The Shrine of Avooblis Page 6

  “I can take care of myself,” Elloriana said. “What I can’t do, though, is get the information I need from Byron.”

  “Earl and Lita could teach you some flirting skills, then maybe he would open up to you,” Dagdron said.

  “Dagdron, stop,” Earl said. He was about to continue, but Elloriana cut him off.

  “The Fortigroffs are only going to be here a few more days,” she said. “Earlier in the summer, during my week in Broodavia, I was unable to get any information about what Byron’s up to. And, since the only time Byron is out of his room is when our families are together, I don’t have any chance to search it. But I really think he’s been meeting secretly with some informants in Lordavia. I just don’t know when, so I haven’t been able to follow him or get into his room.”

  “Yeah, right,” Dagdron said. “She needs us. Her sneaking skills aren’t good enough to get into Byron’s room. She’s here to ask us for a favor.”

  “No,” Elloriana said, glaring at Dagdron. “I’m here to get payment for what you stole from me last night and from what you stole from my father last year.”

  “Princess, Dagdron can’t be sneaking around Lordavia again. I don’t know how he even got to your section of the castle in the first place.”

  “The farewell dinner for the Fortigroffs is in two nights. Dagdron is going to sneak into Byron’s room and see if he has anything hidden.”

  “Do you have any idea what would happen if we were caught?”

  Elloriana, ignoring the fact that Earl was talking like both of them would be sneaking into Byron’s room, said, “If he doesn’t do it, then I will send my guards for him. I want my coins and jewelry back!”

  “You stole her jewelry?” Earl said.

  “No,” Dagdron said. “But I’ll still do it.”

  “We’ll do it,” Earl said.

  “You’re not going with me,” Dagdron said.

  “Yes, I am. Elloriana can invite us over to the castle in the afternoon. We’ll hide in her room until the banquet. That way we can move through that section of the castle without having to sneak in.”

  Elloriana opened her mouth, but then hesitated. “That’s actually a good idea,” she said after thinking about it. “Dagdron would have an escort. Perfect. I’ll have everything set. Come to the royal family gate tomorrow afternoon. And bring my coins and necklaces with you!” Elloriana glowered at Dagdron before crossing the garden by herself, entering the house, and letting herself out the front door.

  Earl, though stunned by the princess’s abrupt departure, was all smiles.

  “I love having you here,” Earl said to Dagdron. “I don’t know what it is about us being together, but adventures follow us wherever we go.”

  “I can’t wait to see what riches are in Byron’s room,” Dagdron said.

  As Earl got ready to protest, Dagdron strode swiftly across the garden, heading back to Earl’s room. He had a feeling he might need to hide the jewels he had acquired the night before a little more carefully.

  Dagdron and Earl watched Elloriana give them one last glance before she reluctantly closed the door to her chambers. Dagdron instantly darted around her room, searching for other riches to steal. Unfortunately, Elloriana had locked her jewelry box and chest and, before Dagdron could get his lock pick out, Earl raced over to restrain him.

  “We don’t have much time,” Earl said. “We need to get right to Byron’s room and get out as soon as we can.”

  “Fine,” Dagdron said.

  They waited fifteen minutes as Elloriana had instructed, then left her room. Dagdron stepped silently as they moved down the corridor, but the rogue realized how pointless his stealth was.

  Squish-clink, squish-clink.

  Earl was back to his sneaking stance, his heavy posture adding to the noise.

  “Too bad Wendahl didn’t make your boots magical,” Dagdron said.

  “Why?” Earl asked.

  “Then maybe you could walk quietly.”

  “Just wait, Dagdron. During rogue cross-over classes, my practice is going to pay off. I won’t make a single sound.”

  Dagdron didn’t respond, and continued leading Earl along the corridors. They followed Elloriana’s directions to the opposite side of the royal quarters where visitors stayed. The guards must be repositioned during dinner time, Dagdron thought, because they didn’t run into a single one.

  When they reached Byron’s door, they found it locked.

  “Elloriana must be right,” Earl said. “Why would he lock his door just to go to dinner if he wasn’t hiding something?”

