Hal and Mona crested the last rise before descending into the valley holding the city of Tandon. A tall ship with sleek lines, dropped more sail as it cleared the harbor entrance and sailed out into the Western Sea. Hal smiled as he watched it sail away. He envied the freedom of those captains who sailed these waters.
He sat in his saddle for a while with the setting sun at his back and turned his attention back to the scene before him. It had been a long time since he’d been here. There were some changes to the city below, but for the most part, it looked the same as it did when he first came here years before.
“It is beautiful,” Mona commented, sensing her husband was reminiscing as he looked over his first home here in Fantasma.
“Yes, it is. I’d forgotten how much I loved coming here. Why’d we ever stop?”
“You know why. It wasn’t fair to Cari to raise her in two worlds like we were doing. We had to pick a place she could call home and stay there. Besides, we were going to invite her to come back with us after her next birthday. That’s why you restored the computer in the first place.”
“Yeah and look how that turned out.”
“We’re almost there, Hal. This is the last place anyone had word of Cari’s whereabouts. Let’s get down there before dark so we can find a place to stay. It’s been two weeks since we’ve seen anything resembling an actual inn with a real bed.”
“We had a nice visit in the Valley of the Sun. Shalush’s grandson was very welcoming when he realized who we were.”
“Sleeping on a pile of bear pelts in a goblin longhouse is not my idea of a bed. I want you to take me to the nicest inn we can find so I can get a hot bath and a decent meal. Then I’m going to settle into a nice down-stuffed mattress and sleep until morning without having to take a shift on guard.”
Hal laughed. “That actually sounds like a nice plan. Come on, the main gate is right down there. Let’s go and get a good night’s sleep. We can check in on the Duke in the morning.”
———
Hal ground his teeth and tried to hold back his temper.
“My good man, I assure you the document is not a forgery. That is the Empress’ seal and it clearly states who I am along with my position as an official emissary from the Crystal City.”
“I don’t care who you say you are, we take the memory of Prince Hal very seriously here in Tandon. The mere fact you’re pretending to be him is enough for me to have you jailed until we discover who you really are. I suppose this woman with all the tools on her belt is supposed to be Princess Mona? Everyone knows she always went out wearing a blue gown. It’s in all the stories.”
“I never wore a blue gown in my life. Hal, we don’t have time for this idiot. We have to see the Duke.”
“Look, kid. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you don’t pass us along to your superiors, I’m going to make you very uncomfortable in a moment.”
The young officer spluttered for a moment, trying to find his voice. “You can’t threaten an officer in the Duke’s guard like that. Sergeant, Sergeant, come in here and place these people under arrest. They have threatened me.”
The door behind Hal opened, and he decided he’d have enough of this idiot. He opened himself up to draw in magical energy so he could teach this kid a lesson. Once more, he felt the strange resistance holding the magical forces back.
He felt some power fill him but nothing like he’d been used to when he came here in the past. Kareena had told him magic no longer worked the way it used to. Being unable to open portals whenever he pleased and travel where he wanted was a pain.
He was still struggling to gather enough power to do what he wanted when a shouted warning from Mona turned him around. A butt stroke to the head from the guard sergeant’s musket had him seeing stars and his legs buckled beneath him, dropping him to his knees.
Health damage — health -18
Hal looked up through the haze cursing aloud as the magic slipped away from him. He guessed he’d have to do this the old-fashioned way.
Mona was already being held with her arms twisted behind her by two guards. Two others advanced on him, manacles ready to bind his hands. Hal reached for his daggers as he struggled to rise.
The sergeant growled another order and raised his musket ready to strike Hal with the wooden stock one more time.
Hal struggled to rise to his feet as he drew his daggers. The room spun around him as he fought to break through the dizziness of the first blow to his head.
The sergeant brought his musket down again, catching Hal on the back of his head and the world started to dim. He didn’t need the notification to tell him he was about to pass out.
