The Nine Bishops
Chapter 5: A First for Everything

The closer Mika got to the Hunters, the more she began to sweat. Until moments ago, she would have never dreamed of approaching the Hunters. They were a group all Filth avoided, even if they had done nothing wrong. She could feel the weight of the necklace that Sam had given her on her skin. She was trusting what her uncle had told her; if Sam said that she would be safe wearing the necklace, she told herself, there was no need to worry. But she had no idea what the Hunters would say or ask when she approached them, or how she should appropriately respond. It would be the first time she ever talked to another mage as a mage.

What am I thinking? I am an Arcane. I can do this, she told herself. It was only a few minutes before the Hunters came into view, but Mika had decided what she was going to say.

She made sure to come running into the Hunters’ field of vision. There were three of them, wearing the robes that signified their position, dark as night, covering their bodies from top to toe, with large hoods that covered their faces. If that wasn’t enough to set them apart, their masks made their position perfectly clear. Hunters wore masquerade masks with various expressions on them—a sight calculated to strike fear in the hearts of the Filth.

They concealed their faces so neither mages nor Filth would know their identity. As no one knew who might be a Hunter, they kept both the Filth community and some mage circles in a state of fear.

While the Hunters mostly upheld the law amongst the Filth, they also dealt with acts of treason. More specifically, if a mage did not pay his taxes or directly defied an order of the king, it was considered an act of treason. The Hunters would get involved in almost all instances, unless the offense was considered so severe that a Bishop was needed to deal with it. The Hunters were not as powerful as the Bishops, but were still not to be trifled with.

Mika was not more than ten meters away before she began sprinting toward them, screaming for help. When she was close enough to be recognized, she made herself appear very distraught and out of breath.

“Calm down, ma’am. What happened? And what are you doing way out here?” To her surprise, the Hunter’s voice seemed that of a woman. But Mika could not falter, or it would mean a quick capture for herself and dear Sam. She realized, with a small thrill, that what Sam had said about the necklace was true. When the Hunter called her ma’am, it was clear that the Hunters thought she was a mage.

“I was making my way home from Vangar after visiting my cousins,” Mika started, trying to sound as panicked as she could. While Mika did not know exactly where she was at that moment, she had studied the maps carefully and knew how long traveling would take from most places. Vangar was a town roughly a five-hour trip by foot away. Mika thought she could convince the Hunters she was traveling and had been taken hostage.

“On my way home, I was abducted by a branded Filth. I do not have powerful magic or anything, so I was unable to defend myself. The Filth held a blade to my throat the whole time. He was going to use me as a hostage to help him travel north. He was crazy. He kept talking to himself, mentioning something about a circus. When he saw your torches, he panicked. He left me and ran away in that direction,” Mika said, pointing north.

Panting, she paused and waited for their response.

The woman Hunter looked back at her two comrades, then back at Mika, then said, “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Are you sure he went that way?”

Mika nodded.

“How far are you from home?” the female Hunter then asked.

Mika had only thought as far as the first part of her story. She’d thought they’d ask more about her capture, but not about where she was headed. Hesitating, she bit her lip.

“Hey, hey, don’t worry. I know you are distraught from what happened. We can only get you back to the nearest town, because we have to continue pursuing this Filth. We have to make him pay for what he did to you and the mages he killed,” the woman said, consolingly. “We can only have one of us go with you. It shouldn’t be that far. Asand is a twenty-minute walk from here,” she finished.

Mika nodded. The female Hunter waved to one of the others, who slowly stepped closer to Mika and said, in a gruff male voice, “Come with me.”

Mika followed him away from the other two Hunters, who were already hurrying on to the north.

She said nothing to the man. She wasn’t sure if that made her look more authentic or suspicious, but she feared saying anything that could foil her uncle’s escape. Luckily, the Hunter wasn’t inclined to talk to her, either, and they walked silently together for the next twenty minutes, until Asand came into view over a low hill.

It was a small town of perhaps a hundred residents. Mika was beginning to wonder how far this Hunter was going to take her, and how she could leave him without raising suspicion. However, her scheming was wasted as the problem solved itself.

As they reached the entrance of the village, the gruff-sounding Hunter announced: “We are here. I can’t help you anymore. I must get back to my duty. If you need help, go to the local authorities in the center of town.” Without a word of goodbye, the Hunter turned and left.

I guess their reputation for being cold is true, Mika thought. Either way, she was happy not to have been interrogated. She’d thought she might have to fabricate an entire story beyond what she had initially told the Hunters, but they seemed to trust her word. So this is what it’s like being a mage. She was used to being treated like trash, but her interaction with the Hunters went a lot better than she could have anticipated.

She was safe for the time being, but now Mika’s thoughts turned to her uncle. Had he escaped capture? What would he do without the money he had generously given to her? Even if he made it to the west, how could he survive?

