Mark of the Fool

Chapter 731: Just Out of Mind

Alexander Roth was many things.

He was a wizard, alchemist, brother, a father, businessman, warrior, leader, friend, lover and prophesied Hero. The young man was also a baker, a hard worker, a scholar, and a traveller. He'd been a counsellor, guide, healer, and a helper.

Alexander Roth was many things.

A quitter had never been one of them.

He hadnt quit when McHarris abused him because he knew how much Alex needed the job.He hadn't given up when the Mark had seemingly stolen his future. He hadn't given up when all hed really wanted to do was give in to the call of the after-world and bleed out in the snow, letting the peace of death take him.

But now? For the first time in his life, he was strongly considering giving up.

Shalesays that our golemswill run out in three weeks Claygon said through their link. She is askingif you will be returning soonfatheror, if you will be making more golemsto ship back home She isgetting worried

Alex's stomach dropped. Tell her he paused. Tell her I'm working on it

There was a moment of silence.

FatherI have told her thatevery time she has askedover the past month, the golem thought.

I'm still working on it, I'm working on it as hard as I can, Alex thought. Is everyone okay over there?

We miss youfatherbut we are okay Claygon said.

I miss you too, Alex thought. I hope this last place I hope this last place is where the sanctum is. Ive gotta go for now, Claygon. Goodbye.

Good luck, father was his last thought through their link.

The young wizard sat for a time, staring at a wall in the snow cave he and the giants had tunnelled to use for their camp. He watched the early morning sun shining in the distance through the cave opening.

He almost didn't want to face the day.

Over two months, he thought. Over two months searching for this sanctum, and the only thing we keep finding are snow, cold, and getting ambushed bythe damn church. They get closer while we get nowhere!

He nearly kicked down a wall in the snow cave. And how in every hell do they know where we are? How are they finding me?

The young wizard had no answers; he hadnt even had time to do any research to get some. And damn you, Kelda! Whyd you have to make your sanctum so damn hard to find! Couldnt you at least have told Hannah where it was?

His grip tightened on the aeld staff as he leaned against their supplies, well away from the dried twig protruding from the snow. Snoring grated through the cave, father and son were sound asleep.

Maybe if I could

The twig snapped.

Light flashed.

The young wizard didnt hesitate; his hands whipped out, touching both giants. In an instant, they were gone. He, Birger, Bjorgrund, and the gear hed been resting on, appeared in a freezing tundra.

By my ancestors, what? Birger shouted, jerking awake.

What's happening, what's happening? His son cried, gripping his axe. The young giant had taken to sleeping with the weapon in hand.

The stick snapped. Alex leapt to his feet, looking around. There was no sign of their pursuers; only a vast, flat, empty landscape of white beneath a blue sky and cold sun, spread out around them. The ward was breached, so we got out of there.

Argh! Birger groaned in frustration. That's the third time they found our camp in the last week! Theyre always getting closer to us, no matter how much sleep we lose!

We should start hunting them! Bjorgrund stood, kicking the snow. White sprayed through the air. I'm tired of them attacking us whenever they want, we should take the fight to them!

How, son? Birger pushed himself to his feet, leaning heavily on his crutch. He squinted against the cold, biting wind. We neither know how theyre tracking us, or where they are. They are somewhere in the fae roads, but exactly where? The fae roads are extensive. Do you know where they are, young boy? Is there something you have not told us?

Bjorgrund sputtered, his face turning red. Well, we could find them. They keep finding us, why can't we find them?

I get your frustration, but we can't do that. There's only three of usmore, if you count my summoned monstersbut that's not going to help us against a force as powerful and determined as the church. Right now, I can't even fight them properly. I've done a lot of work finding ways to defend myself against monsters, demons, and other enemies, despite the Mark, but what Ive been able to do wouldnt be enough against that First Apostle.

You beat the runemarked easily enough! Bjorgrund pointed out. When those people hunting uscaught us the first time, we didn't know they were coming. They surprised us before we could really defend ourselves. But, now we know they're coming. We could lay traps for them: we could be ready!

Alex shook his head. The First Apostle is too fast, too strong, and too powerful, especially with his divinity. The Third Apostle is almost as bad. And that fae that led them to us He didn't even try to fight when they caught us. We have no idea what he's capable of, and we don't have Brutus, Theresa and Claygon with us. What happens if it turns out he can just make our heads explode by snapping his fingers? We don't have the information we need, and more importantly, we don't have anywhere where we could set up an ambush. They could come at us from anywhere out here in the wilderness, set that soil trap of theirs, and we couldnt escape. And again His teeth gnashed in frustration. my god saw fit to make sure that I couldn't defend myself, even when filth wants to drag a knife across my throat! Were going to face them, but we can't face them until were ready with all of our resources. That means, we have to find the sanctum

Which we are making great progress with, Birger muttered.

Alex glared at him. Something on your mind?

