The scraping of chair legs against the pavent stone beneath the dining area sounded as Kasen shot up from his seat. His eyes narrowed as he followed Piers gaze beyond the low wall.
I dont see anything? Uncle Dom squinted unsurely and his wife frowned.
Auntie Anita stood up, as well, gripping Uncle Doms forearm in her hand. I see so moving shadows. Its unnatural.
Are you sure? Uncle Dom asked.
His wife shot him a glare. Ive spent half my life wading through these shores at all hours for my research. I know the natural movents of Tres Arcos seashore!
Are those really pirates? Robert took a tentative step forward, but was quickly grasped by his father and swept back.
The cliffs here are settled by old and wealthy families and hundreds of years ago, they were a good target for sea bandits, Kasen said. His expression darkened. I didnt think theyd be so daring now.
Cant we use a charm to loosen the cliff and send them into the water? Robert asked, looking back up at Kasen.
Kasen shook his head. No matter how precise we are as charms users, we lack knowledge of the soil composition in the area to accurately use a charm. We could risk a landslide. All those hos would co down. Even we could even go down.
Robert furrowed his brows and frowned.
Uncle. Fiona tugged on Piers sleeve as he had one arm around her and Tori to keep them away from the edge. Fiona looked past his shoulder and tried to point. There are more on that side.
Both Tori and Piers turned their heads towards the other side of the terrace and could make out a few more human figures attempting to scale the cliffs. Toris lips tightened into a line.
Ill stay here with the kids and my relatives. Piers, go and ready the knights to intercede.
Robi, make silence charms for everyone and activate them, Kasen told his son as he turned Robert around and knelt down to et his gaze. The cellar has thick doors and is not easy to get through. Once inside, barricade yourselves in and hide until we get you. Im going to go with His Highness.
Robert nodded his head. Yes, Dad.
Listen to your aunt, Piers told him in a firm voice.
Dont take any unnecessary risks, Tori said.
The pirates need to have co from sowhere, so well let a few escape to follow them back, Kasen told her. He had an ugly expression on his face. Its been so ti since our coasts have been raided like this.
Senior, perhaps youve gotten too arrogant.
Shut up and go upstairs. Tori, I leave them to you. Kasen gave his sister a firm look, and she returned it with a nod. The group was ushered into the cellar and Tori and her uncle turned the heavy lever that bolted the wood and iron door in place.
They then followed Kasen and Piers past the rows of wine bottles, crates, and two massive wooden barrels where wine would be kept to age. Kasen and Piers raced to the door that led to the narrow hall going back to the upper levels, and Tori pushed the wooden door closed.
She frowned as it settled in place. While it was still made of thick wood and held together with tal pieces, the lock was a flimsy padlock style panel. It was nowhere near as secure as the door that went outside. What was worse was that the padlock wasnt anywhere to be seen.
Tori gritted her teeth and held back a swear. Her uncle touched the useless lock panel and turned to Tori with a pale face. What do we do?
You hide. She put the latch in place and used her dagger to secure it closed. Without a word, she turned around and scanned the cool cellar. Her eyes swept over the worried looks of her aunt, cousin, and niece and nephew.
Auntie Anita held Fiona back against her with one arm while the other held Artemisia firmly beside her. Robert was crouched on the floor beneath one of the dim, sparse yellow light crystals, writing on strips of folded paper with a thick pencil.
As soon as he finished one, he activated it and stuffed it into soones hand. Great Aunt. Keep this on you. Cousin, this one's for you. Fifi, put this under your shirt. He finished two more and paled. His wide eyes looked up at Tori. Auntie...I only have two....
Thats perfect, Tori said without a hint of hesitation. One for uncle. One for you.
Robert shook his head. He grabbed Uncle Doms hand and shoved one charm into it then rushed to Tori. You wear it.
In hiding, silence could greatly influence survival, and they both knew that. Tori couldnt help but be touched. She stroked her nephews hair back softly. Sweetheart, you have to trust your Auntie. She smiled, took the charm, and activated it, then pressed it against Roberts chest. The charm stuck and his eyes watered.
He opened his mouth, but nothing ca out. Toris gentle look didnt leave her face, even as she knew that her nephew was calling for her.
She looked at everyone else. Follow . She walked them towards the massive wooden barrel that could fit an elephant. Shed seen vats this big in her original world, while she was traveling through Italy and galivanting from agriturismo to agriturismo. She circled the barrel and sure enough, on one side, there was a hole just big enough for a person to go through when they needed to clean or repair the barrel.
