Nym was determined to free himself while he had a chance, but when he tried to forge a conduit, he found himself once again blocked. It didn’t take long to realize why. The mage cell he was in was itself inside another, larger mage cell.
His escape plans destroyed before he even got started, Nym brought his attention back to the man standing in front of him, his mind catching up to the conversation. Had the man apologized?
“Who are you?” Nym asked.
“One of my overeager assistants thought you were an operational security threat and sent out a team to deal with you with rather more zeal than was necessary,” the man continued, completely ignoring Nym’s question. “We’ve since learned otherwise, of course. By then it was too late. Your own condition is completely coincidental. For that I am sorry.”
“Does that mean you’re letting me go?” Nym asked.
The man made it sound like this was all a big misunderstanding, but Nym wasn’t so naïve as to believe they’d send him on his way with a simple apology. Whatever these people were doing, they wanted it kept quiet and were serious about making sure it stayed that way. He could end up being murdered for someone else’s mistake, but Nym was hoping the fact that he was still alive and talking to someone now meant they weren’t going to be that extreme.
“Oh God, no. No, of course not. This actually works out rather well for me. I’ve been meaning to have a conversation with you anyway,” the man said. He stepped back from the doorway and gestured for Nym to follow him.
“Who are you?” Nym asked. He stepped out of the small cell he’d been trapped in to a much larger one that had been furnished to look like a sitting room. Unlike his cell, it had windows that let in light from outside. As soon as Nym got a good look at the man, he knew the answer.
They had the same shade of hair, though the man in front of him wore it longer and tied back. The nose was the same too, and though the man had the same eyes, his gaze was piercing. His lips curled up into a smirk as he studied Nym. “Yes, you know already, don’t you? But it would be rude not to introduce myself. I am Lord Jaspar Feldstal, Mage-Commander of the King’s Army at Ebalsan.”
It was like looking at an older version of Bardin, and not even all that much older. Despite the fact that he had to be at least fifty from what Nym understood, the man appeared to be no older than his late twenties. That wasn’t unusual though. Most mages were older than they looked, although in this case it was a bit more jarring since Nym knew his son. Going just on looks, he would have said Lord Feldstal was Bardin’s older brother.
Nym let himself be led to a pair of comfortably padded chairs with a small, circular table between them. Lord Feldstal gestured for Nym to sit at one and took the other for himself. After situating his robes, he leaned forward and said, “I must know, young man, what are your intentions towards my daughter?”
Nym stared at him in confused shock. He didn’t have intentions towards anyone. He wasn’t even entirely sure what Lord Feldstal meant.
“I’m… sorry? My what towards your daughter?”
The man started laughing as he sat back in his chair, apparently satisfied with Nym’s confusion. “I see. You have no idea then. I can see why she likes you though. She’s very headstrong. That’s my fault, I suppose. She was kept at home to protect her while I’m away, bored with her lessons perhaps, and here comes a boy who’s adventurous, strong, smart. Well, not usually stupid perhaps. From what I’ve been able to gather you’ve made your fair share of mistakes, but then, what’s the point of being young if you don’t get to screw things up every now and then?”
“I… I guess.”
“Now I’ll admit I was a bit cross when I found out you were working for that rat, Valgo. God, that’s a name I haven’t heard in more than a decade. We went to the Academy together, you know? But then he got expelled for doing, well, much the same thing he was doing when you met him, I assume. Still, he was a useful contact when I needed materials not readily available.”
“You worked with Valgo? Why did he want to steal from you then?”
“The same reason he did anything, I assume. Valgo was a man who loved money and never understood the difference between a large bank account and real, actual power. That’s not to say he wasn’t effective at what he did, but take a petty thief from a fallen merchant house and dress him in noble finery, and what do you get? A thief who blackmails children with manufactured evidence.”
“So you’re not mad about the whole breaking into your house thing?” Nym asked. At this point, he was assuming Lord Feldstal knew everything Bardin did, and probably other things besides since it looked like Nym had been the subject of some sort of investigation unrelated to his dealings with the Feldstals.
