The Cryptic Command Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Your mission is to make her fall in love with you,” says Rephiroth, as he makes circles around me, carrying a half full wine glass.

“I don’t think that will happen,” I say. “She’s jaded. No one will be able to breach her emotional defenses.”

Rephiroth tosses me a small vial of red liquid. “You know what this is, right?” he says.

“I know it’s forbidden by the Real Convention,” I say. “That’s all I need to say. If you make me use this, and if you’re ever discovered, it will spell an end for the Reitzgrieg.”

“Then don’t let anyone find out,” says Rephiroth. “You have no choice in this matter.”

I take the potion and put it in my pocket. “I’ll try my best to get her to love me without it,” I say. “I’ll only use it if I absolutely have to.”

Rephiroth raises his wine glass. “I’ll allow you to use your discretion.” He frowns. “However, if your discretion leads you to fail this mission, you will not be given another chance.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say. I turn away. “I assume you’ve already gathered my documents?”

Rephiroth points his wine glass at a folder on the bookshelf beside the door. “I have.”

I walk over to the bookshelf and pick up a folder containing fake papers, a fake ID, and a royal decree allowing me access to Alice Albus’s society debut party. I fold the papers up gently and put them in my satchel, turning to Rephiroth.

Rephiroth tips his head at me. “I have put a lot of faith in you,” he says. “Lots of political capital has been moving of late.”

“That’s not my business,” I say.

Rephiroth chuckles. “It will become your business at some point.” He turns around and looks out the window, saying nothing.

“I’ll be going now,” I say, as I turn to the door.

Rephiroth nods his head once.

I leave the room, closing the door behind me. Leaning against the doorframe, I center myself, preparing to enter into job mode. After a minute I pull away and walk down the castle halls, passing maids on their way to serve dinner. They nod politely to me as I move by.

The castle’s luxurious hallways are coated with tapestries and hanging paintings. Doors open periodically to other chambers and hallways, some larger than others. I enter my small laboratory and close the door.

The room is bounded by alchemical tools. A magic telegraph sits on the table in the room’s center.

I summon some mage lights to illuminate the room. Even with the bright beams from them, the room still looks cast in shadow.

I pick up the material components I’ll need to perform the changing ceremony. I’ve done this many times before, and each time hurts more than the last.

Two ounces of bat fur. One peanut with four lobes. Two lizards’ tails, and an ounce of pure gold.

I fold them up in some parchment and place the package on the center of a magic circle.

“Change my form, oh great one,” I say, as I hold my hands over the circle.

Intense, blinding pain shoots through my body as the features of my face morph and change. The process takes about thirty seconds, but as always, it feels like an eternity. When the process is done, I look like a normal Malthuxian citizen, with high cheekbones, a thin nose, and small ears. I am unremarkable. If someone were to look at me in a crowd, they would probably not even realize I was there.

I pack my things in a bag of holding and walk through the halls to leave the castle. As I appear different than before, I need to show the gatekeeper my papers, even though we’ve known each other for years.

The gatekeeper looks at my papers. He sighs. “Job again, Joson?”

I nod. “As always.”

The gatekeeper stamps my papers without any further investigation. I leave the castle and enter the city streets.

Since I look like a Malthuxian, and people don’t like Malthuxians around here, I put my coat over my face and try not to make eye contact with anyone.

I manage to leave the city without much in the way of problems. The countryside stretches out in front of me, the road winding its way to the horizon.

A man’s presence appears out of nowhere behind me. I notice him only half a second before he puts his hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, Joson!” he says. “I haven’t seen you in years!”

I freeze, a chill running through my veins. “I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

“You’re Joson, right?” the man says. “I’d know your aura anywhere.”

I turn to face a man without eyes. Instead of them, his eye sockets gape out at the world, sending shivers down my already chilled spine.

“I don’t know you,” I say.

The man tilts his head. “I swear you would have recognized me,” he says.

“Oh my god,” I say. “Apex?”

The man grins. “Glad you remember me.”

I sigh. “I haven’t seen you since the Treacher event.”

“Ah, that,” says Apex. “I just so happened to land in the maw of a blood oak. I nearly got eaten, but the landing was soft enough that I only broke my arm.”

“How did you lose your eyes?” I say. “Did the blood oak gouge them out?”

Apex laughs. “No way. I lost these on another adventure. I have so much to talk with you about.” He taps his forehead. “The magic sense I’ve developed can show me many things.”

I shrug. “I’ll be traveling for the next couple of days,” I say.

“You’re always moving around, aren’t you?” says Apex. He crosses his arms. “I’ll make sure no one tries to kill you.”

“Thanks,” I say.

Apex stretches his arms above his head. “So, what are we waiting for?” he says. “Let’s get going.”

We walk in silence for a couple of minutes. Then Apex frowns. “You still doing spy stuff?” he asks.

I shake my head. “I can’t say,” I say.