The population was sparse in the west, where Sam would encounter a desert, mountain range, and sea, in that order. Most people, Filth and mages alike, feared the west, which was devoid of major cities or towns, and lawless. Dubbed No Man’s Land, it was notorious for providing haven for rogue mages and outlaws. If that wasn’t enough reason to avoid the west, there were also legends about evil monsters and spirits living in its treacherous terrain. It was rugged, wild, and unpredictable, with hot days and cold nights. The chances for Sam were slim, even if he evaded the Hunters.

Mika realized that if she was to have any chance of seeing him again, she would have to become a powerful mage unafraid of either the Hunters or the Bishops.

By now, it was nearly morning, the sun beginning to glimmer on the eastern horizon. Mika looked west, toward her uncle, somewhere out there, alone. Then she looked towards the northeast: her destination.

For the first time in her life, Mika was truly alone. This was where her journey would really begin.

Walking through the small streets of Asand, Mika began to realize how exhausted she was after the emotional turmoil and hurried pace of the night. She knew she was almost three full days of travel away from the road Home, but she could hardly keep moving. She was going to have to stay at an inn somewhere.

The first inn she came across was called Mage’s Thirst. As she entered, she spotted a young Filth girl sweeping the floor, being overseen by a plump woman, evidently a mage, who was fiddling idly with her hair as she stood behind the bar. The woman wore typical attire for a mage, a woolen dress over a woolen underskirt. The girl, on the other hand, was a pitiful thing, all skin and bones and dressed in rags.

The inn was small, dark and smoky, with scarred wooden tables and wobbly chairs. It had a top floor that appeared to have just two rooms, but it didn’t look occupied. The place was too organized to be in popular use.

When Mika entered, the plump woman shot to her feet. “Welcome to Mage’s Thirst, m’lady,” she said, with a flourish. “How can I help you?”

It was the first time any mage had treated Mika with such respect. The words made her feel uncomfortable, but she reminded herself she was still putting on a performance. She had some idea of how mages interacted together and was ready for all the customs and courtesies.

“I need a room, and a meal if you have one, ma’am,” responded Mika, uneasy about whether it was the right thing to say. It was her first time in an inn. I must look abysmal for a mage, she thought, looking down and seeing her disheveled and torn clothing in the light for the first time, and imagining her dirty and tear-stained face. Though she hadn’t been fully confident about her necklace’s power yet, the mage’s response helped to convince her.

“Certainly. No need for such formalities. Call me Ingra. We will have our Filth prepare a bath for you as well. I can tell you traveled hard in the night, considering the state you arrived in,” the innkeeper said.

Ingra snapped her fingers at the skinny girl and pointed upstairs. The girl dropped what she was doing and ran upstairs like an obedient dog.

Mika nodded in approval, surprised at the ease of the conversation, and the quality of service. But it started her thinking about what this would cost, and she began to worry. Would it raise suspicion if she asked the price? Not wanting to draw unwanted attention, she decided she’d have to swallow whatever the cost was going to be.

“May I ask where you are traveling?”

The question caught Mika off-guard. She hesitated, but Ingra quickly filled the silence.

“I can tell you are traveling. I thought that maybe you could maybe use a ride east. My husband is making a trip tomorrow morning by carriage to visit his brother. His brother’s wife just had a child! He is making his way all the way to Zanark.”

Mika knew her geography well. Zanark was the last city before the High Road. In fact, it was only hours away by horse. The trip would save her two days of travel time on foot. It would also make her less of a suspect with regard to the Hunters. Traveling with another mage would make it easy to blend in. The offer sounded too good to be true. She didn’t know if she could trust anyone, especially a mage she’d just met.

Mika quickly decided to take the risk, only because the risks were not going to get lower until she was on the High Road.

“That’s actually where I am headed, too. You just met me—how can you be so kind?” Mika asked, speaking as casually as she could despite her suspicion.

“Well, truth be told, we are not seeing as many travelers these days, and I was going to ask for a small fee if you needed the ride. However, I know the trip alone can cost almost three silver, so I think we could agree on a deal that serves both of our interests. One and half silver for the room and the trip? Meals provided,” Ingra offered.

Mika had already prepared herself to pay one silver for the room. She figured the trip to the High Road would cost almost one silver if she traveled by foot. So she accepted Ingra’s deal without any further hesitation. That would leave her eight and a half silver, a better situation than she had anticipated. However, Mika knew she would have to be careful with her coin, because things would be very expensive in the east.

Ingra, looking pleased, asked, “What can I call you, my dear?”

“Mika…” she replied gently, not sure whether she should lie or not. It had been a long day of firsts: Mika’s first time far from the circus grounds; first time talking to a Hunter, staying in an inn, being treated with respect by a mage, and being asked her name by anyone other than a Filth.

When Mika asked if she should pay first or later, Ingra laughed and said after. Mika wasn’t sure why that was so funny but shrugged her shoulders and nodded.

