The Path of Giants by B.T. Narro (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📗

through the use of dteria will be the masters over everyone else.”

I was weary from traveling, but I could see my efforts working by the expressions on the faces of everyone I met. I had become much more comfortable in crowds than I’d been when this started, as well. Though I did find myself wondering how Kataleya’s experience had been during all this time. Was she speaking to crowds like I often found myself to be doing? Or did she spend most of her time speaking to various leaders to decide where the water she created would be best kept? Perhaps she hadn’t had the same excitement that I’d experienced during this trip, though I did imagine plenty of marriage proposals came her way. She was a sorcerer of the king, like me, and very beautiful. Not to mention from a rich family. Hell, I wasn’t sure there was anyone richer than the Yorns, and that included the king.

Soon I would see her, but first I needed to pay a visit to Gerald. After the sheriff confirmed that there were no other people coming for healing that he had heard from, I asked if I could take a walk with Pilla. He was very pleased.

I felt bad for leading him on, but I didn’t see a better way.

Pilla took me to Gerald’s house. Like most of the homes here, it was small and quaint. I wasn’t surprised when I tried the door and found it to be unlocked. Most of the people in these small towns couldn’t afford locks. I entered and walked down the short hallway.

A woman sat at the dining table, knitting. She seemed startled when she noticed me.

“Y-yes? Who are you?” she asked in a small voice. She had a bruise at the top of her cheek that she quickly covered with her blonde hair.

“I’m the healer sent by the king. I apologize for entering without knocking.”

I assumed Pilla had been surprised to see me enter as if I owned the place, but I would deal with her after.

“C-can I help you?” The woman looked at Pilla behind me. “Pilla?”

I didn’t turn to see what gesture Pilla gave the young woman, if any.

“Are you injured?” I asked. “I could heal you free of charge.”

“No, I’m fine,” she said resolutely.

“Can I see?” I asked as I reached for her cheek.

“It’s nothing.” She turned away. “Gerald, the healer is here. I don’t know why.”

“Tell him to go away.”

“He’s here, in the house,” she specified.

“What?”

I heard someone stomping down the short hall. He glared at me when he entered the dining room. He was a large man somewhere in his mid-twenties, clearly a miner, given the span of his shoulders and the dirt under his nails. The scrapes on the back of his hand, however, spoke not of an incident in the mines but of one in this home.

“I don’t care if you’re the king’s healer,” he threatened. “You ain’t got the right to enter my home without permission.”

“Actually, that’s not true. The king has given me permission to enter any premises so long as it pertains to the law.”

Gerald folded his massive arms. “And how might you entering my home pertain to the law?”

“How did your wife get that bruise on her face?”

She gave me a practiced answer. “I fell.”

“You fell onto the back of his hand?” I inquired facetiously.

Gerald absentmindedly covered his right hand. “What happens between a man and his wife is no one’s business but ours. Now I’m asking you to leave.”

“You know, Gerald, I think we have a friend in common.”

His breaths were heavy as he stared at me.

“Veronica Ryler,” I said.

His face fell. “How do you know her?”

“She’s said things about you.”

“Lies!”

“You didn’t even hear what they were.”

“It don’t matter. She’s a liar.”

“So you didn’t hurt her like you are hurting this girl?”

“What business of the king’s is this? You ain’t got nothing better to do than bother me and my wife?”

I hadn’t had a plan upon entering, but one was quickly formulating.

“Normally yes, but Veronica—or Remi, as she goes by now—is actually a sorcerer of the king, like myself. When she found out I was traveling all around Lycast, eventually making my way to Granlo, she asked me for a favor. She wanted me to see if you are hurting anyone else like you did her. She wanted me to stop you. You see, she’s a little busy to do so herself. She’s currently in Koluk with a number of my peers, trying to finally put an end to the Thieves’ Guild that preys on the citizens there. But I figured I’d make a quick stop in your house after I had healed everyone in your town.”

His face lost color as I spoke. His fists unfolded.

“Remi’s a powerful fire mage now,” I went on. “When she’s done in Koluk, she might want to pay you a visit next. I think she would be very interested to find out what I saw here today. And trust me, Gerald. No amount of your strength would win a bout against a fire mage like her.”

“I looked for her after she ran off,” he said without the same aggression. “I wanted to apologize and bring her home, but she never gave me the chance. She’s really a fire mage now?”

“She really is,” I confirmed. I took a breath, then added, “Here’s what I’m going to do. What’s your name?” I asked the girl.

“Shelly Berger.”

“I’m going to tell Remi about your wife, Gerald, and I’ll leave it up to Remi when she wants to visit, if at all. Now I can’t say what’s going to happen when she comes, but I think I’ve gotten to know Remi decently enough to tell you that she won’t be too happy if she does decide to visit and sees any injuries on Shelly’s body, and I’m sure she’ll look for them. You probably know Remi well enough to understand that she doesn’t handle her anger as well as I do. See,