Robe

Chapter 3

The Custodian's abode was a modest structure on the outer edge of the town of Hep Duatab, close to the forest's edge. It was skirted by a multi-colored garden that bloomed with a variety of interesting and unusual plants (and more than a few semi-plants, some of which would occasionally uproot and stroll into the Hep Common and therefore create much fuss). These were but a few of the specimens the Custodian had sourced from his travels; he only had room for so many here.

Dresden, Mohon, and their shield-borne charge came out of the forest at the base of the hills, not too far from the Custodian's home. They trudged along a worn path leading out of the forest to the pitch-sealed wagon-road encircling the Hep, and meandered over to the Custodian's residence, whose occupant was well aware of the impending arrival of his visitors.

He stood outside his unusual garden's gate, a squat, fat man, slightly taller – and considerably wider – than Dresden. His pudgy face was framed by cheeks that were persistently red, and he maintained a fiercely white, split mustache that drooped down his chest in two tails. But it was his eyes that truly marked the man: they were brilliantly blue, and hard, cold. The robe he was wearing (not the Robe, we will get to that soon) was unadorned, tumbling over his large belly like a waterfall, and he had casually thrown a red scarf around his neck. He was also wearing sandals, a sure sign he was not intending to work as the town mage today.

He waved at Dresden as they approached, and Dresden waved back. The Custodian showed no surprised at what floated behind Dresden and Mohon, nor did he feign to express such. One of his more aware vegetative residents leaned over the fence and opened its leafy eyes to peer at the arrivals. It extended a branch and nudged the Custodian, who swatted it away impatiently.

"Yes, I see the outsider," he said to the tree. "I did say we would have company."

The branches of the plant rose up, and more leaves unfurled to allow the eyes within to see.

The Custodian's brow furrowed in thought.

This was it.

This was the moment of which he had been forewarned. A boy in strange black armor will come, the Emissary had said to him. An outsider. A boy of tremendous power. He is capable of magic the likes of which you cannot comprehend.

Then her emphatic warning: Flee from him! And bring me the Robe of God!

But the Custodian was not one to flee, despite the Emissary's instruction. Yes, he would admit (to himself only, of course) that he was in terrified awe of the Emissary. There was an unsubtle, manifest aura of evil to her, a malevolence that enveloped her child's frame in a dark shroud. However, the reward she promised for delivery of the Robe was indescribably glorious... nay, astounding, even! The enrichment promised to the Custodian was achingly vast!

Thus, he willingly disregarded any misgivings for the assigned task, for the promise of the Emissary was more than adequate compensation. As for her warning about the outsider boy, the Custodian had sensed neither great magic nor significant alteration of the Weave prior to the boy appearing, only a very subtle change in the fabric of reality, a foreshadowing of the boy's arrival, nothing more. And certainly nothing the Custodian couldn't handle.

Still, he had mentioned to Dresden to keep one eye out for the appearance of 'outsiders'. It paid to be cautious, really. All were ultimately dispensable, even his high-born pupil, despite the friendship he had formed and maintained with the lad. Besides, nothing bad had happened, and actually, the Custodian was quite curious now. The mere fact that the 'boy of tremendous power' appeared to be lying unconscious, floating on some sort of shield behind Dresden, gave him some hope.

Great power indeed, he thought snidely. He had dispatched other 'outsiders' before, and easily at that. There was nothing to be afraid of here.

Dresden, Mohon, and their charge approached the Custodian. Dresden bent down on one knee. "Custodian Aris, hail."

The Custodian smiled, his visage now warm and welcoming. "No need to kneel, son of Faramay. Such formalities are reserved for castle affairs, I would think."

Dresden stood up. "I am but my mother's son, Custodian. A failure to courtesy would be a failure to the Queen."

"Yes, well, I suppose," the Custodian said. He was the essence of conviviality. "I admit it is good to be treated politely by youth." He peered over the boy's shoulder to Mohon, who was sitting next to the floating white shield and the person it carried. "Mohon, how are you?"

Mohon woofed once.

"Well said," the Custodian replied. He turned to Dresden. "So, you found something, I see. As I thought you might."

"Mohon sensed him," Dresden said, "but neither of us have any idea how he appeared, or what he was doing in the woods, even." He paused to rub his chin. "He came to consciousness when we found him, but then he looked at Mohon and fainted."

"Most would," the Custodian said, not unkindly. He looked gleefully at the boy lying on the white shield, thinking: This is most easy! "You can lower him, if you like," he said to Dresden.

Dresden held his hand up, palm facing down, in the same position he used when he first cast the floating spell. "At peace with all," he said.

Nothing happened. He tried again. The shield remained hovering above the ground.

"At peace with all," the Custodian said, and the shield gently descended onto the grass below it. He looked at Dresden, one eyebrow raised.

"I'd like to say it did follow me all the way without the spell breaking," Dresden said, looking at his fingers. "I achieved that much."

"Magic must come full circle, son of Faramay," the Custodian said. "If you can neither undo nor finish what you begin, you may come into troubles for which I am unable to remedy."

"I would have gotten it," Dresden said. "Eventually. I think de-summoning my bow earlier affected the spell."

Mohon woofed disdainfully at Dresden's excuse. The katarn was wandering along the outside edge of the multi-colored garden that ringed the Custodian's abode, hoping to find something that wouldn't fight back if he were to relieve himself on it.

"Mohon, you found this child?" the Custodian asked. "Well done! The Queen would be proud. How did you sense him?"

"Not. There," Mohon said. "Then... There."

Dresden got down on one knee to inspect the stranger's clothes, and plucked at the black material. It truly was like nothing he had encountered before; an unwoven film that was almost sticky, like warm pitch on the wagon-road during the mid-Line hours. "It is strange armor he wears," he said.

"I do not sense any magic coming from it," the Custodian said, almost grinning from ear to ear. He was very happy indeed. The black armor this outsider boy wore made it clear that was the person the Custodian had been cautioned about in such dire terms (and with this came the thought: Perhaps the Emissary is not so powerful after all...). Therefore, the task before him was trivial.

But while Dresden and Mohon were here, he had appearances to maintain, and maintain them he would.

"Let's see to this child, shall we?" he continued. "We'll take him inside, I think. If the sight of our katarn friend here caused him to faint, my garden residents may well set him on a path to death!"