“I wouldn’t say I’m happy about it,” he said dryly. “But the one truly responsible was Valgo, and he is quite thoroughly dead. I’m making some assumptions that it was you who did it, but the manner was consistent with the magic you used to execute several members of his gang, and he did seem quite obsessed with you.
“That having been said, there’s a reason that research room was hidden. You’ve strained my relationship with my daughter, and I would appreciate some help repairing it. She holds you in high regard, you know? It’s very unusual for her.”
Nym wasn’t really sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this. He wasn’t surprised that the people who finally caught him did so on the Feldstal payroll, but this man in front of him was not the Jaspar Feldstal his journals had painted him as. Nym had expected a cold, ruthless man with calculating eyes that saw the world through a dispassionate lens or gain and loss, opportunity and cost, that saw people as a resource.
Lord Feldstal was a charming, handsome man. He laughed easily and worked to set Nym at ease, at least as much as he could be in the situation he’d found himself in. Despite the fact that he’d been abducted in the middle of the night and held in an exorbitantly expensive cell, it felt more like he was being interrogated by Jaspar, father of Analia, who wanted to know all about the boy who’d been hanging out with his little girl, not Mage Commander Feldstal who was deciding whether or not Nym would be allowed to live.
But that was exactly what was happening. He just had to keep reminding himself not to be lured in by the charming façade. Despite his smiles and easy manner, Nym was still a prisoner. And despite his casual conversation about his daughter, he was still a man who had mercilessly experimented on her in an attempt to create something… else, something stronger than a human was supposed to be. The costs for that weren’t entirely clear to Nym.
“That’s all personal business between you and me, though I would appreciate it if she’d slow down a bit on all the books she’s buying, or at least keep them to be shipped back home to the family library when she’s done,” Lord Feldstal continued.
Nym groaned and slouched down in his chair. Of course her father knew about that. He knew about everything else, so why not that she was just a few miles away? Nym didn’t actually know if he was anywhere near Ebalsan at this point. Figuring out where exactly he was could wait until he was out of this cage. It didn’t matter how far he needed to travel if he couldn’t get away from his abductors.
“So if that’s got nothing to do with why you had people kidnap me, why am I here?” Nym asked.
“Because of your scan,” Lord Feldstal leaned forward again, appearing excited now. “It’s quite fascinating, really. When Doliar saw it, he thought… well… I’m not honestly sure what exactly he was thinking. Maybe he thought someone was trying to replicate our research, or that someone was selling information. Like I said, someone got a little overeager and started trying to do damage control before we could properly figure out what the damage was.
“But anyway, you’re here now and that’s the important part. You appear to be doing naturally, all by yourself, what we’ve been trying to do for years now. Based on the results of your scan, I’d say you’re ahead of us in some areas, behind in others, and I would love to be able to merge whatever technique you’re using to modify your matrix with the techniques we’ve developed.”
“Wait a minute. Are you telling me the army kidnapped me because I damaged my soul well helping fight off a wight-led ghoul attack that I personally reported to the mage tower at forward command? An attack that no one bothered to respond to.”
“No, no. Of course not. We kidnapped you because whatever you’re doing to fix your soul well is weird and we want to know if we can repeat it.”
“That damn discount store healer,” Nym swore. “I knew I shouldn’t have gone to him.”
“In all fairness, Doliar Kents would be the perfect healer to help you, and it’s not like we advertise who’s a member of a secret government-funded military project. That guy who sent him the message with your scan results was probably trying to do his best by you.”
That didn’t make Nym feel that much better about the situation, but any annoyance he felt at the old healer was brushed aside as he considered Lord Feldstal’s words. Other than the heavy-handed acquisition methods they’d used on him, this was exactly what he’d wanted. Here was a group that claimed to be studying the very thing he was struggling with, who was interested in duplicating what he’d done and teaching him what they’d done so they could try to merge it together into something wholly beneficial.
