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Chapter V
We traveled for most
of the morning before we found the road which traveled from Near Capital
east to the Bhyd outpost and beyond. It seemed a great anachronism
to me: a concrete proof of civilization lying in the midst of utter wilderness,
a ribbon of filth running through a swath of untainted beauty. We
took to the road and traveled west towards the city for no real reason
- only that returning to the Black Forest, which stood between us and the
Mountains of the Unknown, and beyond that, the Bhyd outpost, was something
less than desirable.
About mid-afternoon
we topped the plateau upon which sat the Great Citadel. Its towering
grey walls were still an awesome sight as we approached. Upon the
wind I could smell the stink and aroma of thousands of people living and
dying and loving and losing inside those stoic, impenetrable walls.
It was the smell of home, and it was a smell that I loathed. What
lay inside those walls? I asked myself. The Guild, Jack, the Gleamblades,
hundreds of filthy thieves and desperate peasants: death, blood, darkness.
I had seen enough of it, I had lived enough it.
"Wait," I said as
we began to near the city. All eyes turned toward me. "Let's
not go back."
They looked at me
with puzzlement.
"Why?" I asked.
"Why go back?"
"But, it's your home,
isn't it?" Chantel asked.
I snorted, a terribly
rude noise. "I don' have no home," I said. It surprised me,
the ease with which I lied. "I only got a room in the Guild.
No, I don' have no ties, don' have no business there."
Thorax looked down
at his horse. It was a deep black, like his clothing. "Not
that we should be taking any chances with these borrowed amenities."
Kes thought it over
for a few moments. The warm summer wind whistled lightly, and the
song of a few birds hung in the air. For a moment, I felt a tenseness.
For some reason, the decision ultimately rested with Kes, by common, unspoken
agreement. And if Kes decided that we were going into the city, then
that was where we were going. This would be a terrible betrayal,
I felt, but nothing unfamiliar.
"All right," Kes said
at last. "No point in getting caught with these beasts. We
go south, to Royale."
I gave the elf a light
squeeze of thanks and appreciation as we turned the horses south and galloped
away.
The road to Royale
was well-kept, as are all roads in Stephen, though we did not see too many
others upon it. I felt an odd uneasiness with this. It was
the height of the summer, and traffic usually poured into Near Capital
in this season, enough to traffic to justify these roads bustling with
merchants and travelers.
By evening we were
looking for a suitable place to sleep for the night. The ground had
been rocky for some time, with no clearings anywhere along the road.
We had just entered a small grotto when I swiftly leapt from the back of
Kes' horse and landed with my dagger drawn.
"What?" she demanded
as the party reigned their horses to a halt. Chantel and the psyker
looked about at the top of the grotto, which stood well above our heads.
I sniffed the air
again. It was putrid - and alien. "I smell somethin'," I growled.
"Somethin' real ugly."
Chantel's scream seemed
to complete my case as three grotesque-looking creatures leapt from the
top of the grotto to land only a few paces before us. They were humanoid
in shape, but there the resemblance ended. These creatures stood
half-again the height of a man, and their green skin was pock-marked with
patches of brown. Large, pointed noses stretched out from under two
completely black, bulging eyes. Their huge hands held long, blood-stained
claws, and long, shiny teeth that looked more like small knives rested
in their mouths.
"Gods!" Thorax cursed
as he pulled his horse away. "Trolls!"
Kes looked over at
the trio and frowned. "Obstacles, obstacles," she huffed, and quickly
dismounted.
As I ran for the edge
of the grotto, it struck me how Leila would have given such a stoic response.
They had both been good, very good, and very strong. They'd had little
to fear from the universe. But downfalls always come in a moment
of arrogance, I thought. I reached the craggy wall of the grotto
and swiftly began to climb. While my companions kept these monsters
busy, I would sneak upon them from behind. It was a typical, and
very effective, street-fighting strategy. I could think of no reason
why it would not work here in the wild.
Not surprisingly,
my companions did not rush into hand to hand combat; while I had no doubt
that Thorax was fiercely strong, his and the elves' talents lay elsewhere.
Chantel sent a blue bolt of energy at one troll, knocking it to the ground,
while another struggled with a large arm and hand which had sprouted from
the ground to grasp its leg. Kes sent a brilliant spray of magical
lights into the eyes of a third. However, all this otherwise-impressive
magic seemed to be little more than hindrances for the menacing trolls.
A hungry, maniacal look gleamed in their eyes that would not so easily
be defeated.
And I was not going
to make it. Despite my experience and my swiftness, moving along
a wall was slow work, even one so craggy and full of hand-holds as the
grotto wall. I was hardly past where the trolls stood, and not well
behind them where I needed to be.
Chantel sent another
blue bolt into the first troll as it stood. The creature rocked precariously
backwards, but kept its balance. The second monster ripped itself
lose of the earthen gripped which Thorax had maintained for only precious
moments. The third shook its head violently and roared to free itself
of the magical lights Kes had thrown at it.
