Chapter 2: The cold never bothered her anyway
As the wagon jostled and bumped her about, Elize marveled at how Sharilton wool really did keep the cold out, even in the Mon Highlands.
She was traveling with merchants, en route to Kanbalar from Xian Du, and the cool, crisp breeze seemed to permeate everything except her clothes.
Kanbalar was now the capital of Rieze Maxia, though the king and his prime minister alternately spent time in Fennmont where they were refining a parliamentary system with the Six Ruling Houses. In school, Elize had studied the nuances of these politics, due to Driselle's involvement, and the parliamentary system would govern the southern cities since Rashugal's king had been permanently unseated.
Elize had spent a few years before her graduation assisting Driselle in re-establishing communication with the scions of each House, all but driven into hiding by the bloodthirsty Rashugallian King Nachtigal.
Her once shy sister was so adept at communicating and networking with people now that Driselle often said it was a shame Elize was not going into politics on a larger scale; but the day to day management of Sharilton was enough for Elize to tackle if only to lessen the burden on Driselle and Rowen.
With Jude's influence, of course, came the study of medicine. Elize was surprisingly adept at botany and formula memorization and she loved helping people.
Since mana lobe channeling was integrating with spyrite use for ordinary people, Jude thought it especially important for healers like himself and Elize to be familiar with alternative methods of treatment, such has herb lore, medical technology and pharmaceuticals to pass on a well-rounded curriculum to the next generation of spyrite wielders and arte users in both Reize Maxia and Elympios.
Many alternate forms of medicine had come from the libraries of the Ministry of Healing in Auj Oule, and were incorporated into Talim Medical School's curriculum by the King's recommendation.
Elize was well versed in all of it. Yet, for all her knowledge, she had no idea what was wrong with her own body.
She sighed. Staring through the light icy drizzle, Elize remembered it was cold that day her parents were slaughtered by men in search of the fugitive, Jiao. She remembered little about the incident since she spent most of that time hiding in a barrel but she remembered the bright color of blood against the pure white snow.
It was also cold that day she was sold by Isla of Kitarl for eight hundred gald to the Labari Institute as a test subject.
Her cell in the Labari Hollow was as cold as the grave but it was the only place she had known to call "home" for a very long time. As one of the only successful test subjects, she had survived long enough to be liberated from that horrible place. But Jiao had only led her to another prison in Hamil; where she lived in a cellar and where the children made fun of the pale little girl who had forgotten the smell of flowers in the Spring and the feel of grass under her feet.
She was grateful that Jude and her friends had taught her how to smile again.
The wind that was blowing harder now but the frost that assaulted the tip of her nose was nothing to her. Her Bunnykins ear muffs, a relic of her school days, kept the cold and the clatter of the wheels out, and all she had left was the quiet, peaceful reverie of friends and places that kept her heart eternally warm.
When she reached the Kanbalar Inn, further investigation probed some tentative leads at best. But Nils, the only scientist at Labari Institute who actually cared, was dead and gone; and Wingul, who had promised to take care of them was also dead.
Her acquaintance Wingul was referenced as "Lin Long Dau" in the Kanbalar texts she studied at the Academy. He was once leader of the Long Dau tribe; though back at Labari she had only known him as a young man determined to be stronger: the only volunteer at Labari.
With sleeping quarters close to one another she and Wingul had developed an affinity for each other's company in that brief time. She was the only one capable of sparring with him during the test runs. He would sneak a porange from the kitchens for her when she did well.
Wingul had great visions for Auj Oule's future, though most of it was beyond her understanding as a ten year old. He had once told her that if the King diverged from that future, Wingul would be the first to cut him down. In contrast, he was also fiercely loyal to his king; and it was this internal conflict of love and rivalry that drove him to the edge of madness. There was no doubt the booster implant had made Wingul unhinged at the end, though his heart was still in the right place.
Elize was there to witness the horrible after effects of a booster used beyond its limits. His blood pooling around his serene death mask as he lay on the crystalline floor of the gods' dimension seared into her memory.
Elize had seen much in her adolescence, enough for lessons to last a lifetime, but the weight of what she had experienced would not be realized until she was both older and wiser.
It was her friends and family who kept her grounded, and she was grateful she could turn to them. Wingul, on the other hand, seemed to have no one. He mostly kept to himself and she wondered if he had ever opened up to anyone before the end. She had seem him keeping a journal back then, making detailed accounts of the research.
She wondered where it might be now. If he had left it behind before he died, it would still be in Kanbalar. Though the odds were slim, Elize hoped the clues were there to find. Now that Nihls, Wingul, and her former guardian Jiao were gone, there was no one left to ask.
Trying not to feel her frustration Elize took the cable car up to Castle Gaius and marched determinedly through the snow-covered cobblestones to the nearest soldier to ask for the Minister of Archives.