Ingra showed her to her room, where a hot bath had been prepared. She’d be brought food in an hour, and that after that, she would be left undisturbed unless she needed anything. “My husband is arranging details for the trip and will be back by noon,” Ingra told her.

After Mika finished her conversation with the innkeeper, she closed the door.

Exhausted, she reveled in her newfound privacy. She set down her few belongings and tried out the bed. It was the softest thing she had ever felt. In fact, the room was much more comfortable than her old home. The full-sized bed was big enough for two and dressed in actual linen. There was a dresser, nightstand, desk, and chair. Tapestries covered the walls.

Mika tested the water in the tub placed adjacent to her bed. Perfect. She undressed, keeping her necklace on, and stepped into the bath. She could feel the grime and ache from the day’s events wash away. It was the first opportunity she’d had to relax.

While it was easy for Mika’s body to rest, her mind still raced. Her life had just been turned upside-down. Oddly enough, she was at peace with her predicament; she was becoming more confident now in her ability to make it Home and enter a guild. But she was troubled with thoughts of her uncle. Mika hoped she had bought him enough time to elude the Hunters.

After what seemed like an hour of replaying all that had happened in her head, the water had cooled enough to encourage Mika to leave the bath and get dressed again. She dried off with a towel that was draped over the chair and put on the one other set of clothes she had: worn-out brown trousers and a plain undershirt dirtied by her circus-hand tasks.

She had just dressed when she was startled by a knock on the door. It made her nervous, but the door opened and the Filth girl walked in. “Sorry to bother you, ma’am, but I have brought your meal. You will be undisturbed for the rest of your stay after I leave,” the girl said shyly.

Mika had forgotten about the food but, seeing it, realized how hungry she was. It included a plump piece of meat of a kind Mika had never seen. Based on its shape, she discerned that it was a chicken leg. The butter on top of it glistened in Mika’s candlelit room. This was Mika’s second experience with meat. Next to it sat whipped potatoes and tiny green pellets that Mika had also never seen before. It smelled indescribably delicious.

“Thank you for bringing this to me. May I ask what your name is?” Mika asked, thoughtfully. The look of shock on the girl’s face reminded Mika that mages never thank the Filth genuinely, let alone ask their name.

“My name is Sarah,” the girl said, nervously. Mika noticed Sarah’s hands shaking, rattling the silverware in the plate she was holding.

“Calm down, no need to be so scared. My name is Mika, and I’m pleased to meet you,” she said, smiling. She motioned to Sarah to come closer to drop off the food, but she remained nervously rooted in place.

“Sarah, please set the plate down and you can go,” Mika said gently.

Sarah nodded, moving as cautiously as possible in an obvious effort not to mess up. As she put the plate down on the table, Mika heard Sarah’s stomach growl.

Sarah, wide-eyed, flew into an apology.

“Ma’am, I’m so sorry, I must be on my way, please forgive me,” she said, making her way to the door in a panic.

“Hold on. Are you hungry?”

Sarah stopped in her tracks, at Mika’s instruction.

“Please, I can’t eat all of that, have half,” Mika offered.

“Ma’am, I don’t want any trouble.”

I probably would have said the same thing in her position, Mika thought. It was a legitimate response for a scared Filth girl. But Mika genuinely wanted Sarah to eat, especially given the way she looked.

She realized the only way she could persuade her to eat was to act like a mage. “Sarah, if you don’t eat half of my plate, then I will have to inform Ingra that you were not being obedient.”

The fear on Sarah’s face reminded Mika that she’d put the girl into a tough spot. Mika knew what she was doing went against all usual practices, but she had to make her alternative the better one. Giving Sarah a look of approval, she watched the girl finally approach the plate.

Sarah’s portion was gone quickly; she ate fast, out of both hunger and fear. When she finished, she looked up at Mika with happy tears in her eyes.

“You can go now. I’m glad you got to eat,” Mika said gently.

Mika heard a faint “thank you” as Sarah ran out of the room and closed the door.

After Sarah left, Mika enjoyed the rest of the food on her plate. Sarah had used the silverware unthinkingly. A proper mage would have asked for another set, but Mika was technically not a mage. She also did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble between the innkeeper and Sarah if Ingra learned what Mika had allowed Sarah to do, so she just settled on using the already used silverware.

It was the second-best meal she had ever had, next to the breakfast she’d shared with her uncle. Things taste better when you’re happy, she thought. The quality of the meal she was having was much better than Sam’s bacon, but it was hard to enjoy it alone.

After finishing her plate, Mika crawled into the big bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

She saw her father again. His eyes were the same blue as hers. The dream started out the same as usual, but it proceeded like the one Mika was having before Esteban woke her up. He kept saying, “I love you,” but then he added something, spoken so faintly that Mika wasn’t sure what he’d said. This time, she heard it more distinctly. Just one word: Frost.