“What do you mean if I approach it in that fashion?” Shade asked.
“If you are there to watch out for her, rather than to watch her it is in her best interest. If you keep your ears open for approaching threats rather than for what she is saying in private, it is guarding, not spying,” Vaze explained.
“Is that what you do? I’m guessing you are typically the one spying on her with all of your shadow tricks,” Shade said, his words coming out harsher than he had intended. The entire assignment had his nerves on edge and it was showing more clearly than he would have liked. In all honesty, he would have been more comfortable had Lutheron sent him straight into the heart of the Glis conflict alone and unarmed. At least, he wouldn’t have a guilty conscience over it.
Vaze shook his head slowly. “I have guarded her once or twice but I’m not usually in the Fionahold. I travel often. My shadow tricks, as you call them, are more useful bent to other tasks.” If Vaze was offended, he didn’t show any sign of it. His words came out open and friendly with no trace of aggression to them.
They both fell silent as Symphony emerged from the Spell hawk and looked around the city. Even from this distance Shade could recognize the expression of distress on her beautiful face as her eyes found the damage to the city. Despite the Fionaveir’s best efforts of cleaning up the city, it was difficult to cover all trace of such destruction in a matter of a week’s time.
“Someone is going to have a lot of explaining to do,” Vaze murmured with a slight shake of his head. He ran a hand through his dark grey hair and smiled faintly at Shade. “Glad it isn’t going to be me,” he added.
“Lutheron, then?” Shade asked, as he watched Lutheron and Faramir approach to greet Symphony. A small crowd of people had formed around the Spell hawk now, and from the looks of things the future Empress would be busy for a while.
“Or you, or Charm. Won’t be me, though, I’ll be gone,” Vaze replied with a shrug.
“I thought you had to kill the Blights first?” Shade objected, turning his attention to Vaze who was already stretching as if he was about to leave.
“Already did. There were only seven of them that I found in the city and they were a rather pathetic bunch compared to the ones in Glis,” Vaze answered, sounding a bit bored.
“What?” Shade demanded incredulously. “When? How?” he added quickly, determined that if Vaze was going to answer his first question he would answer the others as well.
“Who, where?” Vaze said with a faint chuckle. “Last night and with magic. It’s done.”
“Why aren’t you in Glis mopping them up then? If it’s so easy for you to kill Blights why not rid the world of them?” Shade asked, the anger in his voice surprising even him. It didn’t seem right however that two countries were at the brink of utter destruction from the Blights and this man killed them easily.
“These were underground where the shadows are thickest, and I did say they were a pathetic bunch compared to the ones in Glis. Which implies that I have, in fact, been in Glis and Arovan fighting them. You have quite the temper on you, Morcaillo,” Vaze explained, with a shake of his head.
“I go by Shade now, not Morcaillo,” Shade reminded him.
“As you wish. Are you still going to distract Lutheron for me as we discussed before?” Vaze asked.
“I don’t really think you need me to, considering how busy it looks over there, but yes I will keep Symphony with me and try to get her interested in the hawks,” Shade agreed, letting his temper cool once more. He couldn’t really understand why he had grown so angry so quickly. It wasn’t as though Vaze alone could save Glis and Arovan, anyway. That was a job that required more than one person.
“I need to go soon. Jala is rapidly approaching something that she will need my help for. If I don’t get there soon one of them will likely die if not both of them,” Vaze pressed.
“There isn’t much I can do about it now, Vaze, she is swarmed with people,” Shade protested and looked back toward Vaze once more. “How is it exactly that you know the Darklands well enough to find Jala anyway?” he asked, though he didn’t really expect an answer.
“Eight years ago a small cult of mages rose in Nerathane. They were practicing Death magic and necromancy and a few of them decided to seek the ultimate power for their kind. Lutheron sent me into the Darklands after them to make sure they didn’t find what they were seeking,” Vaze answered.
“Damn! Not a task I would have wanted. I take it you got them all,” Shade said with a nod of respect. He had never actually met a Death mage himself, but there had been enough material about them in the Academy’s library that he hoped he never did.
“All but one. I think the demons got that one though. I searched through the shadows for weeks for the bastard but came up with nothing,” Vaze said and nodded toward Symphony once more. “Once she clears that crowd, buddy up to her.”
“Why isn’t the current distraction enough? Why do I have to be there?” Shade asked in confusion.
“Because I placed a few charms on you before I let you know I was here, and I need you close to her so my charms will affect Symphony as well as Lutheron. Faramir, too, hopefully, I don’t want her having any clue as to what I’m doing,” Vaze explained.
“Why me, exactly? Why not place your charms directly on them?” Shade objected, turning fully to face Vaze.
“Because you agreed to help, which means naturally that you agreed to accept my magic. They, however would object to this entire endeavor, which means my magic would be much more difficult to place on them. You really are making this more difficult than it should be, Shade. I thought you wanted to help Jala,” Vaze complained, the irritation finally seeping into his voice.