I saw Kes look about
herself in a panic. She saw the situation for what it was, and knew
there was little - if anything - that she could do. Suddenly, inspiration
lit her eyes, and she mumbled a few arcane words.
A humongous inferno
erupted from the ground behind her - one that I found horrifyingly familiar.
From the angry red flames emerged a large, humanoid figure, one's whose
dark visage and terrible gaze could only be Kraz's. My eyes grew
wide in terrible fear, and I plastered myself against the grotto wall.
My stomach churned and my brain screamed at me to flee, but I was paralyzed
with fear.
The trolls had a similar
reaction, though with considerably less paralysis. They swiftly made
a desperate retreat, disappearing into the deep evening shadows from whence
they came.
And just as suddenly
as it appeared, the inferno vanished into nothing. I breathed deeply
in the sudden absence of the flames' roar - and then I noticed that there
was no such absence, because there had been no such roar. I looked
at Kes with an angry glare.
"Dammit!" I roared
as I leapt from the grotto wall to the ground and marched toward her.
When I stood directly in front of the elfin mage, I swung my fist and knocked
her to the ground. "Don't you ever, ever do that!"
Kes looked at me with puzzlement, nursing a sore jaw.
"That... that damn
phantasm of yours!" I gestured to the spot where the illusion had
just stood. "I 'bout died of fright! Never, ever do anything
like that again."
Kes stood, a defiance
set in her face. Her slap took me completely by surprise and knocked
me hard to the ground. She grinned at my look of surprise, and then
crouched down beside me. "Yell and scream all you like, boy," she
said in an iron cold voice. "But never, ever strike me."
I nodded, barely holding
back a smile. She was very strong, this woman, and she knew exactly
how to make her point.
Early the next morning
we entered the city gates of Royale. This city was a far cry from
the grandness of Near Capital, but the familiar stench of hundreds of bodies
packed tightly together assailed my nostrils as we entered through a sturdy,
if old and filthy, gate. Royale seemed to still be in the midst of awakening,
while I knew that Near Capital would be brimming with noise and commerce
and jostling bodies by this time. People stared at us as we traveled
down the narrow streets. It seemed that even in a city of this size,
elves and adventurers were an uncommon sight.
What an odd sight
our party must be, I thought: two elfin mages in ragged clothing, a darkly-dressed
and very muscular psyker, and a thin and sickly boy-thief. A ragged
and odd-ball company if I could have ever thought of one. And then
it struck me that I had just thought of my companions and myself as a single
party. It was the first time that I had ever blurred the distinction
between myself an any companions. Our group seemed to be a very cohesive
unit, without speaking we seemed to understand each other's thoughts.
They were no quarrels or any real decision making. Each of us had
known what do when encountered by the trolls, and the break down and set-up
of camp each night we slept in the wild was swift and easy.
Its was a first, and
something unique. As we slowly wound our way through the growing
crowds of the city streets, I set myself to pondering this thought.
The question that pounded the most upon my brain was: what had led to this?
What events, which people, what things had brought me here to this strange
new city with three relative strangers? And what had brought me to
think of them as not only companions, but the four of us as a single group?
The course of events
of the past few days was easily recalled. Yes, I remembered the combat
and the encounters, the conversations and thick silences that were meaningful
of themselves. But, there had to be some reason for all this.
I felt closer to Kes than anyone I had ever met before in my life, and
yet I had known her just a few days, not even a week. I knew Chantel
to be a strong and diligent woman, and even had grown to respect Thorax,
or his powers at least. These feelings and actions had meaning to
me, so there had to be some reason that they came to be.
But I could not find
any such reason. I pondered it long and hard, but it eluded me even
as we tied the horses before a tavern. We each silently dismounted
and made our way inside. I looked about the inside of the small building
- almost as much out of practice as curiosity. There were only a
half-dozen people inside, each quite intent upon his food, or on his companion
as the other spoke. Why were these people here? I wondered.
Why am I here looking at them? Why was I not outside filling my pockets
with others' riches? Why was I not back in Near Capital? Because
they feel like it, and I feel like it, I thought. And I felt that
held some importance. It's just convenient, maybe, or perhaps they
like to eat here. Maybe I just felt like accompanying Kes and the
rest in here, may be I just wanted to leave the Great Citadel.
What fickle things,
feelings, I thought. What horribly fickle and unpredictable things.
For a moment, the
key to the universe lay brilliantly before me, all I had to do was reach
down and realize. But, foolish boy, I passed it up.
Feelings get you killed,
they have you make mistakes. There are no reasons for feelings, only
consequences. And usually such consequences are dire and permanent.
My thoughts took a different tack and wandered away from pondering my reason
for being there in that little tavern with four relative strangers and
six others who I did not know in the least.
You see, there is
no reason, no underlying answer to Why? Yes, how, and wherefore,
those are easily answered; we all know the physical actions that cause
us to be where we are and who we are. But Why? is answered only in
one word: chaos. The reason is a lack of reason. It is only
man in foolish vanity and self-importance that imposes such things as "reasons"
upon the universe. He is constantly looking for Why?, and finds only
How. So he smiles and is smug, and thinks that he has discovered
something important when all he has found is another part of his cage,
which he builds slowly, bit by bit, piece by hand-crafted piece.