Tori flicked her wrist and used the quartz from her bracelet as a light crystal. She knocked on the barrel and found it was empty. That explained why the door used to seal the hole was closed, but latched.
It slls like wine, but everyone can hide inside. Im going to close the lid part way and when its clear, Ill open it, all right? She crouched down beside the hole and stuffed the glowing quartz into Roberts hand and squeezed him inside first.
Auntie Anita helped lift Fiona into the barrel before her husband and daughter helped her climb in. Artemisia went next and Uncle Dom stood beside the door.
Knowing he couldnt talk, he motioned for Tori to go inside. She shook her head.
Uncle, didnt you hear what Piers said? Listen to . She smiled and motioned for him to climb in. Still, Uncle Dom hesitated and shook his head, patting his chest. Uncle, I know you are my elder, but lets be realistic. If pirates make it inside, who will stand a better chance? A tenured professor or the daughter of a marquis trained by a Nord Special Training Commander?
Artemisia stuck her head and arm out, grabbed her fathers pant leg and tugged him in with a frown. She opened her mouth and, though no words were heard, Tori was sure she said, listen to Tori. Uncle Dom looked helpless and frustrated, but nodded his head and climbed into the barrel.
As soon as he was inside, Tori told Robert to turn off the light crystal. The barrel now seed cramped with three adults and two children. Tori fumbled with the door, so the hole was covered. In order to prevent any sounds of battle from upsetting those inside, she dragged a crystal around the entire thing.
Satisfied that her family mbers were hiding well, Tori turned her attention to trying to find sothing to keep the door to the upper floors locked. She went down the shelves of wine, looking for anything tal and thin, but sturdy enough to wedge in place.
The light crystals were hanging against the wall on little tal baskets and Tori narrowed her eyes. What if she bundled up the chain holding them and used that? She looked around for sothing to climb on in order to reach one of the hanging lights, when a heavy thud ca from the door outside.
She snapped her head towards it and narrowed her eyes. Her hand flew to the crystal beneath her shirt. Voices were coming from outside and the door was banged against. She knew that if pirates were climbing the cliffs to raid hos on either side of the restaurant, it was obvious theyd try to raid the restaurant, too.
Tori needed to keep the other door locked, but at the sa ti, wanted her dagger for defense.
Why was there nothing else she could use?
She had so confidence in the outside door, so she rushed back to the inner door. The doors hinges were bolted to the solid listone that the cliffs were made of. Tori sneered a bit. They really couldve used such a harder base in Cosora.
She changed crystals on her bracelet and moved her hand over the latch. Ignoring the banging across the cellar, Tori focused her energy on manipulating listone. Loose dirt was easy to move, but stone? Sothing that hard and solid? The best she could do was squeeze the door in a few places and squeeze the latch to cause the tal to warp, securing the latch in place.
Tori stumbled back and let out a heavy pant. Her limbs felt a bit unsteady, and she had a slight throb in her. So much energy just to manipulate stone. Water and dirt spoiled her.
With the latch reasonably secured, Tori took back her dagger. She heard a creak of tal coming from the door and then angry yelling.
She carefully walked closer, careful with her steps to stay as quiet as possible. She paused and pinned her dagger under one arm. She lifted her m crystal and wrote a silence charm on her skin. She moved around and nodded, satisfied that it worked. She also wrote a quick charm for increasing her energy absorption.
As soon as it was made, she closed her eyes and grounded. A wave of warmth swept through her, steadying her trembling arms.
I love you, crystal. No wonder your na is synonymous with life. Tori adjusted her dagger in front of her and tried to make out the words being said outside the door.
She pressed her back against the wall and lifted her hand, dimming all the light crystals until the cellar was plunged into darkness.
Oh, shit. I shouldve written out increased senses including eyesight before I turned off the lights. Dammit, Tori. You are so responsible when it cos to others.... She let out a heavy breath and went with option two. She closed her eyes and clutched the m crystal in her hand.
Five familiar heartbeats were pulsing just a few paces away. Her family mbers.
Next, several jumbled heartbeats outside. Tori was able to identify three separate individuals. As they were yelling, she attempted to find her brother and Piers, but when her senses reached the upper level, there were too many people and it was all a bit chaotic.
Yeah, Im sure theyre fine. Tori reassured herself and felt the wall shake as the door was slamd again.
Forget it! Lets go to the top!
There are knights at the top!
Knights? What are knights doing here?
