chin almost sticking out of the porthole. “Marquis’s son died in his sleep last night. No prior health issues, no signs of struggle, nothin’. They say the Wraith steals into your bed chamber and sucks your soul straight out. Nothin’ you can do to fight it.”

“Fascinating,” Nephthys replied, her eyes glazing over, clearly checking out of the conversation.

“So, you can’t let us in due to the lockdown?” Tara clarified.

“Tha’s right. Marquis says that if there is a Wraith, we gotta find it while it’s still in town,” the guard explained, adopting his original posture now that the gossip was ended.

“That’s meant to keep people from leaving, right? Surely, there’s no problem with us entering? Not to be too blunt, but my master could just fly the two of us over the wall if she needed to,” Tara said with an exaggerated sigh.

“Hmm…well, it ain’t my decision either way. Gimme a sec,” he said, sliding a metal plate over the porthole.

“You are quite good at this sort of thing,” Nephthys idly observed.

“I’ve had practice,” Tara said, grateful that she was sitting behind Nephthys, her blush hidden.

After another few minutes of waiting, the postern gate opened, the former guard appearing with another in tow. They both wore metal plates over cloth gambesons, the plates covering only the essential areas. The second man approaching overtook the first guard, and Tara could immediately tell he was of a higher rank.

His armor was the same, but he was absent a helmet, instead wearing some sort of slanted hat that Tara thought looked both silly and impractical. He had a ribbon hanging over his chestplate, seemingly attached behind it and draped over the front. She was not sure what it signified, but the guard behind him did not have one, so she guessed it indicated an officer.

“Names and purpose,” he said with a deep voice, though his tone was mechanical, as if performing a practiced routine.

“Tara and…” Tara started, trailing off.

“Tara and Nef,” Nephthys said, picking up the hanging thread. “We seek accommodations for the night. We are here to trade goods we procured in the Gloam.”

The guard captain looked up, his eyebrows raised.

“Goods from the Gloam? I’ll need to check those over,” he said.

Nephthys held her hand out, and several different species of mushrooms appeared, floating above it. The guard tilted his head, coming close and examining each spore as if he were inspecting currency for counterfeits.

“These are…valuable?” he asked, looking at a particularly putrid-looking mushroom.

“Yes, for the right purposes. Some make useful ingredients for potions. Others simply taste good,” Nephthys replied.

Tara thought she saw the guard’s face grow a shade paler as he looked at a mushroom with black sludge dripping from it.

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“Right, well…that should be fine, then,” he said, standing straight and motioning them forward. “Be aware that the city is currently on lockdown, so if you enter, you may not be able to leave as soon as you wish. We will also have to tie your horse outside. You can collect it tomorrow morning. It will not fit through the—”

Tara yelped as Shadowstreak suddenly vanished. However, rather than her bottom slamming into the ground, she descended slowly, having ample time to get her feet under her.

“…follow me,” the guard captain said with a sigh, entering the guardhouse.

Tara wondered if the man was annoyed at having his script interrupted or just generally tired.

They were led through a sort of holding area, where a couple of guards sat behind desks, their armor unbuckled and lying on the floor beside them. There were a few empty cells that opened directly into the room, but little else.

“Is there an inn you can recommend? Ideally, one near a market,” Nephthys asked as they exited the guardhouse.

Tara heard the exchange, but she was barely paying attention. Through the open door, she saw bustling crowds, narrow alleys, and dust from a myriad footsteps. It had been a long time since she was in a crowded place, and she suddenly realized how overwhelming it was.

“—would register at the adventurers guild, if I were you. Just to smooth things over in the future,” the guard captain said, drawing Tara’s attention back.

“Oh? What is that?” Nephthys asked before Tara could stop her.