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Reedl and Aton blinked against the sudden morning light as they landed on the Fassendais. Harrval’s pale sky greeted them out of the night that still prevailed in Grendhill. The pair made their way to Kascho’s home in silence, a heaviness hanging over them as they walked. Aton was armed, as was his custom, but today he did not carry his twin dao as he normally did. He felt the weight of the weapon he carried pulling him down, but at the same time the knowledge of its presence pushed him almost to take off running.

They presently arrived at the house and Reedl knocked curtly. Uillia smiled at them as she opened the door. “Come in, of course come in. Kascho’s out right now, but I suppose Aton is visiting his brothers and sisters? Well, brothers and sister, of course, the other sister being indisposed at the moment. Or at the week.” She let out a quick laugh. “Come on in, I expect they’re out back running through their forms like they do in the mornings. Should be done soon. Can I get you anything?” She let a quizzical expression slip through her friendly greetings, obviously curious about the Sageman’s presence attending Aton.

Reedl spoke. “Please gather the three of them. We need to speak with them as soon as possible. That is all right now, thank you.”

“Alright, one moment.” Their hostess disappeared towards the rear of the house.

A few moments later she returned, trailed by Domire, Misolfa, and Tido. The three were catching their breath and glistening with a thin layer of sweat.

Reedl addressed Uillia. “Madam, I apologize for our odd visit, and I apologize that we are not going to explain it at this time. Is there a room where the five of us can speak with greater privacy?”

Uillia nodded. “Yes, I will show you now.” She walked down the hall to lead them to a bedroom. “I understand you folks have important business all the time. It is no trouble. Besides, Kascho and I are paid so that we will accommodate such things, aren’t we? Now, is there anything I can get you to make you more comfortable?”

Aton, Domire, Misolfa, and Tido filed into the bedroom while Reedl stood in the doorway. Reedl paused a moment before answering the question. “Yes, please. Could I get some plain hot chocolate? And some for Aton, as well? It’s a very early morning for us.”

“Of course, as quickly as I can,” Uillia answered. She looked at Aton expectantly.

“Extra milk, please,” Aton answered the unvoiced question.

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” Uillia left and Reedl entered the room entirely, closing the door behind him.

“Aton, I will leave this to you—where would you like to begin?”

Aton stood in the darkness, dumbfounded. Somebody had just carried off the king and queen of Grendhill, right out of their own bed! With Guard standing sentry, somebody had dared to attempt abducting a Farella with Aguneg’s Gift giving him an edge. How… Aton shook his head. Where had they gone? He had not heard very well their instruction to the Thallenrose, but he was sure their destination was no place he had ever heard of. It only worked for finite destinations though; one could not simply make one up.

A guard came running down the street from the same direction Aton had come, red-faced and breathless. “What happened, my prince? Are you well?”

“I am fine,” Aton replied. “They’ve gone, though.”

“Who’s gone?” the Guardsman asked.

“I don’t know. I never heard…and they have my parents,” Aton answered in disbelief. “Go get me Captain Bailen! I need to speak with him at once.”

“Yes, prince.”

“And Sageman Reedl!”

“Uh—yes, prince.” The guard turned to go and nearly ran into Reedl walking up behind him. “Oh—I’ll go ask for the Captain, then!”

Reedl stepped aside to let the man pass. “What is going on, Aton?” Reedl asked with a probing look in his eyes.

“My parents have been abducted! We have to go find them,” Aton said urgently.

“Yes, yes, as soon as you have a proper escort gathered,” Reedl said. “Did you hear where they went? Wait—first, tell me what is going on. We must understand the full situation.”

Aton did not like the sound in Reedl’s voice. It sounded like he wanted Aton to slow down, but Aton just wanted to rush off to stop the abductors. “Yes, uh, they wen to…” Aton was trying to piece together what he had barely heard whispered as the party departed. He spoke quickly, trying to get it all out. “Well, I don’t know what’s going on. I just woke up, and something was weird. I followed it and found myself near your house, so I decided to ask you. I’m sorry I left you standing there suddenly, but I had to come find out what it was, and—”

“Very well, but now tell me where they went.”

“Yes, they went…I could barely hear him, Reedl. And I think Aguneg’s Gift let me hear him at all. He was all the way across the Square, and he was whispering, and I don’t think anyone else—”

“Where, Aton? I need to know where.”

“Right, of course. It was…at least, I think…it was, umm, ‘Artcha?’”

Captain Bailen came running. “Prince Aton, what is going on? Why did you run off?”

“My parents are gone, Captain. Somebody climbed the palace walls, in and out like lightning.”

“What do you mean? How?” Bailen quizzed.

“I don’t know how,” Aton said, “but there were scuffs on the toeholds outside and below my parents’ balcony. I ran here and saw them vanish off-world.”

Bailen looked alert again. “Where did they go? We will get a contingent and go find them.”

Aton looked at Reedl. “Can you take us there?”

