Chapter 6.3 - A Tale of Two Stars

Veronica Seven Blades, principal instructor of the Northern Kingdom's most prestigious school, The Capital Military Academy, was entranced. She stood before a little shop in a back alley of the city surrounding The Northern Kingdoms' Capital, Castle Hargrave.

She had overheard one of the other instructors talking about a small weapons shop in the city that sold imported weapons from various cities and even from other nations, but also had a small setup for honey wine. It was a bit expensive for most commoners but was not outside the cost range for instructors such as her. She had heard tales of this delicacy and was surprised it had made it all the way to the capital. The merchants who carried it in from far away lands usually sold out on their first stop.

When Veronica arrived, she was less impressed by the weapons, albeit strange designs they were on par for what was available. She stared at the small casks of honey wine. She was not allured by the small 'free sample' sign. She was instead staring at the cask itself. Specifically, at the symbol burned into the side of the cask.

Veronica was not in her formal attire of Academy Headmistress, but was instead dressed as a low noble, however her power and influence was palpable as she walked up to the counter. A young girl was manning the stall and she smiled. "Excuse me, miss? Can you tell me what that is?" Veronica said while pointing to the honey wine.

"Ah yes! That is a special import of wine made from honey! I don't know how they do it, I am sorry. But I know it's very tasty. And relatively inexpensive."

Veronica smiled, "Is there anyway I can ask the name of the man who makes it."

Veronica saw a bit of a twinge of something strange on the attendant's face. It was almost imperceptible, but Veronica saw it, like a mask slipping down off someone's face for a mere moment. She would have thought it was nothing, however she also heard the sound of a crossbow safety level being removed, as well as a dagger coming out of a leather sheath.

The attendant smiled, "I am sorry, but I don't know that information. Why do you ask?"

Veronica could feel it. Lie detection magic. She was being scanned. She pretended to be flustered and had to think quickly. She had to say something completely truthful that would not confirm, but allude to something else. "Oh it's just I am a widow you see, and if there was such a man that owned an establishment, I would gladly wish to meet him for a drink." What Veronica said was technically the truth, but alluded to a different story than she told.

The Attendant seemed to be imperceptibly relieved. The weapon was sheathed, and the safety clicked back on. The Attendant smiled, "well I am sure that he would be happy to know he had such a fan."

Veronica smiled, "Would you mind if I wrote him a letter? I can deliver it tomorrow."

The attendant smiled and nodded, "That would be fine. We send and receive shipments regularly and I can have the letter forwarded. Least I can do from one Single woman to another. " the attendant winked.

***

Veronica took the rest of the day off and immediately returned to her chambers. She went under her closet and pulled out a very old travelling trunk. She was careful to disarm the numerous traps she had installed on the case. Although her room was guarded at all times, she had to make sure to keep prying eyes out. From within the crate she then pulled out an ornate box with the stylization of an owl.

As she opened the box it was a set of old stationary, pen, ink, wax, seal, and envelope. Veronica began to write.

***

Serin was informed of a development at the House of Masks. Normally Dana submitted reports to him, and very rarely did she ask for his presence. For one, the House of Masks looked like a brothel from the front, and smelled of perfume and alcohol. The smell even wafted through to the back entrance, which led to a partitioned part of the building where the House of Mask's more covert actions took place. Serin went to the building through a back door. No need for people to think Serin visited a brothel or explain what the other purpose of the building was, as it was not shared with the general public. As the Skygge say, "Loose lips sink ships.".

As he entered the backroom it looked like the den of a great spymaster. Multiple changelings, Lybringers, and Skygge worked relaying messages to the front staff, and sending messages to local assets, including a direct bridge with the embassy guards for the Kingdom of Thul. Serin had no idea why he was spying on his friends, but he mostly left Dana to her own devices. She was good at this work. Within a small meeting area Serin was met with Jericho and Dana. It seemed that Sculp had sent an additional letter through with the daily reports from the Northern Kingdom.

