Page 10 of Badmouths & Bards

“Thanks,” Tala grumbled.

“Still, your reaction time is close to only a handful of our disciples and I believe your temperament is ideal for the task at hand.”

“Oh, my gods, Aelidon! Just tell me what’s going on!”

Aelidon smiled. “I have an assignment for you.”

Chapter 5

Ameriden

“Every time I think people can’t put a price on magic, they surprise me,” Seira huffed. “A hundred gold for a teleportation spell?”

“And worth every gold piece,” Ameriden replied as he adjusted Dumpling’s traveling case on his hip.

Honestly, Ameriden would have paid a thousand gold and precious gems to get Casi out of the Chroma Coast as quickly as possible. After the incident with an overzealous maid, Ameriden had sent a message to Seira and insisted they needed to leave immediately. Seira had responded with confusion, but once Ameriden made his reasoning clear, she had promised to find someone with the ability to teleport denizens to other continents.

It took several hours and double the normal price of a spell, but seeing Casi’s face once they landed outside the city of Eshorion was worth it. Plus, they had arrived months early which meant more time for them to socialize with the locals. While it was never required, Cashmere Fantasy was known for adapting local stories into their music. They always performed at least one song involving a hero from the area and given that they had never been to Eshorion before, it felt like the right move.

“I’m just glad we landed near the city,” Seira sighed. “With the way that arcanist was going on, I was worried we would end up in the Searing Wastelands.”

Ameriden and Casimine had never been to Vyrthsalis before, but Seira had. Apparently she had some relatives on the east side of the continent, but she hadn’t seen them in a few decades.

“Distant cousins, but I visit when I can,” she had said when the topic of touring the continent came up over lunch. “Besides, half of ‘em work in the mines and the other half are mercenaries. I prefer to work with people and parchment.”

“You okay, Casi?” Ameriden asked, placing his free hand onto his shoulder.

Casimine’s glamour made him appear human—tan, with dark hair and even darker eyes, but his features were obviously him. Or maybe Ameriden had just become accustomed to seeing Casimine’s face in the faces of strangers. Either way, Ameriden did his best not to fall apart like their fans when Casimine smiled up at him.

“I was just wondering what time it was,” Casimine said as he glanced up at the early morning sky. It had been midday when they had finally left the Chroma Coast. “I’m fine, Amer. You worry too much.”

I don’t worry enough, Ameriden thought.

“How much longer do you two have for that spell before it fizzles?” Seira asked as she dusted off her pants.

“Depending on how quickly we can get through the gate, we should have another hour or so,” Casimine replied. “We’ll have to figure out where to stay since we’re so early.”

“You boys leave that up to me,” Seira said. “Let’s hit the road.”

Together, they walked the dirt path toward the city. Vyrthsalis was known for being an isolated continent for hundreds of years and nothing was more evident of that fact than the way the city before them was designed. A spiraling white tower at the highest point—most likely King Oryin’vel’s castle—with several more ivory buildings following suit. Ameriden couldn’t say how populated Eshorion was, but the massive walls that surrounded the base of the city were telling.

Either the king has lived long enough to see the continent fall to ruin, or he’s preparing for it.

Ameriden shook his head. It wasn’t good to think like that, but old habits were hard to shake.

As the group approached the gates, they quickly fell into a long line of denizens. Some with wagons or on horseback, but others on foot. Merchants, travelers, and even farmers arriving for daily business. Ameriden wanted nothing more than to use Dumpling’s enclosure to sit, but he doubted the glass would be able to handle his weight. The boredom was starting to take its toll on his attention when he felt Casimine’s fingers brush his.

The movement was subtle, careful, as Casimine tended to be when he touched Ameriden in public. Yet, the intentions were clear. He didn’t need magic to know what Casimine was asking.

Are you all right?

Ameriden let his eyes flicker to his surroundings, and once he was assured no one was paying them any attention, he locked their fingers together. Pleased to feel Casimine’s smooth skin, Ameriden squeezed his hand.

I’m fine.

Truthfully, Ameriden was more concerned with Casimine. When they had been but humble bards at college, Casimine had been fearless. He had held the stage with perfect poise, his voice clear and strong. His partner had always had a presence that was more than just physical—the kind of charisma that made it impossible for people to not fall in love with him…

Casimine was still uneasy and it frustrated Ameriden to no end. He wanted to tuck the man’s shorter frame under his large arm and pull him close. Hold onto Casimine and assure him that no one would be allowed near him as long as Ameriden was at his side.