“’Artcha?’” Reedl repeated the word back to Aton. “I’ve never heard of it. I’m almost sure it doesn’t exist.”

“But we have to try, Sageman,” Bailen pressed.

“Oh, I will try it right now,” Reedl said as he strode from the edge of the Square towards the middle. “I will try it alone. If it works, I will return as soon as I arrive. Don’t hold your breath.”

Aton and Bailen watched as Reedl covered the distance, mounted the Thallenrose, and spoke, “Andi mito mito ‘Artcha’ niti nun pondere!” Reedl looked back at them from where he still stood, blinked, stepped down from the platform, and calmly walked back to the edge of the Square.

Aton sputtered. “But it has to work. You have to take us—”

“Aton, it is apparent that you did not hear them clearly,” Reedl interrupted. “There is nowhere to go that we know of. Come.” Reedl turned to Bailen. “Gather your top staff. I will have the King’s and Queen’s advisor council woken. We will discuss what must be done.”

Aton couldn’t believe Reedl’s calm next to the rage he felt inside. “But we must—”

“And we will, my young prince. I only need to wake one messenger and he will do the rest of the gathering. Then you and I will meet with your siblings while your parents’ advisors are being collected.”

Aton ran all the way back to the palace, and in through the gate. He heard commotion above him. He sprinted through the shadowy palace and up a flight of stairs. As he approached the level with the royal chambers, he met Captain Bailen running down towards him.

“Prince Aton!” Bailen shouted. “What a relief you are here!”

“What do you mean?” Aton asked. “Where would you expect me to be?”

“Uh—here, of course, but I was worried that after your parents—and you weren’t in bed, either.”

“What do you mean?” Aton felt his confusion turning to dread. “My p-parents?”

The Captain flushed, eyes wide and breathing intense. “They’re not here, my prince. No warning, they’re just gone.”

“Gone where?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be so worried if I knew where, would I?” Bailen answered, urgency removing tact from his tone. “Come see if you can figure it out.” He turned to lead the way back up the stairs. Aton followed behind him.

As they jogged through the halls, Bailen shouted orders to members of the Guard. Aton had left a quiet palace only a few minutes before, and now it seemed everybody in the palace was on the search for his parents.

They trotted to a halt as they reached his parents’ chambers. Bailen pointed at the door latch and hinges. “No forced entry. You know the doors are normally kept unlocked. Tonight was no different because as usual, we had our sentries.” He addressed the guards, one on each side of the double doorway. “Tell Prince Aton what you told me.”

“There’s barely anything to tell, my prince,” the female one answered. “We were here, posted two hours ago, still fresh enough—”

“Get to the point,” Bailen prodded.

“Yes, sir. Nothing was happening, then we heard a yelp and a crash. We rushed in and the King and Queen were both gone. We checked the room and the balcony, then raised the alarm. That’s all we have to tell, except what you can see inside. The bed—”

“Thank you,” Bailen said. He led Aton inside. “You can see from the state of the bedcovers that there was some, but little, struggle. It appears that your parents may have been seized forcefully and quickly, before they had any time wake up and react. There sits your father’s sword in its rack on the wall, same as every night while he sleeps. It’s never so far from him as it is right now.”

Aton looked around and took in the room. Nothing was out of place except the bedcovers, evidently thrown to the foot of the bed at the moment of seizure. As the guards had said they checked the balcony, Aton saw the glass-paned balcony doors open. He trotted to the balcony and looked out, then down at the palace wall with its pattern of blocks protruding minimally out of the wall face. It would be too far to jump down. It would be too high to get up. Sure, the blocks’ edges would be climbable, but nobody could climb it fast enough to avoid being caught in the act, right? Besides, this was within a compound wall around the palace with the same design as the palace itself. Anyone not using doors would have to make that climb over the outer wall, then up the wall of the palace itself.

But then Aton noticed scuff marks on the blocky protrusions below him. A tingle of fear struck him as the realization hit. “Block the Thallenrose and lock the city gates!” He shouted at the top of his lungs now. “Send the signal now!”

Aton ran, sprinting through the hallway and down to the ground level. Guards followed him as he ran. Others would be sending a visual signal right now, over Grendhill’s rooftops to Guard posts at the city’s gates and at the edge of Thallenrose Square. The gates would be closed and barred until another signal was given, and nobody would be allowed to approach the Thallenrose platform. Anybody arriving would be apprehended and held.

As Aton exited the palace compound, he heard shouts from the palace Guard tower. “The Square post is not confirming the order! The Thallenrose guard has not confirmed the lockdown!”

Aton ran as hard as he could. Unencumbered by armor as were the guards, and blessed by Aguneg’s Gift, he outstripped all the others and covered ground at record speed.

Aton reached the edge of the square and stopped, cautious.  He looked into the square and saw two people step onto the Thallenrose. He barely heard a whisper from the platform and they were gone.