As Serin stared at it, he smelled the faint aroma of perfume. The letter was addressed to the "maker of homeywine" which had to be Jericho. As Serin read the letter, it sounded like a rather strangely worded love letter.

"Jericho, does Jasmine know of this secret admirer?"

Jericho shook his head. "Seems that if something isn't slathered in magic it gets right past you doesn't it Serin?"

Jericho then used a spell to conjure a stream of hot air on the page. Many letters began to erase under the heat. The message spelled out was very clear.

Jericho,

If I found you this easily, he could as well. As promised, I will keep this to myself. If you have made any progress, send word immediately. Otherwise I will be working my plan.

Stay safe wolf,

Veronica Seven Blades

Serin read it. He had heard of Madame Seven Blades, a renowned instructor of the sword and of military strategy. Jericho looked at Serin with a smile. "You see Serin, Veronica was promised her lover would return to her if she worked for twenty years under the grand general. She has roughly 4 years left."

Serin looked strangely, "Where is her lover that The grand general had such control?"

Jericho laughed, "Well it seems he forgot about his arrangement, because he is currently sitting as a piece of flesh in a box at our secure lab, and is at the bottom of the revival list." Serin knew that in an effort to ensure proper assimilation of the older warriors (especially after the incident with Jasper) they left a block of time between each person they brought back to this world. If they brought them all, they were apt to gather an army and go kill Marcus.

Serin then looked at Jericho, "What do you have planned?"

Jericho smiled, "I am going to send a letter back." Serin then saw a strange box with stationary, pen, ink, stamp, and envelopes. Serin smiled, "Dana, do we have a replacement for the changeling assassin in Castle Hargrave?"

Dana nodded, "I have two assassins and two spies trained up and in reserve here."

"Contact Gail of the windrunners. We will be swapping out the assassin tonight. Leave the spy. Additionally, when you send the return letter, send this. They will need it for what i have planned." Serin produced a legendary runestone for the [inventory] skill.

***

Veronica was surprised. She returned only two days later and there was a letter awaiting her. Jericho must be somewhere in the capital to have responded so fast.

Veronica took the letter and blew a warm wind over it.

Veronica,

Seems you have been tricked again. I have the box with him inside. I plan on bringing him back. If you wish to join me, I can have his return expedited so the person he wakes up next to is you. If you choose to come to where I am, all you must do is tell the attendant "I need to make a personal shipment." Follow their instructions and I will get you to where I am.

I want to make sure you are ready. If you do this, you may never return to the Northern Kingdoms and will have made an enemy of Marcus.

I have made a home and I am sure that you will be welcomed with open arms. And if you decide not to stay, that is fine. I will stand by my word and have him brought back when you arrive. No questions asked.

When you arrive, there is much to discuss. And I look forward to having a few drinks again.

Stay safe,

Jericho

P.S.

Jasper said specifically, "Nobody likes an older woman with saggy breasts so get that fixed." I can only assume this is a coded message to verify the letter's authenticity.

Veronica twinged a bit of anger. Jasper's 'coded message' did indeed verify the authenticity of the sender but was not coded. Just Jasper being a jerk. Veronica had been much more prideful in her youth and took the timeless body trait. She may look no older than 35, but she was. She wondered if he would still find her attractive.

"I am coming for you Eddie."

Sculp, who had been pretending to tend shop perked up, "Oh is there something I can do for you miss?"

Veronica smiled, a tear falling. "I need to make a personal shipment."

Sculp smiled. "Understood."

Sculp moved around to the shop door, closed the blinds, and changed the "Open" sign to "Closed"

Then Sculp came over. "I will need you to change into this Miss Veronica Seven Blades."

Veronica was surprised at the clothing. It was a bunch of thick winter clothing. As she changed, a man came in from the back. She was about to cover up when he said, "If you wouldn't mind, while you are unclothed I require to get a good look at your appearance."

