Soul Bound

1          Soul Bound

1.1        Finding her Feet

1.1.4      An Intriguing City

1.1.4.10   More than a kid's game?

The children ignored her ignominy. They were far more interested in cheering and waving at the real live flying sailing ship, at their orphanage. It was the coolest thing ever, as far as they were concerned, and they loudly let the two mages know their opinion.

So, rather than returning to the Mage Tower straight away, as they had planned, to get on with paperwork, meetings, or other no doubt important stuff, instead Grandmaster Water and Grandmaster Air, two of the six strongest and most important mages in Torello, found themselves offering to take the most enthusiastic orphans for a spin, in groups of three. The orphans didn’t bow from tradition, or scrape because Nafaro and Yusupov were influential and might help their careers. They worshipped them because they were knowledgeable about the ship and had actually built this cool thing. “Go faster, go faster!”

It was a refreshing change. Bungo and Alderney (upon her return) also begged a go. Bungo talked ice cream, and asked Yusupov if there was any way to use air magic to cool air down so much that it turned into a liquid. Yusupov thought that a very interesting question. He didn’t know, but he had a promising student over at CoThEx, and would set them to find out. Alderney challenged them to a race, but Nafaro gracefully declined.

Meanwhile Vittoria took Kafana and the others on a tour of the Orphanage. There were nearly a hundred orphans, ranging in age from 2 to 14, and only 5 adults to look after them: a cook, a nurse (who was responsible for the youngest ones), a teacher (who tried to provide them with a bit of education), a night guard (who acted as a handyman when he wasn’t serving to protect the orphanage from drunks, gangs from the Arsenal, or any other threats), and Vittoria who had been given responsibility for ensuring that the Orphanage became self-funding. As much of the work as possible was done by the children themselves, collecting scraps from inns and selling flowers at the nearby Stadia where horses were raced and people came to watch and bet. But even so, and despite the money Suor Isabella managed to scrape together, the orphans clothing was thin and much repaired, and the orphanage itself looked as battered as an unsuccessful fist fighter.

Once the ship had left and they were all together, Vittoria explained the problem.

“When I was a child here, things were better. Several local businesses made donations, the children could dress neatly, courting couples meeting at the races could be relied upon to buy a flower for a buttonhole. We got by.”

In the background, most of the older children got back to doing chores while a couple of them arranged the younger ones into a large ring, centered around a young lad with a rope. The children in the ring stomped and clapped hands with their neighbours in a complex rhythm, while the person in the centre tried to keep up skipping at the same pace. Together they chanted:

Jazdow for Death, and Lukomorya for Lives;

Lilleheim for Ice, and Batille for Knives;

Savada for Spice, and Kyiv for Rings;

Sassari for Beggars, and Pentapolis for Kings;

Muspel for Smells, and Lavarre for Drakes;

Mezelay for Bells, and Uddel for Lakes;

Baverin for Views, and Rovograd for Fogs;

Gombardo for Shoes, and Kalzburg for Cogs;

Ath for Peace, and Costante for Wars;

Bergerac for Fleece, and High Vilac for Laws;

Torello, Torello, Torello is best;

'til Nemey in Chindiei makes final test.

At the word “test” everybody fell over as though dying, then the rope was handed along to another challenger and the feat was attempted again.

Vittoria continued:

“But since the feud between House Pazzi and House Bruno flared up over the sword laws, many nobles have been choosing not to do business with companies based in Basso. This stirred up resentment, and mocking by the raggedy man. Visitors to the Stadia from Alto started getting harassed by hidden magic casters. One was beaten and robbed by a gang of young pick-pockets from the Arsenal. Using that as an excuse, the city council over at Centrale passed a series of laws. On the face of it, they apply to all areas of the city, but in effect they are far harsher and harder to comply with for Basso than for any other district. Residents have been holding peaceful strikes and protests, but the council responded by sending in troops, who have been very liberal in how they interpret their instructions to ‘maintain public order, clear obstructed streets and get rid of health hazards’.”

“And now there is disease spreading. Neighbours won’t go near each other, from fear. Nobody trusts anybody, and nothing is being done. The Stadia has practically closed down, and it is not just affecting us. Many in Basso are now feeling the pinch of hunger. It would take just one wrong word, one accident, for things to turn violent. This place feels like a tinderbox, waiting for an inevitable match. I am out of hope.”