Eating oxtail.... Tori answered their question and laughed to herself. She bit her lips and scolded herself for cracking jokes at such a ti. Besides, no one was there to laugh and appreciate her humor.
Do we have any more of those wind shattering charms?
Tori raised her brow and stiffened. The what...?
Captain Flrgens only got a handful of them left! He wont want to waste them!
Were already here and this is the most expensive restaurant in the city. Where else is he going to use them?
Ooooh, I dont like where this is going.... Tori frowned.
Okay, I have one. Its in pants! Hold on!
What are you doing? Why are you taking off your pants?
Since they were a bit delayed, Tori dragged her blue crystal across the floor in arcs just beyond the door and scraped Old Sulfae across the stone. She didnt know how strong a wind shattering charm was, but if it had the ability to destroy a door, she needed to reabsorb that energy and direct it elsewhere, where it wouldnt destroy the cellar or her family hiding in it.
She made one more arc and heard soone yell to charge it.
Tori rushed to a corner, wedged herself against the floor and made a circle around her.
For a mont it was silent, then she heard whistling. She raised her head towards the door. The whistling was coming from air leaking through the cracks in the door. As they grew sharper and louder, the door began to shake. If it shattered, there could be door shrapnel and a loud explosion.
Tori curled herself up in a ball, faced the wall, and kept her back with her leather duster facing the door. She scribbled a noise muffling script onto her silence circle. Just as she finished and activated it, she heard the start of a loud bang, but it quickly faded, as if soone had suddenly pressed mute.
Warm air from outside flooded in and Tori shot up and turned around, dagger in hand. The door had fallen to the floor, but the dirt and pieces of wood were contained within the arc shed written. Not a single wine bottle appeared to have toppled over.
She expected the pirates to storm in, but perhaps they were cautious because of the knights. They didnt enter at once, but seed to wait and listen.
I dont hear anything.
They mustve retreated to the top.
Tori put her dagger in her left hand and reached across to grab a heavy wine bottle. She hoped it wasnt too expensive, but it was three against one and all she had was the elent of surprise, a dagger, and a lot of frustration and irritation to get out.
She gripped the lower neck of the wine bottle in her hand and weighed it carefully. Too high and the neck would break, too low and it wouldnt have as good an impact. She remained unmoving in the corner as one man stepped inside. It was darker inside than out, so he was cautious. A single-handed sword was gripped in his right hand and he took slow steps, adjusting to the light.
It would be better if she had so way to stop them in their tracks so she could aim better, but she didnt have much of a choice. Her heart was beating quickly and she raised the bottle as he turned his head to look in the direction opposite her.
She brought the wine hard and fast down onto the back of his head. The bottle didnt shatter, but the pirate crumbled to the floor as if hed fallen asleep in mid-step.
Horace!
Toris back was never to the door and as soon as the impact had been made, she turned her attention to the next person in line. There was a particular sequence of movents in long sword designed to deal with multiple opponents by keeping you moving and getting a group to thin out in order to be dealt with one by one.
But ones movents needed to be quick and fluid.
A crack sounded as the bottom portion of Toris wine bottle swung up and made impact with the chin of another man. It sent him flying back outside. He stumbled and then collapsed backwards, hitting his head on the table.
Tori grimaced and let out a little hiss. That was not planned.
The third man yelled and rushed forward as Tori stepped outside. Tori raised her dagger to block a short sword. The mans attack was a wide, overhead arc, and his body positioning was off. At best, hed slash her with what aimless force he had.
The sword hit her dagger overhead. She parried it to the side, keeping her dagger between her and the sword, and swung the bottle into the mans stomach. It wasnt enough to knock him out as an impact on the head, but it did make him stagger backwards.
His footing was lost even further and he appeared to be reeling from the blow. Her wine bottle swung back down, over his head. She felt the bottle start to give under the abuse and released it before the neck shattered against her hand.
The last blow stunned him rather badly and he fell to the ground. Tori kicked his arm, and it folded down. His scream filled her ears, drowning out the pop of the dislocated arm. He swore at her, and she kicked him again, this ti in the ribs. He howled in pain and rolled on the ground, looking at Tori with such hatred that she was almost confused.
They were the ones trying to rob her. If anyone should be angry, it was her.
Tori lood over him and played with the dagger in her hand. She opened her mouth in hopes of giving a quip, but the silence charm she wrote on herself was still in effect. She frowned a bit. Now wouldve been a good witty heroic quip mont.
Tori! A loud thud sounded to one side of the terrace. Kasens clothes were ruffled and there was dirt and leaves on his clothes and hair. Where he got the sword, Tori wasnt sure, but he held one in his arm as easily as an extension of his body.