  Dagdron pulled out his lock pick and set to work on the door. The lock was big and heavy, but he still had no trouble picking it. The guest rooms in Lordavia were extravagantly decorated to impress the royals from other kingdoms, and Byron’s was no exception. Dagdron and Earl quickly discovered that Byron hadn’t brought many possessions with him. Dagdron set at searching on top of, under, and in all the furniture in the room, while Earl checked the pockets of the clothes hanging in the wardrobe.

  “Dagdron, his trunk is locked,” Earl said.

  Dagdron joined Earl. Instead of leaving the chest out in the room, Byron had taken the trouble to place it in the wardrobe. The rogue crouched, tugging on the lock of the trunk. He stuck his lock pick in the hefty padlock, jiggling and pulling until it opened. Leaving the trunk in the wardrobe, the two boys scoured through the contents. All they found were Byron’s spare sword and clothes, until Dagdron noticed a stack of small packets tucked in the corner. He lifted them out cautiously without disturbing the other contents.

  “What’s in them?” Earl asked.

  “They’re not heavy,” Dagdron said. He opened one of the packets, tipping it, and seeds slid out into his hand.

  “Seeds?” Earl said.

  Dagdron squeezed the sides of the remaining packets so they could see inside, and each envelope contained a different type of seed.

  “Does Lordavia not want Broodavia to have their seeds?” Dagdron asked.

  “No, Broodavia can’t use them,” Earl explained. “Lordavia has traded seeds with them for years, but their rocky soil doesn’t allow for growth of our fruit trees and other vegetation.”

  Dagdron, dissatisfied with their find, searched the chest again, checking for secret compartments more carefully. He replaced the seed packets and locked the trunk. Together, the two boys searched the room again, but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.

  “We’d better go,” Earl said, when Dagdron slid down from the bedpost, having checked the top of the hangings, the location they had found Byron’s secret information the previous year in his room at the Adventurers’ Academy.

  “I doubt the wench will be happy with seeds,” Dagdron said.

  “Seeds?” Elloriana said. “That’s all?”

  “Sorry,” Earl said apologetically. Dagdron ignored her as he wandered around her room, checking for any loose articles that he might be able to nick.

  “You must have missed something,” Elloriana persisted.

  “We didn’t miss anything, wench,” Dagdron said from across the room. He pulled open a drawer, but it just had stockings inside.

  “Get away from my stuff,” Elloriana said.

  “You can’t think of any reason why Byron would want seeds?” Dagdron asked, walking back over by them.

  “Elloriana confirmed what I already told you,” Earl said. “Lordavia has traded seeds to them many times. The plants just don’t take in Broodavia. Lordavia has other intellectual secrets that only the king and queen and royal magic users know about, but the seeds don’t have anything to do with that.” Earl looked at Elloriana and she concurred.

  “And I don’t think Broodavia is very interested in those issues anyway,” she said. “They pride themselves being more sword oriented. Lordavia is more scholarly, but Broodavians prefer their warrior way of life. That’s what I’ve always thought.”

  “Do they want to trade the seeds with another city?” Dag
dron was tired of hearing about the seeds, so he wanted to help the others find an explanation or drop the subject.

  “We’ve given seeds to plenty of other villages,” Elloriana said. “And they’re welcome to them. Broodavia trades with them, but they don’t need as much as Lordavia does, so it would be pointless. Broodavia still needs Lordavia. I’m sure they resent us for that reason. They need our crops to fill their stores, especially during the winters.”

  “That’s true, and I think we give them a very good deal with the amount of fruit they get,” Earl said.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Dagdron, tired of the conversation, said to Earl. “Your dad was going to show me the more interesting parts of Lordavia today. I bet they’re way better than the castle.”

  “Give me my jewels back,” Elloriana said as Dagdron and Earl headed out of her bedroom.

  “I didn’t take them,” Dagdron said without looking.

  “I’m going to get them back!”

  “I’d like to see you try, wench,” Dagdron mumbled, putting his hood on.

  “I heard that!”

  “I’ll find them for you, Princess,” Earl said before Elloriana closed the door.

  “How come you’re always saying we’re best friends, but you always choose her side?” Dagdron asked.

