Chapter 27: Humbert
“Excuse me, a moment,” Tobias called out to the first person they had seen in an hour.
A servant in a bronze torc and brown robes turned and bowed his head.
“Yes, sir?" He snapped with brisk military efficiency.
"Be at ease. Do you have time to give me?" Tobias pressed as Riley watched quietly.
"Blackblades? But grey cloaks? Are you authorized to be here, sir?” Even as he spoke, he turned pale, and his eyes grew pained, torn between separate poles of duty.
"We are. We just left General Ecbert, but no one bothered to give us directions; we’ve been wandering around looking for the way out. Do you have a moment to guide us?” Tobias continued.
"You’re Galdor’s Chosen! Lord Tobias and Lady Riley, the ones that ascended, but why are you still in obsidian, young master?” The servant asked, emboldened by kindness.
“He looks thin and frail; he has to be what, 65?” Riley whispered to Tobias within their shared connection.
Tobias looked down toward Riley with a surreptitious nod, “I find it reminds me of where I came from. We may be Greyblades now, but that doesn’t mean we know the castle.”
“It's cute how you get all formal around the servants,” Riley teased, projecting to him alone.
‘I don’t want to give the old man a heart attack; he’s already nervous enough without me getting too friendly. He’s near shaking,’ Tobias projected back.
“Oh, I am, sir, but I’m to run this message to General Ecbert, and I’m already delayed. I beg your pardon, sir,” he bowed again but remained stooped, his eyes searching the ground as if awaiting judgment.
“If you would then, run your message and then return here and take us to your barracks. There, we will inquire with your overseer about an attendant who will help us navigate the grounds. Is that acceptable?" Tobias asked, walking a fine line between formality and kindness.
The servant snapped up, back to attention, “Why yes, young master. That would be my honor! I’ll return straight away with your leave.”
“You may, and I thank you, but may I have your name before you go?” Tobias smiled warmly.
The servant trembled, “Humbert, young master. I’ll return straight away!”
Breaking into a near run, he scurried past, hurrying down the corridor and leaving them behind.
“I hate how the Ashenrealm treats people,” Riley glowered.
“I'm trying to be kind, but I’m afraid I’m unnerving the poor man. Still, that could have easily been me,” Tobias looked down the hall that Humbert had run down and sighed.
“What would have happened to me?” Riley wondered.
“Well, they assumed we were bonded, so that would have kept us together, but you’d have been put to work just like I would have been. The food wouldn’t have been as good. Given your size, they wouldn’t be able to get much in the way out of you as a draft animal...” Tobias trailed off, trying to puzzle it out.
“At least we would have still been together, and we’d have gotten each other through it,” Riley went to press up against his legs, only for Tobias to squat down and sit against the wall, pulling Riley onto his lap.
“You would have been the bright spot in a dark life. It’s practically that way now,” the young ranger let his head rest back against the stone.
“It's not so bad,” Riley stretched out, getting comfortable, waiting for Humbert.
“No, it is not,” Tobias agreed, stroking Riley from ears to tail.
There ensconced amongst the thick walls, with dust motes drifting in the light, the silence draped like a heavy blanket, and soon blackness fell upon both of them.
"Young master?" Humbert’s voice drifted on the blackness like light breaking over the horizon.
Tobias and Riley each snapped awake, looking around, assessing for phantasmal threats. "What?"
“You fell asleep, sir,” Humbert added, bowing obsequiously.
“Would you believe that’s the second time that’s happened to me in as many days?” Tobias smiled with a yawn.
“It's not like we’ve been able to sleep,” Riley added, finally breaking her silence.
“It's an honor to greet you, Lady Riley,” Humbert rose only to bow again.
“Dude, smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em; we’re all friends here,” she said casually.
Stolen novel; please report.
Humbert looked at her confused, stammering, “Uh... Honored Ma’am,"
Riley slid off of Tobias' lap and sat up on her hindpaws. “May I ask you to stoop down? Come close?”
Tobias eyed her with a mischievous grin.
“Like this, ma’am?” He stooped down, coming eye to eye with the hare.
“Meep,” Riley gently tapped his nose with her forepaw.
Humbert startled back.