She opened her mouth to speak, but grumbled and looked at her hand where shed written the charm. She forgot that charms written with m on her lasted longer and they hadnt actually done research on silence charms to see if it could be ended faster. Fuck.... She lowered her head and lifted her m crystal.
Kasen seed to understand at once and tapped her hand. Your m crystal. Write Old Sulfae for end over the line for the silence charm. Not finish, but end.
Tori scribbled the character on to her hand and her eyes widened. Thats it? Thats all you have to do? She wasnt surprised her voice returned at all. We were letting Instructor Ignatius run around to drain energy when all we had to do was write this? Why didnt you tell us?
Under her accusing look, Kasen shrugged. He needs to exercise more. Sitting around all day over a workbench isnt good for him.
The man on the ground shakily rose to his feet and Kasen made a quick movent of his arm, pomling the man in the throat and sending him back down. "My children?"
"Hidden and safe." As if there was nothing dangerous going on around them, Tori continued to talk. Whats the situation upstairs?
The pirates are coming from the cliff base, so pairs of knights were sent to each of the hos along the street. Sir Dias and the rest of our knights scaled the cliffside. Theyre sinking all the boats except for two and those two have tracking charms Ive told them to place, Kasen told her.
What about Piers and Ewan?
Ewan is guarding the top-level entrance of the cellar and I dont know where Piers went.
What do you an you dont know where Piers went? Kasen, hes the First Prince! Tori nearly yelled.
Kasen opened his mouth to reply, but yelling was heard over the sound of waves. The Guevera knights had set nurous light crystals around the area that shone light as bright as floodlights. She could see pieces of boats that had been broken apart bobbing in the water as four or five n struggled to get into the last remaining boat while another was already rowing away.
A few pirates didnt even bother coming near the awaiting knights and instead dove into the water.
Can a charm track over water? Tori asked as she watched one boat row away.
Yes, since the energy lingers in the air, Kasen told her as he dragged the body of the pirate inside out onto the terrace and piled them up. He then placed a charm on them to keep them from moving if they awoke.
I heard them say their Captains na is Flrgen.
Kasens face twisted with disbelief and disgust. Flrgen the Flatulent?
Tori stared at him. Pirates actually have nas like that?
Kasen lifted his free hand and rubbed his forehead. He was a minor pirate years ago and didnt actually do much damage. Apparently, he only beca a pirate to care for his mother...she had bowel issues.
Tori scrunched her face. Perhaps it runs in the family....
Kasen took a heavy breath and released it. No, he nad himself after his mother. She was said to be able to clear a room by herself. Thats also where he got the idea for using air purification charms to be used in piracy. His ship used the charms to move quickly. He was difficult to catch, but we havent heard of him in years, so I assud he retired.
Can pirates retire?
I suppose so, Kasen had a dull, tired look on his face. The knights will deal with the pirates. The imperial knights are making sure the area is clear. Now, where are my kids?
Tori motioned for him to follow her. She raised her hand and the dark cellar illuminated once more. Kasen looked around the fallen door now that it was lit, and he raised a brow. You made an energy absorbing barrier?
They used a wind shattering charm to blow the door open. This room is filled with glass and shelves; wind strong enough to blow down a door could break things, so I had the energy absorbed and deflected, Tori said. She stopped in front of a massive barrel and knocked a small musical beat on the wood and paused. There were two small knocks in return and Tori smiled. Safe and sound.
She opened the small door.
Robi, Fifi? Kasen called out to his children at once and almost imdiately, two figures shot and ramd into him. He gathered the two against him tightly, kissing the top of their heads as he whispered praises on how he was glad they were safe and was proud of them for being so careful.
Tori helped out her aunt, uncle, and Artemisia. She instructed them to rip their charms before going to the door leading upstairs.
The sa knock shed knocked on the barrel ca from the door and Tori knocked twice in response. Tori, is everything all right? Ewans nervous voice asked. The knights said theyre clear up here.
Everythings fine. We caught three pirates, Tori said. I used so crystal to lock the door, so give a mont to try to open it.
She took a deep breath and grounded as she found her terracrystal on her bracelet. She managed to loosen the door a bit, but when she and Ewan opened it, it was much more difficult to move.
Ewan, where is Piers? Kasen asked as he stood up, still holding his children against him.
Ewan grimaced and shrank back, as if knowing sothing that would displease Tori. He...he followed Sir Dias...to track the pirate ship.
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