Nym had no doubt they’d try to extract some price from him. He was, after all, a prisoner at their mercy, and while he was sure getting his cooperation was the goal, he doubted they’d balk at forcing him to assist if they needed to. His best strategy at this point was to get as much as he could for that cooperation. Maybe, if he didn’t do anything too stupid, he’d make it out with his life. If he was smart, he might even come out better than when he went in.
“So you know about how my matrix is… uh… lopsided, I guess is how I would describe it,” Nym said. “And you think you can fix it because you’ve been working on something similar, but with different results.”
“That is essentially accurate.”
“I can agree to that,” Nym said. “I have some conditions of my own.”
“Oh?” Lord Feldstal raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
“I think it goes without saying that I don’t want to be your experiment to be shoved back in that box whenever I’m not in use. I’d rather be a willing collaborator. This benefits me too, but I want to be free to go about my business just like anyone else.”
“I think that could be arranged with a few stipulations. We’d want to move you to somewhere more secure than that third-rate inn. You’d probably need a bodyguard assigned to you both to keep you safe and to make sure you’re not revealing any sensitive information.”
“Since you know so much about me, I’m sure you’re aware of my current finances,” Nym said.
“Down to the loose wedge bouncing around in the bottom of your pack,” Lord Feldstal agreed. “That’s easily remedied. In addition to seeing to your housing, we can provide you with a modest stipend to use as you see fit.”
“And the other thing I want is simple. When this project is all over, I don’t want to be drafted into the military, or attached to your family, or anything like that. If I decide I want to fly off to another country, I expect to be able to do so without being hounded.”
“Ah, that might be a bit more of a problem. This is a sensitive project. The information you’d walk away with is not something we would want shared with our neighbors. As long as your loyalties are assured though, there’s no reason you couldn’t pick a nice town anywhere in Delvros to live. You would of course be added to the list, along with everyone else who completes the project.”
That wasn’t as bad as Nym had expected. He would need more information before he agreed to anything though. “What list?”
“The list of mages capable of casting third circle spells. That’s what this project is about: we’re trying to find a way to artificially boost a mage to master status.”
Nym was determined to free himself while he had a chance, but when he tried to forge a conduit, he found himself once again blocked. It didn’t take long to realize why. The mage cell he was in was itself inside another, larger mage cell.
His escape plans destroyed before he even got started, Nym brought his attention back to the man standing in front of him, his mind catching up to the conversation. Had the man apologized?
“Who are you?” Nym asked.
“One of my overeager assistants thought you were an operational security threat and sent out a team to deal with you with rather more zeal than was necessary,” the man continued, completely ignoring Nym’s question. “We’ve since learned otherwise, of course. By then it was too late. Your own condition is completely coincidental. For that I am sorry.”
“Does that mean you’re letting me go?” Nym asked.
The man made it sound like this was all a big misunderstanding, but Nym wasn’t so naïve as to believe they’d send him on his way with a simple apology. Whatever these people were doing, they wanted it kept quiet and were serious about making sure it stayed that way. He could end up being murdered for someone else’s mistake, but Nym was hoping the fact that he was still alive and talking to someone now meant they weren’t going to be that extreme.
“Oh God, no. No, of course not. This actually works out rather well for me. I’ve been meaning to have a conversation with you anyway,” the man said. He stepped back from the doorway and gestured for Nym to follow him.
“Who are you?” Nym asked. He stepped out of the small cell he’d been trapped in to a much larger one that had been furnished to look like a sitting room. Unlike his cell, it had windows that let in light from outside. As soon as Nym got a good look at the man, he knew the answer.
They had the same shade of hair, though the man in front of him wore it longer and tied back. The nose was the same too, and though the man had the same eyes, his gaze was piercing. His lips curled up into a smirk as he studied Nym. “Yes, you know already, don’t you? But it would be rude not to introduce myself. I am Lord Jaspar Feldstal, Mage-Commander of the King’s Army at Ebalsan.”
