We gathered in a circle with me in the center, just a bit from our own water fountain. It was a small water feature, nowhere near the babbling brook that my master wanted to send through the main floor of my shoppe that would have drained from a magical waterfall with little bridges allowing passage from one side of the room to the other.

  But I thought it fitting since we were on our way to the central fountain of the capital to start at one. Bido would have appreciated it.

  “Have any of you been to the capital before?” I asked.

  Red and his grandfather both stated that they had visited it several times, although it had always been by cart and caravan. None of the others had been there.

  “I suspect it will be quite a sight. Keelwell may be the southern gem, but the Capital is several times larger. Watch yourselves, don’t gawk like tourists, and enjoy it.” I said, hoping to add a little levity to reduce the stress of traveling by teleport. We had all heard of teleport spells going very, very wrong.

  “Mind the shop, Bella,” I said out loud.

  Be safe. Bella ordered me in a serious, don’t take stupid risks kind of tone.

  I activated the Majordomo’s single-use ring of Limited Group Teleportation to the capital.

  We appeared in a flash upon the central dais of the Grand Capital Fountain. It rested in the middle of a courtyard that dwarfed our own similar-use space in Keelwell.

  One entire side of the massive public square was the king’s beige marble palace. It was the single largest structure in the kingdom and was truly massive. It had pillars, crenellations, and wide, tall windows. An extensive variety of statuary stood all around and upon its many pedestals and niches. It was royal and awe-inspiring in its majesty. Of course, there was no king, but it served as the residence of this region’s nobleman, Duke Rolando Meducci, the closest living heir of the Seventh Kingdom’s last rightful king.

  Seven main roads terminated in this square at different locations around the other three sides of the rectangular plaza. The buildings facing the palace were only slightly less impressive. The next largest building was the university, which took up nearly one other side of the square, followed by a couple of dozen huge guild halls around the other two sides. Most were mage or priestly halls, but I knew that several others represented professional guilds such as banking and powerful merchants.

  It was an inspiring sight to take in, and I would have stood admiring it for another minute or so if I had not been sent flying into the air by a gust of wind. I must have had a comical expression on my face as I tumbled through the air to land on my back with a splash within the wide waters at the base of the fountain.

  From the loud hoots of laughter I heard as I came up for air, spitting a salty-tasting water out of my mouth and wiping a kind of purple lily pad from where it rested on my head, the effect that caught us by surprise had been anticipated by some of the locals.

  I felt a little better as I saw my other companions sloshing their way through waist-deep water to the fountain edges. Around the edges of the fountain side nearest us were smiling and laughing boys and girls in gray elementalist apprentice robes who were waiting to help us climb out.

  One of the older apprentices, a girl less than five feet tall but carrying an air of authority, approached me. “As a service to guests of our city, we offer drying charms for the low price of one gold piece each.”

  I stood and looked around. Simon and Master Downwin were just walking down a flight of stairs and heading our way, wide grins on their faces.

  The remainder of my traveling companions, including Red, walked over to me, dripping water all over the courtyard flagstones.

  With a chuckle, I reached into my belt purse and withdrew a coin. “I’ll pay for the lot and you can keep the change, apprentice.”

  She noted the platinum I had given her and replied, “Thank you, Journeyman Enchanter.”

  Turning to the others, she said, “Dry ‘em!” in a practiced voice. And seeing the splashes of water around the edges of the fountain wall, we were clearly not the only ones this day to fall for the trick.

  “So, how does all this work?” I asked her, waving at the fountain.

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  “This is the designated teleportation site for the city. Travel into the city from other locations is magically protected with limited exceptions.” She began in the same, well-practiced voice. “When arriving, you have thirty seconds to move off the central landing pad to either the central or outer walkways. Anyone remaining on the landing pad is moved safely to the fountain below to ensure that no teleportation accidents happen with subsequent arrivals.”

  I remembered the Majordomo’s words and his cryptic suggestion that I bring pocket change to tip the apprentices. He knew this would happen. I laughed out loud. “It’s a rite of passage,” I said.

  She smiled. “Not everyone finds it so humorous or is that generous in tipping.”

  “Well, I was warned by the Archmage’s Majordomo to expect something. But he was way too cryptic for me to figure it out.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “You know the Archmage?”

  “Well, more his master apprentice than himself.”

  I had to pause as one of the other apprentices had made his way over to me and hit me with his drying charm. It sent my robes and hair flying all about.

  “They are big tippers. Give them the optional grooming charm as well!” The older apprentice ordered.

  After a few moments, we were all dry and looked as well-groomed as I had ever been. Not a hair was out of place on anyone’s head as I looked around.

  “For special guests to the city, and another reasonable charge of just one platinum, I can offer a guide service.” The apprentice offered.