Veronica pretended to be a slave at auction and proceeded to do a bit of a slow turn with her arms out. "Get a good enough look buddy?"

He nodded without a smile, "Perfect thank you." Then in an instant changed shape to look identical to Veronica. She stood stunned. Sculp the attendant looked at her, "My name is Sculp. This is Knitter. You and I will be leaving out the back and taking a carriage. He will be leaving out the front in your clothes, and then meeting us at the location."

***

Veronica was taken at sunset to a forest outside of town. There in a small clearing a box looked as if it had crashed down from the heavens. Inside was a pod big enough for two and padded on the inside. A few goblins were poking it with spears. Sculp effortlessly sent out a flurry of firebolts and icicle spells which minced the goblins where they stood. She then dragged the pod to the middle of the clearing.

Veronica then nodded. "Are you coming with?"

Sculp shook her head. "No. my duty is here. Have no fear, Knitter will arrive shortly."

As if on cue, Knitter arrived, looking not like Veronica, but like himself, or rather the form Veronica remembered. She was unsure what his actual form was, because she was sure at this point he was one of the changeling monsters from the reports of Haven. He got bundled up in a parka as well. "It will get quite cold, and even with our endure elements enchantments, you are liable to become hypothermic if you do not stay warm."

Knitter then laid down in the cramped 2 person pod and motioned for Veronica to follow. "You will be able to see through the top, which was made of glass. Although if you don't wish to, I can cast sleep on you."

Veronica, still confused, got into the pod. Sculp activated something on the outside and it then felt as if they were floating on water. Then Sculp took out a black metal device with a metal wire attached. Sculp activated something on the side and it shot up into the air. Veronica followed its movement, mesmerized by its velocity.

It was then she saw a bird circling high above. But not a bird as it didn't have wings. It looked almost like a children's kite. It then connected with the wire and Veronica felt herself start to rise.

"This is amazing." Veronica felt as if she was floating through air. Knitter looked a bit apprehensive. "We are just being reeled closer. It's a bit less bearable when we actually move."

Veronica watched as she picked up speed as she got closer to the circling object in the air. It was indeed a kite. A metal kite with a person riding on top. Towing the pod that veronica was in.

The man latched veronica in and gave a thumbs up to them. "So we will ride in a magical kite back to my love? This is not so bad."

Knitter said, "The windrunner hasn't accelerated yet."

Then Veronica saw the kite's wing unfolded and a small windmill on the back kicked on. Veronica lurched forward, and proceeded to vomit on Knitter.

He simply wiped his face and covered himself in a blanket.

Veronica could see out a small window as she left there were explosions all over Castle Hargrave. Knitter saw her worry and she responded, "No one was harmed by those explosions, and the guards that stood in the way were knocked unconscious and moved to a safe stairwell."

Veronica couldn't understand and instead tried to hold her stomach inside her body.

***

Jericho and Serin were there to meet the windrunner at the floating dock. For the windrunners coming in, it had ropes strung up to catch it and slowly reel it in.

Serin and Jericho cracked the pod with a human healer ready.

Veronica got out, dizzy and covered in vomit. She huffed and when she could stand, walked over to Jericho. "Where is he? Where is my Eddie?"

***

They didn't wait. They moved her to the largest clinic in town. In a back room there was a partially disassembled body on the table. Or better to answer, Veronica laid her eyes on a partially reassembling body on a metal table.

"You see Veronica, we have had to regenerate him from a tiny piece of his skin that Marcus kept in a jar. We are in the middle of the process. If it's unsettling you are welcome to wait in.."

"I'll stay." Veronica could see it was Eddies. All the tattoos. The funny mole on his hand. She could wait.

It took another 2 days to fully regenerate his body. He was then moved into one of the new single family residences in the Biome district and brought back. Veronica was given the room.

Jericho said "When you are ready, we will be downstairs."

Serin bid Jericho and Jasper a good night and left. Best to let old friends talk it out. As he left he heard Veronica's tears. Happy tears of two young lovers reunited.

***