Chapter 1 #2
Heck Post was the tallest building in the Crescent District on account of the drayk roost. A narrow, multi-storied dome dotted with drayk-sized entry points rose from a small sprawl of attached buildings that served as housing, storage, stables, the mysterious and fancy portal chamber, and the post’s comparatively mundane front office.
One of the flying letter carriers was stretching its wings on the roof, catching the last of the moonlight with its teal feathers, and atop the dome, the drayk-shaped weathervane turned under a gust of warm westerly wind.
Brioni took a deep breath of the early evening air.
Something spicy was being served in the tavern, the hay in Stephan’s stable was fresh, and the blossoms had opened on the big droopy tree big enough to shade the post’s entry and its side door—a smell she could only describe as yellow.
It was certainly different than where she had lived in Ankerick, but she didn’t miss the smell of roses or the high stone walls of the life she’d left behind, even if it hadn’t been her choice to leave.
She unhitched Stephan and let herself in through the side door.
The small mud chamber was lit with violet lights in jars—magic light that Alamar made with the snap of her fingers, though she was rather indifferent about the spell.
Boots were lined up beneath extra coats hung on the wall, and though none of them belonged to Brioni, they were for her use when it rained, Alamar had said, even if they were all way too big.
She slipped off her own shoes, a gift from Camdran and Valgoth that blessedly fit, and stretched tall as her belly growled.
She was a little later than usual, but if there was still something simmering on the hearth, she might be able to coax Kat into joining her for a meal by offering up the extra yivie tart she’d brought back.
“There you are.”
Brioni stopped short in the small hall off the mud chamber. Living quarters were one direction and working ones were in the other—the direction the voice had come from.
Alamar stood on the other side of the rune-marked dais in the delivery portal chamber, black eyes wide.
Magic sizzled through the air, not uncommon for the post’s innards, but this was stronger, like lightning had just struck.
The runes no longer glowed, but something had arrived by way of the magic ingress moments prior.
“I didn’t mean to be late,” Brioni squeaked as she scampered in.
“I got lost three times, but the cutler didn’t mind getting their new files late because they were busy with a utensil-based emergency—did you know the Zizrenis insist on having amethyst stones embedded in all their handles?
Doesn’t sound like it makes for very comfy dinner parties to me.
Oh, and also Stephan got obsessive over this blue moss near the butcher’s shop, and—”
“Never mind, shoes back on, you have an important delivery to make.”
Brioni lifted her brows—she’d been making what she thought were important deliveries all day, but Alamar hadn’t yet used that word to describe any of them.
The purple demon rounded the portal dais, and Brioni eyed it, ever careful to avoid leaning too closely—it wasn’t meant to transport anything living, and it came to life whenever it wanted.
Alamar held out a small burlap sachet. “This is marked urgent. I’d take it myself, but I’m not as quick as you’ll be. ”
Brioni wasn’t sure about that since her legs were much shorter than Alamar’s, but she was about forty years younger, so that probably counted for something. The package was small even in Brioni’s hand and exceptionally light. “The drayks are a lot faster than I am.”
“Maybe so, but they’re clumsier, and we can’t risk that breaking.
” Alamar plucked away the map that was sticking out of Brioni’s skirt pocket and flattened it on the sorting table.
As the demon took a quill to her own drawing, Brioni peeked inside the sachet at the singular vial within.
Something liquid sloshed beneath the cork, and there was a note inside addressed to—
“Attention, please.”
Brioni jerked her head up and drew the string on the sachet tight. Alamar didn’t exactly snap when she spoke, but she also didn’t not snap, and the demon’s version of not-snapping was exceptionally attention-grabbing.
“You know how to get to the barracks, correct?”
Brioni nodded eagerly—she didn’t need the map at all to find the guards’ quarters but only because they received packages almost every day and not for any other reason.
“Good. You’ll go just east of there to this road here”—she traced with her quill along the new line she’d drawn—“and then follow a well-marked path through here all the way until you find the barn. You can’t miss it; it’s the biggest one you’ve probably ever seen.”
“Um,” said Brioni and then she swallowed because she wasn’t sure how to say the next part. “Does that go into the forest?”
“No. Well, yes, but it’s not the Veilwood proper, just an overgrown road and a lot of trees that refuse to be cut down. Your cuff will let you through—the boundary runes of the city encapsulate all this.” She traced a light circle around a space that was definitely wooded.
Brioni bit down on her lip and scrunched up her nose. “I get to go in the forest,” she whispered to herself.
“That’s not what I said.”
But Brioni had already tugged the map out of Alamar’s hands and traded off the wrapped tart from her other pocket. “Would you give this to Kat for me, please? I have a delivery to make!”