David and the Magister soon rejoined Sandra. “Now, you say you definitely found Elgarin on the world we sent you to, Thellissandra?”
“Yes, he hides behind an illusion and pretends to be a, what was it, D… Grand Mage?”
The Magister held up a hand: “I have only verified Thengarian here to be a Mage, not a Grand Mage so use his name or just call him a Mage for now.”
She nodded, and David answered her question: “a sort of merchant who pays other merchants to improve their shops and products in exchange for a share in their profits.”
“An odd concept but one that I can see has value,” the Magister admitted after considering it for a moment. “Go on.”
David did: “He also made a comment, almost a joke about working with the undead, at pretty much the same time a, what did you call it Thellissandra?”
“Strigoi.”
“A strigoi, or likely a pair of them, murdered the man I knew most of my life as ‘Uncle Mike’ but I recently learned was Grand Magister - I hope I can pronounce this correctly - Mikkledarmius?”
The other two nodded and then the High Magister said: “we had suspected Elgarin to have allied with something monstrous, especially after what happened to the Grand Magister’s wife.”
“Dad was married?” Sandra blurted out, surprised.
“Ah you knew? At your mother’s funeral he reconnected with a childhood friend, Celeora, sister of the Great Artificer Algond. They were together for almost a year, and married for half that time, before something broke into their chambers while ‘Uncle Mike,’” he said, adding a sad smile as he did so, “was engaged in Temple politics. Whatever it was left a trail of viscera but no corpse. Algond fled this world and Mikkledarmius confronted his former apprentice, only to be banished to, well, the world you were born on, Mage Thengarian.”
“That certainly fills in some gaps,” David replied. “We have a rough idea as to where he’s hiding, and I may have access to some resources there to assist in bringing him down.”
“Ah! Good to know. Do you two think you can be detached enough to work with the strike team or are you likely to want to seek vengeance over justice?”
David and Sandra exchanged gnces, and he answered: “I think we can detach our emotions from the situation, but regardless I hope to go with the team and, at the very least, protect some friends who are tied up in this mess. As I’ll likely need a bodyguard, I can think of none better than Thallissandra here.”
“I will take all that you have said under advisement and discuss it with the Council. Should have an answer in a day, maybe two. Until then, I bid you both a good day and warn you, good sir, to be ever alert, as we discussed earlier.”
David and Sandra were walking back to her chambers when David realized someone behind him was calling for “Mage Thengarian” and turned around.
A small, rat-faced young man in the robes of a Temple Apprentice was hurrying to catch up to the pair.
“Yes?” David asked.
“I am Ragvi, Junior Apprentice of the Temple. I have been sent to take you to your quarters.”
“My quarters?”
“Rooms have been made ready,” the other replied, then gnced over at Sandra…"Thellissandra is still assigned to Dalrinjian, and she is not old enough to choose her own lovers. Further, she is scheduled for testing next week, and if she is with child, it is Dalrinjian’s, not yours, so any further visitation will have to be negotiated with him. If she is negative or indeterminate next week but positive a week ter, it will be known to be yours, and you will take over her assignment. But until then you may only be together in public areas or with others present.”
Sandra nodded sadly at this. “He is correct; things moved too fast for me to think of the rules. I am sorry, Da, ah, Thengarian.”
“That is OK, my dearest,” David replied, bowing to her. “Lead on, good sir. I hope we can meet again for our evening meal?” he called out to Sandra as he started to walk away.
She nodded and headed off while the Junior Apprentice stood by impatiently, and then he began to lead David away. As soon as there was nobody else in earshot, Ragvi turned to David and said “You should probably just leave, you know. Dalrinjian leads my study group and often talks - despite our protests - of his lovemaking sessions with Thellissandra. Though their first coupling was less than pleasant for either of them, their subsequent times have been quite energetic, and he is certain he made a child their st time. So, you could avoid embarrassment for both of you and depart.”
David stopped and stared at him. “What game are you…”
The rat faced young man held up a hand, “I could even give you a hundred gold coins to leave today, but the offer goes down each day you remain. Think about it, is all I’m saying.”
David noticed two other men wearing the same gold trimmed gray robes of a Junior Apprentice pacing them from a distance. “And when it reaches zero you will threaten to break limbs, I suppose.”
“Pray it does not get to that point, sir.” Ragvi replied, clear menace in his voice.
“Well, I will take it under advisement, though you might as well store that gold in a secure location, like up your backside,” David replied cheerfully.
The other gave him a nasty gre, then bowed and said “well, regardless, your chambers are this way,” and led him to a modest room with a decent bed, a chest of drawers and a small room with a working toilet off to one side.
David thanked Ragvi, and the rat-faced man said, “Think on what I have said, that is all I ask.”
David’s only reply was a broad smile and a mocking bow before turning away dismissively and hearing the door close.
Once alone, he sat on the bed and pulled up his mental Heads-Up Dispy. Shifting symbols around for a while he got a pattern he felt right with and said: “Malcolm, are you alone?”