  “It’s not about you or her. The only side I’m on is the side of honor,” Earl said confidently. He puffed out his chest proudly and pulled Dagdron’s hood off his head, leading his companion out of the pyramid.

  Chapter 7: The Unexpected Adventurer

  Dagdron and Earl watched the royal sendoff for the Fortigroffs from one of the walkways above the main plaza. They wanted to see how many trunks the Broodavian family loaded into their carriage. Although Queen Fortigroff had quite a few, from what they could tell, Bryon really only had the one chest, so they felt like they hadn’t missed anything.

  Elloriana was with King and Queen Loftloomburg as they said farewell. She extended her hand gracefully to Byron, who took it and kissed it softly. That was the last they saw of the princess besides at the weekly royal banquets in the pyramid. But she never acknowledged their presence or approached them to ask more about Byron or the Arches of Avooblis.

  For the rest of August, Earl and Dagdron explored Lordavia together. Although Dagdron was used to seeing Earl optimistic and excited about most things, he was still surprised at how enthusiastic his friend was as they visited the different parts of the city.

  The first stops they made were Earl introducing Dagdron to his three older siblings. It was obvious how proud his sister and two brothers were of Earl, and how much Earl had told them about Dagdron, based on the excitement they showed at meeting the rogue.

  They saw Earl’s brothers, Evan and Eran, where they worked. Both had blond hair just like Earl. Evan worked with the commerce group, negotiating trade deals between Lordavia and other villages, while Eran was involved with making sure the proper shipments were sent and received. Earl explained how, once his brothers turned eighteen, they had been required to leave the noble dwellings, but were able to choose whichever position they wanted from the open jobs for nobles.

  They also visited Earl’s sister, Leah. She was married with two kids, a boy and a girl named Kevan and Layla. Her husband, Kelvin, worked picking fruit in the orchards.

  “Uncle Earl!” his nephew and niece exclaimed when they entered. Earl grabbed both kids in a bear hug before introducing them to Dagdron.

  Dagdron, who had never associated with any kids at any time in his life, was still and silent, hoping they wouldn’t touch him.

  “He’s playing statue,” Kevan said excitedly. He and Layla immediately struck poses themselves, trying to remain as motionless as possible.

  Earl chuckled as he caught the slightest expression of bewilderment cross Dagdron’s face. Not wanting Dagdron to be uncomfortable for too long, Earl kept the visit short, in spite of the protests from Kevan and Layla.

  In addition to visiting Earl’s siblings, he and Dagdron stopped in many markets that were located throughout the city. Dagdron let a short scowl cross his face when Earl chuckled at him as the rogue scoped out the marketplaces. While there were plenty of people to pickpocket, the wares of the vendors were divided between either fruit or powders, oils, potions, and other magical objects and substances that were of minor interest to Dagdron.

  “This city’s worthless,” Dagdron said.

  Earl allowed himself a hearty laugh before continuing the tour. Their next stops were in the four plazas in each corner of the city: Animal Plaza, Acrobat Plaza, Adventurer Plaza, and Tropical Plaza. Each court featured a fountain representing the name. They saw a tightrope act at Acrobat Plaza. The man had tied a jungle vine to two trees, walking above the fountain. Tropical Plaza had a fountain where the water shot out of the middle of stone flowers. Citizens were allowed to display plant and flower creations, and the famous flower belly dancers put on a performances each evening. The Adventurer Plaza was, of course, Earl’s favorite. In addition to all the magical objects for sale, the stalls and vendors featured many wares and paraphernalia related to adventurers. Although primarily focused on objects for magic users, there were also a few blacksmith shops and stalls with weapons, shields, and armor. The blacksmiths and a group of performing warriors put on sword battle demonstrations and other expositions. With one look at Earl’s fascinated face, Dagdron knew the warrior had spent hours and hours of his childhood there, admiring the weapons and deciding that he wanted to be a warrior adventurer someday.

  “I know I’ve told you so much about Lordavia,” Earl said when they set out one morning in the middle of August. “But you don’t know how awesome it is to have you here to see the sights with.”

  “What do you mean?” Dagdron said. “You live here.”

  “I know, but it’s different having someone to go out and do things with, even when it’s your home.”

