Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1) ✔

Chapter 34: Vicious

After stuffing ourselves full of fruits and meat and liquor, we remained around the stone. Paradoxically, I felt both tired and restless at the same time. My eyelids desperately wanted to fall, but my mind wandered over every conversation I've had with Ace.

Why wouldn't he tell us about the High Mage Soterios sooner? He saw him, he recognised him in the forest where G'Dertha mercenaries attacked us.

Ace wasn't telling us everything. The things he had told us were worrying, but his secrets worried me more.

"So," Nickeltinker patted his belly, "How about we give up on the mission and spend the rest of our lives here?"

Ace looked up from the ground, "You cannot stay here, floran, spirits would kick you out. You're too corporeal for their taste."

Nick raised his eyebrow, "Are you telling me spirit ladies wouldn't want something more corporeal in their lives?"

"Do not mess with spirit ladies." Ace warned. "They're shifty cunts."

"Language." I murmured. "You are in their territory."

Ace looked disinterested, "If there's a spirit I haven't yet pissed off, please, point me in their general direction."

"You said there were a few stops along the way." Danilo cut in, ignoring the conversation. "Where are we going?"

Ace pointed behind me, "See those two mountains? We have to cross one of them."

I turned around, noticing two identical peaks touching the midday sky, surrounded by ranges of smaller mountains. The clear blue sky allowed a good look at the snow-covered rocks.

"Cross them?" Rixen frowned. "Aren't we passing through the Aradda Tower?"

"What?" Nickeltinker sat upright.

"We cannot pass through Aradda." Ace sipped his liquor. "I'm banned."

"Excuse me?" I sighed, having no strength to express exasperation.

"What's Aradda?" Nick asked.

The mage shrugged, "I'm banned. Aradda guards are ordered to kill me on sight."

"Wait a moment," Rixen cut in, "Crossing the Ghoul Peaks would take us days and there's a merry group of mercenaries at our heel. If they pass through Aradda, they will be waiting on the other side."

Ace's gaze cut through the shadowman, "Which part of 'kill on sight' didn't you understand?"

"The part where I care." Rixen smiled.

The mage kept quiet for a moment, "Do you think the spirits would spare you if they caught me?"

Rixen's confidence didn't waver, "Let me remind you I've crossed this path already and the spirits were quite welcoming towards me."

Ace's jaw clenched, "According to my calculations, we'll reach Aradda exactly on the summer solstice. Every single spirit in the territory will attend."

Nickeltinker raised his hand, "You know, some of us are from the south and to us you're talking gibberish."

I nodded.

"Aradda is the Spirit territory's... culture centre, for the lack of a better word." Ace said. "And during the summer and winter solstices, they have a gathering. Which means we cannot just storm in, not with humans, giants and florans in our group."

"Apparently not with a mage either." I mumbled.

Rixen shrugged, "You go through the tunnels underneath. I will go through the Tower."