It was like looking at an older version of Bardin, and not even all that much older. Despite the fact that he had to be at least fifty from what Nym understood, the man appeared to be no older than his late twenties. That wasn’t unusual though. Most mages were older than they looked, although in this case it was a bit more jarring since Nym knew his son. Going just on looks, he would have said Lord Feldstal was Bardin’s older brother.
Nym let himself be led to a pair of comfortably padded chairs with a small, circular table between them. Lord Feldstal gestured for Nym to sit at one and took the other for himself. After situating his robes, he leaned forward and said, “I must know, young man, what are your intentions towards my daughter?”
Nym stared at him in confused shock. He didn’t have intentions towards anyone. He wasn’t even entirely sure what Lord Feldstal meant.
“I’m… sorry? My what towards your daughter?”
The man started laughing as he sat back in his chair, apparently satisfied with Nym’s confusion. “I see. You have no idea then. I can see why she likes you though. She’s very headstrong. That’s my fault, I suppose. She was kept at home to protect her while I’m away, bored with her lessons perhaps, and here comes a boy who’s adventurous, strong, smart. Well, not usually stupid perhaps. From what I’ve been able to gather you’ve made your fair share of mistakes, but then, what’s the point of being young if you don’t get to screw things up every now and then?”
“I… I guess.”
“Now I’ll admit I was a bit cross when I found out you were working for that rat, Valgo. God, that’s a name I haven’t heard in more than a decade. We went to the Academy together, you know? But then he got expelled for doing, well, much the same thing he was doing when you met him, I assume. Still, he was a useful contact when I needed materials not readily available.”
“You worked with Valgo? Why did he want to steal from you then?”
“The same reason he did anything, I assume. Valgo was a man who loved money and never understood the difference between a large bank account and real, actual power. That’s not to say he wasn’t effective at what he did, but take a petty thief from a fallen merchant house and dress him in noble finery, and what do you get? A thief who blackmails children with manufactured evidence.”
“So you’re not mad about the whole breaking into your house thing?” Nym asked. At this point, he was assuming Lord Feldstal knew everything Bardin did, and probably other things besides since it looked like Nym had been the subject of some sort of investigation unrelated to his dealings with the Feldstals.
“I wouldn’t say I’m happy about it,” he said dryly. “But the one truly responsible was Valgo, and he is quite thoroughly dead. I’m making some assumptions that it was you who did it, but the manner was consistent with the magic you used to execute several members of his gang, and he did seem quite obsessed with you.
“That having been said, there’s a reason that research room was hidden. You’ve strained my relationship with my daughter, and I would appreciate some help repairing it. She holds you in high regard, you know? It’s very unusual for her.”
Nym wasn’t really sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this. He wasn’t surprised that the people who finally caught him did so on the Feldstal payroll, but this man in front of him was not the Jaspar Feldstal his journals had painted him as. Nym had expected a cold, ruthless man with calculating eyes that saw the world through a dispassionate lens or gain and loss, opportunity and cost, that saw people as a resource.
Lord Feldstal was a charming, handsome man. He laughed easily and worked to set Nym at ease, at least as much as he could be in the situation he’d found himself in. Despite the fact that he’d been abducted in the middle of the night and held in an exorbitantly expensive cell, it felt more like he was being interrogated by Jaspar, father of Analia, who wanted to know all about the boy who’d been hanging out with his little girl, not Mage Commander Feldstal who was deciding whether or not Nym would be allowed to live.
But that was exactly what was happening. He just had to keep reminding himself not to be lured in by the charming façade. Despite his smiles and easy manner, Nym was still a prisoner. And despite his casual conversation about his daughter, he was still a man who had mercilessly experimented on her in an attempt to create something… else, something stronger than a human was supposed to be. The costs for that weren’t entirely clear to Nym.
“That’s all personal business between you and me, though I would appreciate it if she’d slow down a bit on all the books she’s buying, or at least keep them to be shipped back home to the family library when she’s done,” Lord Feldstal continued.
Nym groaned and slouched down in his chair. Of course her father knew about that. He knew about everything else, so why not that she was just a few miles away? Nym didn’t actually know if he was anywhere near Ebalsan at this point. Figuring out where exactly he was could wait until he was out of this cage. It didn’t matter how far he needed to travel if he couldn’t get away from his abductors.
