Scourge Forty-Four - Spycraft

Scourge Forty-Four - Spycraft

Scourge Forty-Four - SpycraftThis chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Bianca leans over, pressing herself closer to my back so that she can snake an arm ahead of me. Over there, she says.

I follow her finger to the shoreline of the big lake next to the capital. Weve been following the coast for nearly an hour already. Below us are a bunch of houses. Little villages that are only a few minutes walk apart from each other, with a road connecting all of them together. Boats are coming in for the night to little docks and it seems like things are winding down for the day in the little towns.

Which one? I ask.

Biancas pointing is towards a part of the coast thats filled with jagged stones as the land rises. The capital is just a ways past that. If we flew straight for it wed reach the walls in maybe twenty minutes.

A few big roads, lined with homes and vineyards and farms, stretch out from the coast to the city proper. Opposite those is a river, one that I suspect was dug out by hand, leading into the city.

Its the villa with the red roof tiles and the large stables, Bianca says.

Do you want us to land in front?

Could we land somewhere more discrete? she asks.

I look around as we start to circle the area. Theres more than just one villa next to the coast. Six, maybe seven big houses, all with their own fenced in yards, several with what look like small homes built around them which only made the main buildings look bigger. I guess this is where all the really well-off families from Caselfella stay instead of the city itself.

Biancas family villa has a big mansion, with plenty of balconies overlooking a wide yard that someone spent a lot of time trimming and maintaining. There are a few servant homes off to one side, behind a copse of trees that keeps them out of sight. Theres even a greenhouse and some fields for farming.

I aim the bird monster were riding towards the outside of the villa, where the area has more woods and where the walls can hide us from view.

We land on a gravel road, the bird monsters jogging a bit to bleed off excess speed. Alright! Please unbuckle your seatbelts and prepare to disembark from the craft. We thank you for riding Air Valeria.

What are you talking about? Esme asks.

I laugh and swing myself off the bird. I pat it on the neck while Bianca carefully climbs off of it. Just a passing thought, sorry. So, thats your familys mansion?

Its our estate outside of the city, yes, Bianca says. Theres a second, smaller house in the capital, next to the seat of government.

Alright, I say. Are you sure we can just stay here for the night?

I see, I see, he says. He glances at us, then back to the house. Might I have a word, miss?

My friends and I stay put while Rafael and Bianca step closer to the house. The man leans in and whispers a few things. I distinctly hear him utter the words ruffians, and peasants.

I can feel the moment Bianca starts to be really angry. The air around her starts to waver and shift and a warm breeze shifts over to where Im standing.

Shes not very happy, I guess.

After repeating her previous demands, this time while wearing a glare that cows the older man, she returns to us as if fully expecting him to carry out everything she asked. Shall we retire to the sitting room while things are prepared? she asks.

Sure, I say. This is why mom has monsters instead of people. Monsters dont second-guess you or have any sort of loyalty issues. Also, they dont need to be paid and live basically forever. Really its mostly positives. If monsters werent so keen on eating people I bet theyd be a lot more popular as household helpers.

He didnt sound happy to see us, Felix says.

Yes, well I suppose weve ruined whatever plans he had for the evening, Esme says.

Those plans ought to be set aside for something like this, Bianca says. The entire reason the staff is paid and allowed to live on the estate is to keep the house ready for guests. I dont expect them to be able to prepare a grand feast on command, but a few rooms and some dinner shouldnt be infeasible. She sighs. If my father were here, theyd be tripping over themselves to do as he asks.

Well be fine, I say. Still, maybe Ill send a few little friends out. There are plenty of wooded areas on the estate that could hide a monster or twelve. And I can probably convince a few others to patrol the outside of the walls, just in case.

Come, we can sit back and relax a little indoors. Itll be getting chilly out here, Bianca says.

I, for one, wont mind sleeping with a roof over my head, Esme says.

We walk over to the villa, then step in. Its a tastefully decorated place, though theres none of the grandiose architecture Im used to back home. Bianca seems to know where shes going, so we follow after her as she stomps over to an office in the back.

My father has... lets not mince words here, he has spies. They often collect and send things here so that he can review them once hes in the city. If you dont mind, Id like to go over some of their reports. We might learn something.

Ill help, Esme says.

And with that, were all roped into it, I guess. Well, its not the weirdest way Ive spent an evening.

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