The rain pattered off Jannia’s window like a wave of ocean foam. Everything beyond was grey, blue, and distorted. The candles on the Mazaar’s desk flickered as though they could sense the strength of the storm. When the thunder rumbled outside, the light quivered. The subject of Farek’s visit to Jannia’s quarters was instilling a sense of agitation in him, and he longed for his evening walk. If the rainstorm didn’t let up, he would be forced to stay indoors. Continue reading Farek 49
At Norrey’s Pub, Farek finally found his trustee guards and adventurers. They were a talkative bunch, though it could have been on account of already emptying a handful of white drinking horns. Matek spotted Farek first, and they all insisted on buying a drink for him before he arrived—that meant three drinks. Norrey chuckled and obliged, then gave them some space. Continue reading Farek 48
With a sore back, Farek hunched over his desk and signed another notice of deposit. He added the total to his ledge and then, sighing loudly, he leaned back in the armchair. His office, as Head of Finances, was piled with shelves. Each shelf was laden with folios or served as a frame for dusty moth-eaten scrolls. Despite its fragility, it was utterly still, and silent. The kink in Farek’s shoulders, nibbling its way up into his neck, was the most chaotic thing in the room.
He let out his breath and moved over the next document for his perusal. A letter from Lord Udo. His eyes had only just made it through the first rambling sentence, when the door of his office creaked open and a timid servant poked her head in. “What is it, Missak?” Continue reading Farek 47
Of course, coordinating a meeting between three major Houses of Soros was a tediously complicated affair. Farek spent a few weeks continuing his investigation of Lord Reeyan’s death—of which there seemed no leads save Lord Thrane’s supposed inside man in the Organization. During this time, he frequently patrolled the streets in his downtime. Without Silea around, his free time felt more oppressive than ever. His sham attendance of parties continued, but he found his days working in the financial division of the Bank to be dreary. Farek always felt he could be doing more. Continue reading Farek 46
At least Farek had tried. He had spent a week trying to make an appointment with Lord Thrane, but the grumpy man was always indisposed, and he never contacted Farek back. Farek started to worry that something may have happened to Thrane, but the lord had been spotted at a few social outings. He must have planned meticulously to avoid Farek each time.
Farek even started to frequent the Royal Whale, Thrane’s choice waterfront drinking establishment. Once, he had spotted Thrane at the bar, only to approach and find that he had mistaken an old man’s frame. He’d apologized and moved on. Continue reading Farek 45
The Mazaar and Lord Gallendris stood at the end of a stone pier, watching the pink waves of Raider’s Bay lapping against the barnacles that crusted the dock. As the wind whipped at the tails of Jannia’s stiff, uniform-like dress, the Mazaar was silent, waiting for her brother to reply. Farek looked up from the barnacles at the layers of clouds that obscured a blurry sun. At last he said, “I still don’t believe it. You really trust Paral?” Continue reading Farek 44
“So how are things?” Farek asked. He reclined in an armchair in Norrey’s Pub, his arm resting on the nearby window sill and a fine ale making a ring of condensation on the tabletop in front of him. He looked at his sister and smiled as she shrugged.
“I cannot complain. Dorean and I are practically inseparable these days,” Simi said. She hadn’t looked away from the small jewelry boxed she had only just opened. While she continued to smile at the twinkling sapphires that Farek had brought back for her, Farek turned to look at Dorean, the startlingly handsome man speaking with Norrey at the bar. Continue reading Farek 43
There was blue water in the Stormy Sea, and over the Orrish, and green water in Copper Cove. The Grey Sea was as dark as it had been named and Farek had heard that the Sea of Origins was grey too. But nowhere else had pale red water than Raider’s Bay. The waves lapped pink against the hull of the Royal Crester, as the familiar coin ship cut out of the river and into the Bay. Continue reading Farek 42
Farek tapped the bar top for another round. He had already bought his men a few shots of Deylus spirits, with a toast of ‘to poor choices and poor people!’. The clamour of miners and fishermen crowding around the bar made it hard to speak, but Farek made sure his men could hear him. “I know this adventure has been long,” he said to him. “We’re all eager to get home. Just wanted to take a minute with you three. How have things been?” Continue reading Farek 41
Black streaks on the horizon obscured the rocky crags of the metal island, as Farek’s schooner trundled across the clear waters of Copper Cove. They were arriving at Starath this day, as they drifted into a harbour surrounded by over a hundred other vessels. A coupled barge from Numa’nakres rested on the waves as solidly as a castle on rock and Farek looked at the umber-skinned bodies of the elite loungers upon its high deck. A child waved to him, and he waved his finger to wag it back. Continue reading Farek 40