Page 73 of The Sundered Realms

Shry frowned at Vhannor this time. “Now? Liris was just unconscious a minute ago. You don’t think she should go home?”

“I’m fine,” Liris said.

Shry shot her a quelling look and looked at Vhannor carefully. “I obviously don’t mind her company, but I’m surprised you’re not worried about her.”

Vhannor’s expression iced over as he said, so crisply Liris’ stomach dropped further because she understood how much emotion it was hiding, “Oh, do you think being home will keep her from getting into trouble, rather than just devising new and inventive methods of destruction no one can save her from?”

That sentiment shocked her absolutely silent.

Liris did not say a single word as Vhannor rounded on her. “You,” he bit out, “are not going to perform any spells without my full knowledge until I decide. And I have something to do and you are going to come with me where I will at least be present if you still manage to get yourself into trouble. Are we clear?”

Another barrier, another person holding her back for her own good. She didn’t know how to not fight against that, especially because right now she even agreed, given what had just happened—but Serenthuar had claimed to be looking out for her too.

Liris was fairly certain he wasn’t just angry with her but that he was worried about her after all.

Well, that made two of them. At least he still thought she could keep up.

“No magic,” Liris confirmed, and maybe she was feeling again after all.

Face grim with determination, Vhannor whipped out his spell pad and faced empty air.

The Gate.

They were going straight to Dianor? The realm that had allowed invading casters through, that could have an army waiting on the other side for the mercenaries’ signal?

Did being without magic right now make her powerless, or was it the only way to make her—and everyone around her—safe?

Vhannor strode confidently for the Gate, with who-knew-what waiting on the other side, Shry a step behind him.

Liris clutched her spell pad in a death grip, squared her shoulders, and followed them through.

Chapter 11

Dianor speaks a derivative of Standard Senic with several liquid consonants, and their written script is this much more flowing cursive that looks like calligraphic art without even trying. Since the color red has some special cultural symbolism and their traditional ink is a very bright color derived from a bug—made artificially with cheaper acid these days—it can look very dramatic. It’s equally difficult to actually decipher too, of course, especially since they’re not exactly keen on clear record-keeping.

Serenthuar doesn’t have the resources to make them into a reliable trading partner, but they always make sure an ambassador stationed at a connected realm is qualified to deal with whichever power structure is currently in place. Leveraging their black market is too important.

The adorable tiny native rodents are not generally treated as an asset, which I really think is a missed marketing opportunity. I hope I get to see one.

Braced as she was for attack, Liris was confused by what awaited them on the other side of the Gate:

Nothing.

She frowned, looking around—the Gate was a crumbling brick structure with chunks missing, and the clearing around this Gate was so small she’d have almost believed Dianor didn’t know about it. “No guards?”

“They’re not really organized enough for that in Lyedar,” Shry said. “And without local cooperation, Dianor’s current regime hasn’t been able to make them. Not worth the effort.”

Liris scanned further afield. She knew a little about Lyedar: it was a city in the Sundered Realms that had rejected central authority. Authority in Dianor was never centralized enough to make an issue of it—especially when they benefitted from the proximity of black-market goods and connections.

She couldn’t look very far, because buildings multiple stories high towered in front of her, spaced by alleys. They were all different heights and looked to be tilted, like they were leaning into each other.

And people in an array of clothing styles, but all nondescript colors and fabrics, hurried about like there was nothing noteworthy about three strangers appearing through a Gate.

Or, like it wasn’t worth their while to involve themselves in strangers’ business.

“If there was an army staged to invade here, there’s no sign of it now, Vhann,” Shry said.

Where they would have put an army, Liris wasn’t sure, but—if the breakdown in messages hadn’t been to give those who took the Gate time to mount a force to take Periannolu, then what was even the point of taking the Gate?

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