When she found the rotund little minister dressed in his flashy court robes, seemingly more pleased with himself than anyone he stared at down his nose, getting information from him proved challenging.
Though she had politely declared herself of the House of Sharil and she was conducting medical research to save lives, none of this impressed him. He practically kicked her out of his office since it was closing time but Elize would not back down and took the heated discussion into the hallway. Fighting with Jude and the others had at least taught her gumption.
Elize also recognized the giant bronze crest at his waistband as the symbol of Kitarl. The irony of having to ask a Kitarl for help did not escape her.
"I'm looking for the articles and effects of a late member of the Chimeriad. In particular, I'm speaking of Wingul, who is now deceased…. I know he kept a journal. Do you know if the belongings of the Chimeriad are stored?"
"I know that the King sealed their rooms in the castle and if they left anything, it should still be in there," the man sniffed. "But the doors are locked and you need the castle steward to open it."
"Where is he?" she asked, a little perturbed that this man was so useless.
"He's off shift, now. It's nearly sunset. You'll also need permission." He proceeded to pick his ear and flick away the ear wax off his finger.
"Ugh," Elize groaned both inwardly and outwardly, trying to keep her cool. "How would I go about getting permission?"
"From the King, of course. You would need to petition. He's just returned from Fennmont and he's listening to grievances in the Audience Hall. Though, the line is really long today, and it's nearly time to close the gates. Come back tomorrow," he dismissed.
Elize paused and put her thumb and forefinger at the bridge of her nose to collect herself and take a deep breath.
"I have traveled non-stop from Sharilton to Kanbalar, sleeping in a wagon, drinking cold goats milk and eating some sort of jerky for five days. I am sort of in a hurry because people may be dying. In the name of all that is good," said Elize between her teeth in a smile that resembled Teepo's, trying not to get angry, "those at Labari were kidnapped and sold into slavery by yourkinsmen," she said bitterly as she prodded the man's ruffled collar with her forefinger. "The least you could do is skip the formalities and get someone to simply open a door." Elize's raised voice echoed down the stone hall.
"It is out of my hands, my Lady," he scoffed. "You must speak with the King and he is taking the petitions of Auj Oule citizens first."
His arrogant attitude was igniting something in her head, something that Teepo would approve. She swung her mage's staff out from under her cloak and brought it down hard on the stone tiles, cracking the floor. The strength of the action and sudden movement made the round man jump back with alarm.
"For the love of Maxwell," she said with a dangerous glare in her eyes, "By Article Four, section twenty-three of the King's Decree when he ascended the throne, all children born in Auj Oule are citizens by birthright unless otherwise renounced or taken away by order of law. As a citizen of Auj Oule by birth I demand an audience with the king…right now." Each word was articulated carefully and each syllable made the man shrink back further as her staff and her eyes started to reflect a steely gray. She pointed its tip at his sweating face. "You will take me there, Minister." Collecting herself again, she smiled sweetly and added, "Please."
"If it is an audience with the king you seek, I am here," said a low, deep voice from behind her. "There is no need to break my floor."
Elize turned to see King Gaius staring at her with an inscrutable expression. When he stepped closer his eyes widened with recognition.
"Elize?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Gai-" she started, but caught herself and dropped a curtsy instead to the king of Rieze Maxia. Elize cleared her throat. "Your Majesty, I am doing some medical research on Labari Hollow's booster development…and Wingul…." she faltered when she saw a reaction in his eyes and spoke more gently.
"Perhaps Your Majesty would like to hear my appeal in a more convenient location than the hallway?"
Gaius looked at the young woman before him curiously. She was no longer the slip of a naive girl he once knew but had blossomed into a young woman with intelligent eyes. He expected no less from his Prime Minister's prized protégé.
"Yes," he responded. "I am about to eat. Come with me and I will hear you out." This king offered his elbow to her like a true gentleman, and Elize marveled at how much Rowen had rubbed off on Gaius.
He had been much more intimidating to her when she was a child but now, though still towering above her at over six feet, he seemed very human and less god-like in person.
Still, he was about to have dinner and most likely had not eaten all day. She hesitated to interrupt his meal.
Noticing her troubled expression, he added, "We are old comrades-in-arms are we not? After all, there is no harm in 'catching up' as they least I can do is feed you something other than cold goat's milk and jerky. Besides, Rowen would give me a fierce tongue lashing if he thought I acted rude to his beloved Elize in any way. There is nothing more hair raising than seeing my Prime Minister angry."
Elize smiled at his frank nature. This was the person she had been acquainted with while traveling with Ludger and not the king who sat on the high chair in the throne room of the castle.
"Are you not still in school?"
"That was a while ago. I'm almost nineteen," she smiled.
"You are reminding me of how old I am," he grimaced. Elize only laughed in response.
The Minister of the Archives had to pick his jaw off the ground as he watched the king escort the strange young woman to his private dining room.