‘Gods!’ Fyn jumped, jerking hard on his reins and startling his horse.
Annev was impressed by Kenton’s instincts. Despite his error over the Rod of Healing the other day, Annev was above average at identifying magical artifacts. It seemed Kenton was a different story, though; where Annev was talented, Kenton was a prodigy.
‘Nice job.’
The scar-faced avatar seemed not to hear Annev’s praise. He stared at the block of wood in his hands, in awe of its luminescence. ‘This is magic, isn’t it?’ He spoke almost reverently.
‘It’s only magic if you don’t know how it works,’ Annev said, repeating Crag’s clever quip. ‘But yes, it’s an artifact.’
Kenton stared at him, impressed. ‘This is from the Vault of Damnation?’
Annev took another risk. ‘Not quite,’ he said. ‘I got it on my mission in the Brakewood yesterday. The pedlar gave it to me as payment.’
Fyn snickered. ‘Was that before or after you slit his throat?’
Annev met Fyn’s eyes, serious. ‘Before.’
Fyn’s laughter devolved into a grunt, a grudging sign of respect. ‘Well,’ he said, mumbling, ‘I still don’t see what good it does – it’s too bright. I thought the point was for us not to be seen.’
Annev nodded. ‘Kenton, can you adjust it?’
The boy opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. Instead of speaking, he grasped the top and bottom of the lantern. Without any guidance, he pressed on the hidden buttons and twisted, dimming the diffused light and focusing it into a single narrow, ghostly beam.
‘Huh,’ Fyn said, impressed and trying to mask it. ‘That’ll work.’ He frowned. ‘So you sent me to get torches when you had this the whole time.’ It wasn’t a question.
‘Yes,’ Annev said. He trotted his horse over to Kenton and took the lantern. ‘If the ancients had seen this they’d have stowed it in the Vault.’ He tossed it to Fyn, who caught it with both hands.
‘Why have I got this?’ he asked, wary of the magic he held.
‘Because we need light, and I want you to lead us the rest of the way.’
‘Is that right?’ Fyn said, neither rejecting nor accepting Annev’s implied command. He turned the lantern in his hands, examining it.
‘How did you change the light?’
Kenton explained, and everyone looked pleased when Fyn successfully twisted the lantern off and then on again.
‘If you keep it focused to a beam,’ Annev said, ‘you can cover the eye a little so it casts light on the ground and we can see where we’re going, but no one will see where it’s coming from. It’s not foolproof, but we should make good time without being spotted from a distance.’
Kenton and Fyn looked at each other, both nodding.
‘Very well, Master Ainnevog,’ Fyn said, only a modicum of ridicule in his voice. ‘I’ll lead.’
‘Thanks,’ Annev said. ‘All right, then. Master Fyn leads the way. Master Kenton, will you watch our backs?’
The two boys looked at each other, confused. ‘That’s not funny,’ Kenton said. ‘You know we’re not masters.’
‘Maybe not at the Academy,’ Annev said, ‘but we’re outside Chaenbalu. Out here, you can be whatever you like.’
‘Horseshit,’ Fyn spat. ‘You can call a horse a duck, but it still won’t fly.’
‘That’s right,’ Annev said, seizing the analogy. ‘Changing a name doesn’t change a creature’s nature. The same is true of us. We trained to be Master Avatars, and we’re each as skilled as the men who’ve claimed that title, so why should I call you anything else?’
Fyn and Kenton exchanged a more thoughtful look.
‘As far as I’m concerned,’ Annev said, ‘you’re the Master of Arms’ – he pointed to Fyn – ‘and you’re the Master of Curses.’ He pointed at Kenton. ‘Tonight just cements that truth, so unless you feel you’re less than my equal, I’m not calling you something different.’
Kenton stared at Annev, unconsciously stroking the scar on the side of his face. Likewise, Fyn sat in silence for a long moment before seeming to come to a conclusion.
‘Well,’ Fyn said, twisting the lantern into a thin beam of light, ‘I still think you’re full of shit … but I must be getting used to the smell, because I like what you just said.’
Kenton had a faint smile on his face. ‘Me too.’
Chapter Fifty-Three
A mile from the city walls, Fyn clicked off the lantern and they approached under the cover of darkness. As the trio drew closer, they heard the sounds of Regaleus celebrations, which included plenty of raucous laughter and boisterous singing … and no sign of the town watch.
Fyn brought them within shouting distance of any guards that might be on patrol then halted. Annev stopped beside him and studied the twenty-foot stone wall surrounding the town, aware that his companions were watching him.
‘Master Kenton, where does Janak live?’
The boy pointed. ‘His shops are on the north-west side of town in the Gold District, but his home is in the Rose Quarter, near the eastern gate.’
‘What’re you thinking?’ Fyn asked.
Annev surveyed his fellow avatars. Beneath their riding cloaks, each wore fitted and flexible black garments. ‘We dressed for stealth,’ he said, speaking slowly as he thought it through, ‘so we’ll use it. Leave the horses by the eastern gate, climb the city walls, and get to Janak’s castle.’ He paused. ‘We’ll figure out the rest when we can see it.’
Fyn began tying his dreadlocks into a top-knot. ‘That doesn’t seem well thought out.’
‘No,’ Annev admitted easily, ‘but we don’t know what’s ahead of us, so we have to treat it like a Test of Judgement. Stay flexible and adapt. Get inside, get the rod, get out.’
‘What about Duvarek and Janak?’ Kenton asked.
‘We’ll find them,’ Annev said, ‘but I’d prefer to secure the artifact before we find Duvarek. If we do, maybe we can use the rod to free him from his compulsion.’
‘Use the rod?’ Fyn scoffed. ‘Tosan would skin us – and that’s not what we’re here to do. Besides, none of us know the first thing about using magic.’
Annev looked at Kenton.
‘I know a little bit,’ Kenton offered grudgingly. ‘I mean, I’m good at identifying artifacts. There was even one time … I used one.’
‘You used magic?’ Fyn seemed torn between being impressed and disgusted.
Kenton sniffed. ‘I’m not a flaming keokum, Fyn. It was a common artifact, like that lantern you’re holding – or the stumble-sticks we all used in the nave. Anyone could have used it.’
The larger boy grunted, trying not to look sheepish and obviously not wanting to rehash the details of their competition in the nave. ‘So what did you do?’
‘We were doing artifact identifications with Dorstal. He brought out a cup, said it was a common artifact that could magically fill itself.’ Kenton shrugged. ‘He dared us to try.’
‘And you did?’
Kenton nodded. ‘It was easy. I held it, thought about how thirsty I was, and repeated the glyph.’
‘Huh. That’s … not so bad. What’d you fill it with?’