Critical hit — health -26
Critical side effect — unconsciousness
The next thing he felt was a familiar peppermint taste in his mouth as his faculties returned. A familiar voice nearby shouted at someone.
“Why did you automatically assume his letter from the Empress was a forgery, you fool. You’re a fortunate young man I happened to be on my way to see the Duke on urgent business.
“Mr. Colin, sir, how was I to know this man was who he said he was. Prince Hal should be an old man by now. My gramps was a little kid when he was here last.”
Mona’s voice carried a chill tone Hal knew all too well. “You’re just lucky Colin had a healing potion on him. Your sergeant almost killed him.”
Hal’s eye’s fluttered open and he looked up at Mona’s face staring down at him.
“Take it easy Hal. They beat on you pretty hard with their musket stocks.”
Hal raised his hand to his head. It throbbed with a dull ache despite the healing potion Mona gave him. She held up her hand with a fresh flask.
“Do you want another?”
“No, I’ll be alright.” Hal smiled at his old friend. “Colin, it’s good to see you again. We haven’t checked in with you in a long time. I see you still come here.”
“I find it interesting to visit from time to time and see how things are changing. Imagine my surprise when someone showed up in my shop who I knew from back home.”
“Please tell me you’re talking about Cari,” Mona said.
Colin nodded. “She’s made quite a name for herself since she came here. It hasn’t been easy, but she’s done well. Based on what she set out to do last night, I think you’d both be very proud of her.”
Hal had so many questions swirling around in his head. One jumped to the top as he processed what the shopkeeper said at the end.
“Last night? Colin, please tell me you locked her in a room at the Outfitters. Tell me you kept her until you could send her home.”
“Why would I do that? Besides, you know my portal set up allows only me to travel back and forth. Tildi made sure of that.”
“Why—?” Hal paused as he searched for the words. “Colin, why wouldn’t you stop her? That’s our daughter. She has no business roaming around this place. She could get herself killed.”
“I think that would be harder to do than you’d think. Judging from everything she’s accomplished in the year since she arrived, I’d say she’s leveled up quite a bit. You know she’s the captain of her own ship now. She’s built quite the reputation for herself as the protector of the Southern and Western Seas.”
“Colin,” Mona asked. “Is she still in the city? We’ve come to take her home.”
Colin shook his head. “Nope. She planned on sailing with the evening tide last night. As far as I know, that’s exactly what she did.”
Hal’s thoughts turned right away to the ship he and Mona watched sail from the harbor the night before. Had they been that close, only to miss her by a few hours? Just thinking about it put a twisted knot in his guts.
“Hal, we have to get to the harbor. We need to get a ship to go after her.”
“I think you both should hold on a second. I have a message Cari asked me to deliver on her behalf to the Duke.”
“What is it? Tell us.” Mona ordered.
“Not here, Mona. This has to be done in private. Too many prying ears about for me to be comfortable talking here, even quietly. Come on Hal, get on your feet. You’ll want to hear this, I promise you.”
The young officer of the guard who’d ordered Hal and Mona taken prisoner stood by the door wringing his hands. He had a puzzled look on his face. He looked from Hal to Mona and then to Colin.
“Uh, Mr. Colin, sir. If this is truly Prince Hal and Princess Mona, does that mean the Dread Raider Cari is actually the Lost Princess herself?”
“I’ll leave it for you to do the math, boy. You’re a smart lad. You’ll figure it out. Now get out of our way. The Duke is going to want to hear what I have to say. I’ve been delayed long enough this morning.”
Colin brushed past the lieutenant, followed by Mona and finally Hal.
Hal met the boy’s eyes and winked. “You’re lucky. I was going to turn you into a toad. Who knows? Maybe I still will.”
The lieutenant’s eye’s widened, and the blood drained from his face as fear of what Hal might do to him sunk in.
Hal laughed aloud at the look of horror on the kid’s face. Maybe he’d be a bit more polite to the next person who came in to get an audience with the Duke.