Page 115 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

Snow leaned forward on the table with concentration. “Not all. One, to put under an undetectable craft so he can never find it or somewhere he will never be able to get inside of. Without that one piece he will never be able to construct the whole sceptre. Right now, besides what we are doing to guard our kingdoms from being breached, there is nothing we can do to prevent him from getting to them.”

“And you suppose I am able to help?”

Snow nodded again. “We want to find a way to track them. There was a study of yours with our kind and how they were imprisoned to guard the sceptre pieces. You’d mentioned that the elder Crafters who were tasked to hide them created three traps—the Arx Triad. Craft, animal, Ybris. We hope that you might know how we can find them.”

He sipped his tea. “That was suggested to me, I never got the chance to look far into that.”

“Tasked? By whom?” I asked. Did that mean far more people than we thought knew about the Octa Virga?

“A traveller. He'd come across an elder Crafter scroll on his journeys describing precisely that. I found it utmost fascinating at the time. And at the time it was because it was a time of peace. I would have found out more, but shortly after the king banished me here. I think it might have been a sailor or a trader, I am not sure, but he’d stumbled on much more information. It wasn’t uncommon for the time to be curious since the burning of Seraphim was only a couple centuries ago. Punishable information, yes, but wildly popular amongst treasure hunters.” He rubbed a hand over his overgrown beard and shook his head in thought. “The only way I could have helped would have been if you already had a piece. I could spell one piece to track another. Otherwise, I am afraid you have made this journey for nothing, Your Majesties.”

Perhaps it was how Silas was finding the rest of the locations with such ease. But there was something else bothering me. “The Isjordian king did not find his piece first, it was the Solaryan one. How would one start to search for one with the information we have?”

“I told you, my king, there was a grand knowledge among those that seeked it. Perhaps he stumbled upon it. Perhaps someone who has passed the knowledge through generations and kept it a secret sold it to him. It is a kind of treasure if you think about it. One you could buy with coin.” He hummed in though. “You said that he has the Solaryan piece and that the sun rulers are aware what the Isjordian king is up to.”

We both nodded.

“The Theros library is the mind of Numen,” Oryn said, standing to pick up a dishevelled journal to a page filled with all sorts of scribbles and odd language that were most extinct at our age. He pointed a crooked finger to a line art of a tall tower building. “Cyra and Krig were good friends. During their time in Numen, he gifted her all sorts of articles and books and grimoires that the sun rulers preserved fanatically. I wouldn’t be surprised if there could be information there. Quite possibly how the Winter King has found out.”

Snow jumped a little in her seat and leaned forward on the table. “Talking about books. Father sent his spies to retrieve one of Esmeray’s diaries.” She snapped her fingers. “Darling, what was the name?”

Again, I couldn’t help my smile. “Ahmes Lore.”

Oryn’s eyes widened a third time. “And did he get it?”

“No, I did before him.” She leaned further on the table. “Why would that be a curious thing to my father?”

Oryn seemed disturbed at the thought. “It was said in many tales told by the old that one of the sceptre pieces is guarded at the gates between Numen to one of the heavens. The Ahmes Lore can decode the gates.”

The mystery was finally solved. And it was for a far less dangerous reason than I expected. Thank the gods Snow had managed to get it before Silas.

Snow and I exchanged a look. “Which one?” we both asked at once.

“It was only a rumour heard in passing, but if I could presume, I’d think it would be the Seraphim one. The sceptre locations were all concealed by Dark Crafters and Seraphim is the furthest away from Eldmoor from where craft is drawn from. It would be impossible to impose any strong enough veil to conceal such a treasured artefact. One would have thought long and hard how to most efficiently hide the sceptre pieces and leaving a wonky veil to guard one is not in the nature of an elder Crafter.”

Snow blinked in thought. “I don’t understand. How would he have my father read it?”

The old man seemed surprised at her question rather than what she was questioning, and then startled upright again when she clapped her hands and asked another question, “Why is it that I can read it?”

Oryn, again, didn’t seem alarmed at the revelation, but he frowned, looking between Snow and I as if we were meant to already know that answer. “Uh, I am not certain. I am sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

He had lied. And by the grave look he gave me, he’d done it for a good reason.

“We have come for another reason as well,” I said. “I’d like to revoke your punishment. Return to Adriata. If you wish to still practise, you are welcome to join the priests under my wing. If not, enjoy your freedom anywhere you wish.”

Oryn looked taken aback and once the words registered, he slowly shook his head. “I haven't seen one human for two hundred years and I no longer belong amongst them. I never actually did. And to know nothing has changed for us in these past two hundred years, I would rather prefer finishing the rest of my punishment here.”

Solitude did have a way to prove that you were better off alone, after all.

“Come to Olympia then,” Snow said. “Under my protection and rule.”

Oryn stared at Snow with an odd curiosity. “And why would you do that?”

“You’re a three hundred and something year old Ybris. One with knowledge and I’d like for you to share that. You are also another breathing being who should not be punished for what one cannot control—human fear. I will not apologise for being better, greater. And I refuse to let you do that too.” She leaned back on her chair. “Also, I’d like to share my spotlight in Adriata. No fun being terrifying all on my own.”

He blinked stunned but his shadows read of fascination. “You’re an odd one, my queen.”

“Odd?” Snow asked, scowling somewhat offended.