  Red walked over and slapped me on the back. “That was an experience, eh?”

  “Oh yes. I will thank the Majordomo for his sense of humor when we return.” I answered.

  “My grandfather is dry, you will notice.” He added.

  “Yes, he would be. Simon as well.” I said, catching Red’s reference that the Gray Master was his grandfather. That was a conversation I would need to have with the good Master Downwin before too long.

  He pointed at Simon. “As I went hurling through the air, I saw him do some kind of dope monk move and landed beside my grandfather.”

  I looked at Simon, who was walking over to me and Red with a toothy grin. “That is hardly fair,” I complained to him.

  “I’ve told you, Gwydion. Exercise and clean living. It works wonders.” Simon replied.

  “Whatever.” I shook my head, smiling and asked Red, “You know where you are going?”

  “Yeah, Simon and I will be fine. I know my way around the places we are going.” He hurriedly checked a robe pocket and pulled out a dry scroll. “Phew. That would have been awkward.” He waved to me and the others. “See you back here in…”

  “Four hours,” I answered. “The caravan leaves here at that time. Promptly.”

  The two walked away toward the university and their errands.

  Master Downwin approached me. “I will meet you back here as well. I’ll pick up the materials we discussed, and if I am lucky, maybe an extra surprise as well.”

  “Good luck, Master. We will utilize a tour guide at very reasonable rates and meet you back here in four hours.” Master Downwin waved and headed off on his own toward one of the roads out of the square.

  “Will he be safe?” The Inquisitor corporal who was accompanying us asked.

  It was Landal. She had been present with us at the battle with the barricade during the Deathlight. “He will be fine, I’m sure,” I said. “He won’t be going too far.”

  Of course, now that I thought about it, I had no real idea where he would be going after seeing to the fabric, but he was well prepared to protect himself.

  As I watched him walk away, a young beggar ran up to him and said something. He tossed the boy a coin and waved his hand in a gesture. The youth ran away in a different direction.

  Coincidence? Perhaps.

  “Where do you wish to go, Journeyman Mage?” the apprentice asked.

  Her cognito identified her as Senior Elementalist Apprentice Lady Sarah Roseshine.”

  “Well, Senior Elementalist Apprentice Lady Sarah Roseshine,” I began before she interrupted me.

  “Call me Sar, or this will be a very long day.”

  I laughed. “And you can call me Gwydion.”

  “Fair enough, Gwydion. Where to?”

  I thought about my options. “Is the Sage Guild here in the square?”

  “Yes, right over there.” She pointed at the tallest, but narrowest of the guild halls along the edge of the square, nearly opposite us.

  “Take us there first, please.”

  “Please?” She said, repeating my word in amazement. “I can tell you are from out of town.” And she laughed as she led us to the Sage Hall.

  The sage guild hall was located in a very tall, brown sandstone building that was on a corner with a road entering the square on either side. The building looked very old and out of place, given the more modern buildings behind it along the other two roads. In fact, it probably was very old, but it was built to look old and to bring to mind history and ancient mysteries for those who visited.

  It worked.

  “It’s like a huge museum,” Landal said in awe.

  “More like a museum for museums,” our Watch guardsman added. His name was Adam, and he had also been with us at the barricade. He accounted for himself well despite being even younger than me and Biff. He was the first to the side of the Bishop as he fell, and actually stood over the Bishop, straddling him to take whatever attack came at the elderly cleric.

  Biff had chosen two recently battle-hardened veterans, both young, who he knew personally would not run from a fight and would give their lives in defense of their duties. He chose companions that he knew personally and that he was sure he could count on when we were all out of our element and away from home defenses.

  Instead of an acolyte manning the doors, a city guard greeted us and opened the door as we approached. He bowed slightly to me, seeing my robes and that I was leading a mixed group that was certainly up to something important. He smiled at the fountain apprentice. Adam nodded to him as he passed and received a respectful nod back. Both recognized a comrade in uniform.

  I had not realized it, but the Watch uniforms were actually identical. I had always presumed it was unique to Keelwell, but they all wore the same uniforms, only their insignias differed. Adam had a badge for the Night Watch, and this guard was obviously on Day Watch, not that the Twilight skies helped. Everyone works Twilight shifts nowadays.

  We walked down a corridor that was barely wide enough for three to walk abreast, but it had to have been seventy feet high with stained glass, paintings, artwork, and long hanging chandeliers every twenty or twenty-five feet.

  It was as silent as a library. And I should know since I spent much of my awake hours growing up in a library. Nobody spoke as we walked down the long hallway, and our otherwise chatty apprentice guide grew silent and obedient, not wanting to draw attention to herself among senior mages.

  I remember those days well. They were not so long ago.

  Maybe a couple of days, in fact.