Wellington ticked off points on his fingers. “I have questions about the details, but on the face of it there seem to be four main challenges.”

“Firstly, find a new funding source for the orphanage, ideally one that doesn’t depend upon external charity, and where most of the work can be done by the children themselves.”

“Secondly, bring back custom to the Stadia and other local businesses.”

“Thirdly, win time for the second to happen by reducing the short term threats from disease, violence and boycotts. Give people some hope.”

“Lastly, investigate the root cause behind all this. Disease springing up at the same time is too much of a coincidence. This stinks of an enemy trying to destabilise not just Basso but the whole of Torello. An enemy with extensive connections, and the resources to think big and plan long term.”

Kafana spoke up: “I’ve got another piece of this puzzle.” She told them about Fra Nerone Drago, and the attempts to displace Suor Isabella as head of the local church either by getting her married off to Lelio or by closing down the orphanage.

Alderney chimed in: “I’ve looked through the stuff from the bandit’s camp and the body of Berard, their boss. It seems the things they sneaked into the city to fence were not just items they’d looted. They also carried packages for an organisation based outside the city, to be sold at auction. Vittoria, you said the people who kidnapped you had help from inside the Sanctum?”

Vittoria: “Yes. I received a message via the normal messenger who brings us funds, on paper from Suor Isabella’s office, asking me to meet her out near a particular mausoleum in the Necropolis beyond the Gate of Sorrows. It wasn’t her handwriting, but I assumed a secretary had written it for her.”

Wellington: “After I apprenticed in runic magic, I spent half the morning speaking with Marco, House Landi’s trade factor. We discussed the auction as a possible means of raising funds for our party, and he mentioned that a group of questing spirits were already planning to put a lot of items into the auction happening next week; items from somewhere they called ‘Divine Mountain’.”

Tomsk: “I spoke with Lelio during my journeyman’s trial about the current threats to the city. He mentioned that pirates have lately been far more likely to sink ships from some houses and businesses than they have others, and that ancient Zeradan artifacts from the Pirate Isles have been turning up at auction too.”

Bungo looked abashed. “I didn’t find anything useful I’m afraid. After the trial with Tomsk, I asked my guide to lead me to where my ex-bandits were. The church has them at work down in the sewers joining Mercato to the Arsenal, clearing obstructions which they’re doing without complaint. They’ve got the hang of your chant, Kafana. It sounds pretty good, actually. And I think it must be having some effect. I spent a while teaching them the movements to a simplified form of Tai Chi, and I’ve never met pupils with such powers of absolute concentration.” he perked up, “Oh, I did find one thing. I overheard you telling your guide that you needed some small woolen mittens, so I picked some up for you.”

She accepted them, surprised. “Thank you, Bungo. That was very thoughtful of you.”

Wellington: “Anything else?”

Tomsk: “I got a feeling of being watched by unfriendly eyes, a couple of times today.”

Kafana: “Me too!”

Alderney: “Yeah, me as well. Initially in Centrum, but also later in Libri.”

Bulgaria: “I don’t know if he’s behind everything, or if these are just multiple interacting intrigues, but I’m informed that a long term foe of the city is King Gideon, Captain of The Scourge.”

Tomsk: “Is he king of the pirates?”

Bulgaria: “He is a pirate, but no he isn’t their king. He’s a sentient undead monster, a Skeleton King, with the power to raise fallen enemies as skeletons and force them to serve under him, which for most people here is a fate to be feared far more than death. But he’s smart. He’s quite capable of bribing and subverting the living into cooperating with him.”

Vittoria looked scared and said, in a little voice: “I only wanted to save the orphanage.”

Bulgaria: {Time out. Before we discuss solutions, you’ve been asking me to explain my plan. Well, now is a perfect time. Let’s go for a walk.}

Bulgaria: “And the orphanage is all you should have to worry about. The rest of this stuff? That’s why Cov has sent you Questing Spirits. We’ll worry about it for you, and let you know when there’s something you and the orphans can do to help. You’ve been a big help already, though, and very courageous. So take heart! Help is now at hand, more than you could possibly imagine. We’re going to go out for a little while, to assess the local situation, but we’ll drop by later to say goodbye to everybody.”