“So if that’s got nothing to do with why you had people kidnap me, why am I here?” Nym asked.
“Because of your scan,” Lord Feldstal leaned forward again, appearing excited now. “It’s quite fascinating, really. When Doliar saw it, he thought… well… I’m not honestly sure what exactly he was thinking. Maybe he thought someone was trying to replicate our research, or that someone was selling information. Like I said, someone got a little overeager and started trying to do damage control before we could properly figure out what the damage was.
“But anyway, you’re here now and that’s the important part. You appear to be doing naturally, all by yourself, what we’ve been trying to do for years now. Based on the results of your scan, I’d say you’re ahead of us in some areas, behind in others, and I would love to be able to merge whatever technique you’re using to modify your matrix with the techniques we’ve developed.”
“Wait a minute. Are you telling me the army kidnapped me because I damaged my soul well helping fight off a wight-led ghoul attack that I personally reported to the mage tower at forward command? An attack that no one bothered to respond to.”
“No, no. Of course not. We kidnapped you because whatever you’re doing to fix your soul well is weird and we want to know if we can repeat it.”
“That damn discount store healer,” Nym swore. “I knew I shouldn’t have gone to him.”
“In all fairness, Doliar Kents would be the perfect healer to help you, and it’s not like we advertise who’s a member of a secret government-funded military project. That guy who sent him the message with your scan results was probably trying to do his best by you.”
That didn’t make Nym feel that much better about the situation, but any annoyance he felt at the old healer was brushed aside as he considered Lord Feldstal’s words. Other than the heavy-handed acquisition methods they’d used on him, this was exactly what he’d wanted. Here was a group that claimed to be studying the very thing he was struggling with, who was interested in duplicating what he’d done and teaching him what they’d done so they could try to merge it together into something wholly beneficial.
Nym had no doubt they’d try to extract some price from him. He was, after all, a prisoner at their mercy, and while he was sure getting his cooperation was the goal, he doubted they’d balk at forcing him to assist if they needed to. His best strategy at this point was to get as much as he could for that cooperation. Maybe, if he didn’t do anything too stupid, he’d make it out with his life. If he was smart, he might even come out better than when he went in.
“So you know about how my matrix is… uh… lopsided, I guess is how I would describe it,” Nym said. “And you think you can fix it because you’ve been working on something similar, but with different results.”
“That is essentially accurate.”
“I can agree to that,” Nym said. “I have some conditions of my own.”
“Oh?” Lord Feldstal raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”
“I think it goes without saying that I don’t want to be your experiment to be shoved back in that box whenever I’m not in use. I’d rather be a willing collaborator. This benefits me too, but I want to be free to go about my business just like anyone else.”
“I think that could be arranged with a few stipulations. We’d want to move you to somewhere more secure than that third-rate inn. You’d probably need a bodyguard assigned to you both to keep you safe and to make sure you’re not revealing any sensitive information.”
“Since you know so much about me, I’m sure you’re aware of my current finances,” Nym said.
“Down to the loose wedge bouncing around in the bottom of your pack,” Lord Feldstal agreed. “That’s easily remedied. In addition to seeing to your housing, we can provide you with a modest stipend to use as you see fit.”
“And the other thing I want is simple. When this project is all over, I don’t want to be drafted into the military, or attached to your family, or anything like that. If I decide I want to fly off to another country, I expect to be able to do so without being hounded.”
“Ah, that might be a bit more of a problem. This is a sensitive project. The information you’d walk away with is not something we would want shared with our neighbors. As long as your loyalties are assured though, there’s no reason you couldn’t pick a nice town anywhere in Delvros to live. You would of course be added to the list, along with everyone else who completes the project.”
That wasn’t as bad as Nym had expected. He would need more information before he agreed to anything though. “What list?”
“The list of mages capable of casting third circle spells. That’s what this project is about: we’re trying to find a way to artificially boost a mage to master status.”