  “Don’t you have any friends?”

  “Well, I did before my father became an earl, kind of.” Earl glanced at Dagdron. “I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but a lot of the boys I grew up with got tired of me. They told me I talked about being an adventurer a little too much. Can you believe that?”

  During their first year at the academy, Dagdron remembered, he and Earl had had a conversation about leaving home. Dagdron had been fixated on returning to Cliffmount, but Earl was excited to be away from home where there were other kids his age. Dagdron, feeling sure Earl’s socialness had equated lots of friends, had never realized what Earl’s life was really like in Lordavia. Sometimes he still regretted having stayed at the Adventurers’ Academy to save Earl from being expelled, but Dagdron gathered more and more how much the academy really meant to his warrior friend.

  “We should go slice them for saying that,” Dagdron said in a rare moment of sympathy.

  “Thanks for offering, but there’s no need. I saw a couple of them my first month home, and now I think they’re jealous of me. They’ve all just taken up their fathers’ trades. They’ll probably never get to travel outside of Lordavia. How boring would that be?”

  “I know. I bet they’re just standing there wishing they were being chased by an evil enchanter because of some arch crystals they still don’t know anything about.”

  “You know what I mean. Come on, the monkey performers are out today in Animal Plaza.”

  As the summer months were coming to an end, Dagdron was surprised that he was looking forward to returning to the Adventurers’ Academy. He hadn’t minded too much exploring Lordavia, but there were too many people for the rogue to ever feel completely comfortable. Occasionally at night, he had snuck out of Earl’s window, visiting the four plazas to see how well he could sneak by any guards who were patrolling throughout the city. He practiced picking locks around the city too, but he never entered many houses, so he didn’t find it especially lucrative. During the day, he tried to be on the lookout for any rich homes to steal from, but Earl was getting better
and better at catching his thieving eyes. He always rushed Dagdron off to a less populated section of the city.

  The last week of summer when Earl was bursting with joy as he thought about the beginning of their second year at the academy, a knock came at the door. A royal courier had come to deliver a message, inviting Count and Countess Valorington, Earl, and Dagdron to accompany the royal caravan to the Adventurers’ Academy. King and Queen Loftloomburg were riding with Elloriana, so Earl told Dagdron that they had to comply.

  “I’m not going anywhere with a richy caravan,” Dagdron said.

  “We have to!” Earl told him. “Rance, Kas, and Wally are going to be on the lookout. We need to travel with them for our own safety, and to defend the princess in case of an attack.”

  “Fine,” Dagdron said.

  Any positive feelings Dagdron had about Lordavia were quickly diminished when he realized his last week was going to be spent watching Earl pack his five trunks. By then, he knew his way around Lordavia well enough, so he went out occasionally, but there wasn’t much left for him to see.

  King Loftloomburg invited them for a farewell dinner the night before they left. There were much fewer invitees than at the weekly banquets, so Dagdron smiled internally when the king and queen saw him walk in with the Valoringtons. They must not have realized who their guest had been the past months, Dagdron surmised, since they had been seated at opposite ends of the table. The previous year at the Winter Carnival, Dagdron had stolen King Loftloomburg’s coin purse, but he had successfully hidden it in Earl’s satchel, so when Elloriana accused him, they found nothing. Still, the king and queen looked quite appalled that he was sitting at the royal table.

  Although Dagdron didn’t speak the entire meal, he enjoyed the nervous expressions the king and queen held most of the time. Elloriana kept scowling at the rogue, upset at the effect he was having on her parents. Count Valorington and Earl, oblivious to the awkwardness at the table, were very talkative. They both tried to get Dagdron and Elloriana to discuss what they might experience during their second year at Adventurers’ Academy. Dagdron, fine with silence, just nodded to whatever they said. Elloriana, on the other hand, was forced to take care with what she said so her parents didn’t suspect anything about her plans for the future. Being part of the royal family of Lordavia, her parents had sent her to the academy for the prestige alone and expected her to return to the castle once she graduated. But Elloriana had other ideas. She had confided in Earl and Dagdron that she had plans to venture out in the land, not just become an adventurer in name only.