“That’s the nature of the business,” says Apex. “I was employed by the Bathal Crown for a while as a seer. I know how all that secrecy works.”

“You?” I say. “A seer?”

Apex laughs. “Like I said. When I lost my eyes, I gained magic sense. I can’t see colors or anything, but I’m more aware of my surroundings than I ever was while I could see.”

“I’ve heard of cases like yours,” I say. “But I don’t get what magic sense is.”

“You have to open your third eye, my man,” says Apex. “Just let it work and then, boom! You can see everything.” He pauses. “Your aura is a bit different than before, though,” he says.

“I’m transformed right now,” I say. “For my job.”

“Ah,” says Apex. “I know you probably can’t talk about it, but I have to ask. Who are you trying to kill?”

“Someone in a high up position,” I say. “It’s a big job. I can’t screw it up.”

“This is about the impending war with Matlhux, isn’t it?” says Apex.

I shake my head. “I don’t have all the context,” I say. “I don’t know anything about an impending war.”

“Maybe I’m just more perceptive than the usual person,” says Apex, “But I know there’s a war coming. Olbury is gathering material to build an army of kithkin. Meanwhile, Malthux is building an army of golems.”

“Makes sense,” I say. “It was only a matter of time before those were used for war.”

“And the Yedai are taking control of the Olburian army,” says Apex.

“Them?” I say. “They’re pacifists. Why would they join a war?”

“It appears that their nemesis, the Dark Ones, are working with Malthux,” says Apex.

“Say this, say that,” I say. “Do you have any proof that this is happening?”

Apex shrugs. “This is just the stuff that I pick up when wandering the royal Bathal courts,” he says.

“I doubt that it’s as reliable as you seem to think it is,” I say. “Royal courts are full of crazy rumors with no substantiation.”

Apex chuckles. “I see you’ve spend your fair share of time in that kind of place.”

I snort. “And it was a waste of my life. All of it.”

“But it’s the royals who control what happens to the people,” says Apex. “You have to remember that they don’t necessarily care about the common man.”

“The thing I’m most concerned about is this rumor about the Yedai,” I say. “They’re very powerful wizards, but for the last two centuries they’ve stayed out of conflicts. What’s making them enter into battle now?”

Apex shakes his head. “It’s the Dark Ones,” he says. “They’ve infiltrated the Malthuxian court and have corrupted the royals. You don’t understand how horrible these Dark Ones can be. They’re fallen Yedai who are just as powerful as them, perhaps more powerful. Plus, they aren’t adverse to using forbidden magic.”

“I see,” I say. “However, I don’t think this has anything to do with my mission. My target is neither a Yedai or a Dark One. She’s a merchant with lots of power. I can’t tell you exactly who she is, but I can tell you that she’s probably not involved with these Dark Ones.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” says Apex. “You always did know your stuff.”

We walk in silence for a couple more minutes.

I sense the arrow seconds before it comes out of the trees, catching it between my fingers an inch from my cheek.

Three people are hiding in the glade beside the road. I toss the arrow aside and face them.

“If you wanted to steal from us,” I say, “You picked the wrong people.”

“Steal?” says a man, stepping out from the glade. “You don’t have anything of value except your life.” He is a wild-looking man, with a long beard and even longer hair. His eyes are filled with menace. Two more equally disheveled bandits step out of the glade behind him.

Damn, I thought. These people must know who I am.

Before I can react, a blade comes to my throat.

“Apex,” I say. “Why?”

Apex puts me in a restraining hold. “They used me,” he says. “Since I can sense who people are without being confused by their appearance.”

“Was my mission leaked?” I say.

“You were open about it when you talked with me,” says Apex. “So I can assume it’s not as secret as you think it is.”

“Who hired you?” I say.

Apex says nothing.

“You know you can’t beat me in a fight,” I say.

“That was years ago,” says Apex. “I’ve changed. I can defeat almost anyone I knew in the old days.”

“I haven’t stayed idle myself,” I say. “Plutris!”

My skin begins to radiate heat.

“Ah, ah!” says Apex, stepping away from me and releasing his hold.

I turn to him.

“You shouldn’t have ignored—” says the bandit, a second before I throw a dart into his forehead. He crumples to the ground.

The bandit’s cronies freeze.

“Why, Apex?” I say. “We were friends.”

“Were,” says Apex. “But this is for the best. A new order is going to descend onto the world, and I’m going to be part of it.”

The two bandits behind me rush my back. I dispatch them with two small needles. They fall to the ground in unison.

“I don’t want to fight you,” I say.

“Neither do I,” says Apex. “But you never afforded that luxury to any of your victims, did you?”

I shake my head. “That’s different. They needed to die for …”

“For what?” says Apex. “You’re just a lackey for a bunch of corrupt cronies who don’t care about the people.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, taking out my sword.

“So am I,” says Apex, as he draws his own sword.

Well, I thought. Here we go.