“He is my own agathios,” Nicomidi said. “I’m certain he will provide appropriate guidance for you.” There was a knock at the door, and Nicomidi raised his voice. “Come in.”
The young man who entered was tall, with the very dark skin and hawk nose she associated with the Republic aristocracy. Like her, he wore a formal Order tunic, with a haken on his hip. His lips tightened at the sight of her, as though he were already angry, but he kept his posture rigid as he bowed to the three Kyriliarchs.
“Tanax,” Nicomidi said. “Let me introduce you to Maya, agathios to Jaedia Suddenstorm. She will be your second on this assignment.”
“Understood,” Tanax said, turning to Maya. His dark eyes seemed to evaluate her immediately, and his expression said he was unhappy with the results.
“Honored, Agathios,” Maya said with a shallower bow. Tanax responded with a nod.
“Honored,” he murmured, then looked back at Nicomidi. “What’s the assignment?”
“The support trainees should be along in a moment,” Baselanthus said.
Tanax looked impatient, but the sound of running feet from the corridor outside was clearly audible. A girl shot by the door at a dead sprint, grabbing the edge of the doorway to arrest her momentum. She swung herself into the room, breathing hard, and staggered in front of the desk, almost colliding with Tanax. Her bow was so deep she nearly banged her head on the unmetal.
“Sorry …” she gasped. “Running … stairs … sorry …”
“Arcanist-Trainee Bequaria,” Baselanthus said, with only the faintest smile. “We try to maintain a bit of decorum here, you know.”
“Sorry. I mean. Apologies, Kyriliarch. Kyriliarchs.” She straightened up, took a deep breath, and bowed again. “I didn’t want to be late.”
“Admirable,” Prodominus rumbled. “Why don’t you introduce yourself to your team?”
“Right!” She turned to face Maya and Tanax. “Apologies, Agathia. I’m Bequaria. You can call me Beq.”
Maya felt her cheeks go hot. It was the girl she’d seen in the baths her first day here. She was dressed informally, in a leather vest and trousers, both studded with dozens of little pockets. What Maya had taken for ordinary spectacles were some kind of arcana, with small glowing beads and gold knobs set around the rim and several sets of lenses one in front of the other. Her green hair was bound up in a long, complicated braid.
“It’s an honor to be working with you,” Beq said with another bow.
“Agathios Tanax will be leading the team, with Agathios Maya acting as his second,” Nicomidi said.
“An honor,” Tanax drawled.
“An honor,” Maya echoed, not daring to look Beq in the eye. She was certain, in that moment, that all her private thoughts were written on her face.
“Now all we need is the scout,” Nicomidi said.
“Scout-Trainee Varo, reporting as ordered,” said a voice by the door. Another boy was standing there, so quietly that Maya hadn’t noticed him. He had light brown skin and thin features, with his head shaved as clean as polished brass. He bowed to the Kyriliarchs, then to Maya and the others. “Scouts is only if you’re being polite, though. We’re spies, really.”
That got a laugh from Prodominus, and Maya ventured a smile.
“Honored,” Tanax said. He seemed to be growing as impatient as his master. “Good to have you on the team.”
“You’ll come to change your mind on that point, I’m sure,” Varo said. “But I suspect you’re stuck with me, so I’ll do my best.”
“The assignment, Basel?” Nicomidi said.
“Of course.” Baselanthus nodded. “Agathios Tanax, the Council hereby charges you to travel to the village of Litnin, on the northern border. We have received credible reports that a group of smugglers operating out of Grace have been using Litnin as a way station to move products into the Republic, including dangerous dhak and unsanctioned arcana.”
“Grace,” Nicomidi spat. “If we were properly vigilant, that hive would have been purged long since.”
“If we were as ‘vigilant’ as you wanted,” Prodominus said, “every city within a hundred kilometers of the borders would be a pile of ashes.”
“Perhaps that wouldn’t be such a tragedy.”
“Gentlemen, please,” Baselanthus said. “These young people are not here for a Council debate. Agathios Tanax, your team will go to Litnin and investigate. Take whatever action you deem necessary if you discover that the reports have merit. Any who aided in the smuggling of proscribed items should be brought to justice under Republic law. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Kyriliarch,” Tanax said, glancing first at Nicomidi, who gave him a quick nod. “When do we depart?”
“Tomorrow morning. The quartermasters’ office has been informed, so request what you need. Travel funds and so on have also been allocated.” Baselanthus peered at the four of them. “Are there any questions?”
Maya could think of a few, but before she could raise her voice Tanax answered for her.
“No, Kyriliarch.” He bowed again. “If you’ll excuse me, we need to prepare.”
“Go on.” Baselanthus looked at his fellow Kyriliarchs with a sigh. “I suspect we have other matters to discuss.
Tanax straightened up, nodded again to Nicomidi, and turned to leave. Beq and Varo followed. Maya, feeling a little left behind, hurried after them. She expected to see them gathered in the corridor, but instead the two trainees were already going one way while Tanax stalked in the opposite direction. After a moment of indecision, Maya jogged to catch up with her fellow agathios.
“Agathios Maya.” Tanax stopped and turned to face her. “Did you have a question?”
“I just thought … I mean …” Maya gave herself a mental shake. Remember what’s at stake. Tanax, presumably, would be the one who informed the Council about her performance. And he and Nicomidi are Dogmatics. If they want me to fail here, to try to get at Jaedia … “I wanted to offer my assistance. This sort of assignment is very familiar to me.” Investigating rumors of smugglers and dhak had been half of what she and Jaedia did on their endless circuits of the Republic. “Do you have any thoughts you want to share on our plans?”
“Our plans?” Tanax’s lips pressed tightly together. “I am the senior agathios on this assignment, I believe.”
“Yes, of course,” Maya said. “I only meant—”
“When I wish to hear your opinion,” Tanax said, “I will ask for it. Until then, all I require is that you follow instructions. Is that understood?”
Maya froze. For a moment, all her effort went into biting back an angry retort.
“Understood,” she managed eventually.
“Requisition your gear as you please,” Tanax said. “I will expect you tomorrow morning, in the Gate chamber.”
Maya had no idea how to requisition equipment, actually. The few times she’d been to the Forge, Jaedia had handled it. But she was plagued if she was going to ask him. Instead she gave another bow, as shallow as she could manage without giving offense. Tanax waved in dismissal, and Maya turned on her heel.