It's grown very obvious to me that Warder took you all for a ride. He tricked you! He tricked all of us! All we have to prove that the sanctum is in any of those four places is his word, and he didnt seem to be the most trustworthy. We've been searching for months now, and found nothing! Nothing! He snarled, baring teeth that had yellowed from months of rough travel. We should go back to Sorkovo, and rip the truth out of him!

Alex shook his head. Before we do that, we should eliminate every possibility that it isnt in one of the four spots on the map. We dont need to be making more enemies, and getting more people hunting us, when maybe we just missed something. We haven't explored the area in the tundra yet.

And when we do? And still find nothing? The old firbolg raised an eyebrow.

We don't know if we're going to find something or not, Birger, we could find it in the next hour, Alex pushed.

Or we could waste another three months here in the snow, and die when one of those ambushes finally gets us, Birger said.

So, you want us to go back to Sorkovo, then? Alex looked him in the eyes. How long will it take for us to find one of Warders thieves? If he did betray us, they're going to do everything they can to avoid us. Theyll be scarcer than hens teeth. We only managed to find themno, wait, they found us. We went to one of their old safehouses, and they saw us and came up to us. How are we to find them?

Well, if we look around the city long enough Bjorgrund started. No wait, if we're in the capital for too long, the church will catch us there. A lot of people will die, not just us. There's plenty of nasty people in the Empire who deserve that, but theres a lot who don't. Like children. I saw a lot of them when we were walking through Sorkovo.

And youre right, we'll be among the dead, Alex said. The church will kill us, unless we can get an advantage. Wed take a lot of them down with us, but that's not going to be of much comfort when were all dead. We have to focus on the sanctum.

And if we don't find it in the tundra? Birger asked.

Alex gave him a long look. For a moment, angry words boiled inside him, threatening to spill over. He nearly snarled and cursed the old giantbut stopped himself, he knew better.

His anger wasnt actually directed at Birger; both father and son had stayed with him all this time. Theyd left everything behindto find the sanctum with him, andif it wasnt for themhed be alone. Even though the two of them couldnt go back to their cottage yet, they could have had him teleport them as far away from him, and any entanglements he had with the secret church as possible. They would have likely been safer, but, instead, theyd stayed.

If anything, he was grateful that theywhod been little more than strangers to him just a few months agowere here with him. The young wizard was feeling the same frustration they were, and if he lashed out, hed only be hurting the two people who least deserve it.

They didn't deserve his wrath, the hidden church did. So did Warder, if hed lied.

So, when Alex spoke, his words were measured. If we don't find it therewell, I just don't know. Id probably want to go back to the other sites and check again.

And if that doesn't work? the firbolg pressed.

Part of me just wants to give up. I'm homesick, and this is looking more and more futile. Everyday I wake up wondering if Keldas sanctum is even in the Empire. Maybe we were wrong, maybe it's somewhere in the ice cap to the north. Maybe it's somewhere in the ice cap in the south. Maybe it's somewhere even farther! It could literally be anywhere. But

He shook his head. Why would she build an organisation in this Empire, if she didn't intend to have her base here? Im really good at reading people: maybe Warder lied to us, but it didn't seem like he was lying. No, I get the feeling that the sanctum is in one of those four places. But

Alex bit his lower lip, now chapped and raw from weeks of endless cold. He picked at the side of his face, scratching the itchy whiskers growing there.

At some pointwithout him really noticingthe beard had been resurrected.

But what? Bjorgrund asked.

I keep thinking were missing something. Alex frowned. People have been looking for Keldas sanctum for centuries. Your fathers wanted to find it, the Guilds wanted to find it, and I'm sure theyre not the only ones. Yet, no ones ever found it, as far as we know. Howd she hide it so well, that for more than three centuries, no ones ever found it, or even stumbled across it by chance?

She was always wily, strong and wise, Birger said wistfully. Independent, too, maybe too independent. If she trusted more people, like me, then we'd be at the sanctum by now.

Hmmm, if she trusted more peoplethere's something Alex paused, considering what the ancient firbolg had said. I think there's something in that. I think you just said something really importantbut I can't put it all together.

Suddenly, the wind rose.

It's cold bite sank into their flesh.

We should get moving, Bjorgrund said. Everyone feeling better?

No, but I apologise for my outburst earlier, Birger said. Im ten times older than the two of you. I shouldn't have let my feelings get the best of me like that.

Were cold, were frustrated, we're all tiredand more than a little scared, if I'm honest. We didn't do anything we can't take back, we're just agitated. Come on, we've been in one place for too long anyway. Let's search the rest of the tundra.

With that, the trio teleported far to the north, to the last location marked on Warders map. With a newfound determination, they searched for the sanctum for the rest of the day.

And for the next.

And the next.

The day after that, they barely escaped another ambush from the church.

After laying low for a day and a night, they returned to the tundra, scouring it again.

Days passed.

Those days became a week.

A week of finding nothing.

A nagging thought kept playing in Alexs mind. Hed been overlooking something.

Something he could almost grasp.