“It is a greeting among my people,” Riley bluffed as Tobias held back a chuckle.
Humbert rubbed at his nose and straightened, his back popping as he did so, “Uh, honored, my Lady.”
He bowed as Tobias and Riley shared a look.
“Your business is concluded? You’re free to escort us?” Tobias asked.
"Oh yes, sir, this way. It’s a bit of a walk, but everything in this castle is,” he chuckled to himself, offering his hand to help Tobias up.
“Why's it so empty in here anyway?” Riley prompted as Humbert took the lead, turning left then right in quick succession.
“Every corridor looks identical. I don’t know how you do it,” Tobias continued.
“Well, it’s so empty because it’s vast, my Lady. The Towers go up hundreds of flights, and their upper levels haven’t been visited in centuries,” Humbert explained, like an impromptu tour guide.
“Centuries?” Riley and Tobias said in unison.
“Aye, centuries, and it’s a lot of stairs to climb. Of course, the Avamari had a magical means, but the method of its powering has been lost,” he continued, arriving at a staircase.
“So it was Avamari built?” Tobias asked as Humbert led them down.
“Aye, the Ghostlight tower you see from the outside is actually atop a false peak. The grounds of Castle Cinder lurk behind it, like a ranger saluting with his sword,” Humbert’s shoulders eased as he began gesticulating with his right hand.
Riley’s ears perked up, “You know a lot about this place.”
“Well, all first-tier’s outside the aristocracy are raised here on the grounds. It’s all I know. Of course, I failed my trial almost fifty years ago, but I made the long walk and eventually found peace with my failure,” he sighed.
“The Long Walk?” Tobias prompted.
“Oh, in a way, we’re upon it now, my Lord and Lady. All failed pages must make their way to the Bronze Barracks alone. Once there, they hand over their weapons and kit. They must go straight there; that is tradition, that is the way, but until they arrive, they may still choose to die as aspirant rangers if they wish. There is honor in death, after all,” Riley’s blood froze as he spoke.
“You don’t mean... Oh no..." A sickly panic worked through her like an illness, leaving her paws feeling weak as she looked up at Tobias.
"How much further?" Tobias asked, his words dripping with urgency.
“It takes about a half hour from here, but we can run? I’m accustomed to it,” Humbert stopped and smiled as they reached the bottom, five levels down from where they’d been.
The smells of damp earth drifted in the air, and the quiet closeness of a deep basement level.
"He could be anywhere... He’d already had enough time to be gone,” Riley’s ears drooped.
“Please forgive an old servant if I’m speaking out of term, but if I may venture to ask... a friend of yours failed their trial?” Humbert asked, quickening his pace all the while as if to stave off potential punishment.
"Page Westphalia. We rescued him out of Venoismoor,” Riley mentioned.
Humbert stopped and turned around with sadness in his eyes.
“No, how can you know for sure?” Riley whimpered.
“I helped move his body not an hour ago, my Lady; it’s what I was reporting to Ecbert. I beg your pardon, Ma’am, but he’s gone,” Humbert stiffened, bowing his head and squaring his shoulders.
“What kind of world is this? He was eighteen! He deserved a life!" Riley railed.
Humbert went down on his knees, pressing his head to the floor, “I beg your pardon, my Lady. I spoke out of turn. I should not have given you such news.”
Riley, still quivering in grief and rage, set a paw on his shoulder, “No... You’re a person, Humbert, and so was Westphalia. You matter to me. You aren’t just things. Why can’t you understand that? Why can’t you understand that you matter?”
Humbert looked up at her, confused. “My only redemption is being of use, ma’am. All those who do not take the dagger know they owe a debt for their life. We have no worth, so we earn it in service.”
“You're wrong,” her voice shook, quaking with a bubbling rage.
“Riley..." Tobias prompted.
“No, he’s a person, so he matters. Westphalia mattered. What kind of fucked up world doesn’t see that? Why couldn’t he see that? He was just a kid." She whimpered.
“Lady Riley, I don’t understand your ways, but if I may, let me say I’m grateful for your kind heart,” Humbert said, looking up with tears in his eyes.
“It's just what was right, and it still wasn’t enough,” She replied, her voice dripping with sadness.
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/81852/second-tier-sorcery