Do you see the paradox
here? The only reason is a lack of reason. I feel I must teach
you, though I doubt many humans will ever understand. When there
is a paradox, you must look beyond that paradox to what it is pointing
at. There you will find the Truth.
You think it is odd
that a thief and an assassin should speak of Truth? I have come to
know more Truth than you will ever encounter to ponder. Three hundred
years is a long time to think.
We left Royale not
soon after arriving, the city did not suit anybody's pallet, least of all
mine. Stranger's glares made me nervous, and those who made me nervous
were usually dead a few moments later. There was little use in making
trouble in a town that we had just entered.
A little while south
of Royale the road forked. One fork continued in a somewhat southerly
direction, heading for Magidale a day and half's travel away and beyond
there to points unknown. The other fork went east, back in the direction
of the Mountains of the Unknown, which towered over the valley even from
such a distance.
"What towns are that
way?" Chantel asked as she pointed down the east-bound road.
She had bought her own horse in Royale for a song. When offered I
had preferred to remain travelling upon Kes' steed. I had noticed
that the elf-mage did not suppress a smile.
Thorax thought for
a moment. "Forestvale lies at the end of it, I know," he said.
"Between us and that, there lies only Bridgeville."
"Bridgeville?" Kes
asked.
Thorax nodded. "Built right upon the River Sern.
It's about the only place you can cross the river with any safety."
"What's it like?"
Chantel asked. She was staring down the road with a musing look,
like the city beyond the hills and near the river might hold some important
secret.
Thorax shrugged his
huge shoulders. "Don't know. I've never been there."
"Then let's go there,"
Chantel said. She turned to look at Kes, awaiting the her friend's
approval. The decisions - what few were made - always rested with
Kes.
Kes thought about
it for a moment, and then nodded. "Sounds good to me."
We galloped down the
east-bound road like arrows sent straight for a target. We sped on
towards destiny.
The setting sun sent
our shadows long and richly dark before us as we approached the city of
Bridgeville. As I peered over Kes' shoulder I caught a glimpse of
the most beautiful sight that I have ever seen.
"Stop!" I cried, and
slid off of the horse before Kes could bring it to a full halt.
"What?" she asked
as I took a few steps ahead of and away from her upon the horse.
"What is it?"
We stood upon the
crest of hill that overlooked the city, giving a beatific view of the small
valley in which the River Sern begins and Bridgeville lays. Thick
clouds rested lightly on the far horizon, shifting slightly with an un-felt
wind. The setting sun behind us cast brilliant reds and purples and
deep pinks upon the huge white clouds. Through the clouds shown the
deep and powerful peaks of the Mountains of the Unknown, towering above
the scene like gods with frowning faces. At the mountain's feet lay
a thick green carpet that was swiftly turning darker shades until it was
nearly black in the impending twilight. Stars peaked out one by one
along the edges of the clouds, brilliant little fires upon Nuin-covl.
The stark grey walls of Bridgeville stood like awesome monuments, hiding
some precious secret where two rivers merged within and only one left,
tumbling and roaring to the south and out of sight. The swiftly fading
sunset cast angry red rays upon the thick walls, as if desperately trying
to burn the impenetrable stone away. One by one, lanterns and fires
were lit inside the city, like the stars in the sky. They winked
and beckoned to me.
Suddenly, with a tremendous
shift of a cloud, Luna emerged from hiding directly above the city.
Her bright, holy light shone down on it like a great beacon. This
was it, I thought to myself, not quite sure of what "it" was. But
this was it. I had found it.
"Can we get going
now?" Chantel said in a rather bored voice. "It's almost dark and
it's going to get cold. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm looking
forward to a night in an inne for once."
I turned to look at
her with my coldest gaze. She caught it and shivered if only for
a moment. "Fine," I said at last. "Let's go. I'm eager
to see this Bridgeville from the inside."
"I think," Thorax
said. "You'll be seeing far more of it than you imagine."
Kes looked at him
with a puzzled gaze. "What's that supposed to mean, psyker?"
I smiled and nestled
my cold nose in Kes' back. I knew exactly what he meant, and I hoped
for it.
What a terrible thing:
hope.
The guards at the West
Gate gave us no problems, did not even stop us to ask our intent within
the city walls, as did all the Watchmen in Near Capital. I noted
their laziness with an inward smile. Good, very good.
Once past the enormous
grey walls that separated the city from the rest of the world, surrounding
it with thick stone arms, the entire world changed. Light poured
from almost every window, filling the street with an eerie sort of glow.
Shadows abounded, and with my trained eye I could see the occasional flicker
within them. Where only moments ago unending fields swept off to
either side, we were now closely surrounded by buildings tightly packed
together, as if they were crowding about to watch us enter. The stars
in the sky faded with eerie light on the street, but Luna remained in her
holy brilliance. The air smelled of packed humanity, and for the
first time I realized that I had missed this smell, this stench of hundreds
of people living practically on top of one another.
But there was something
markedly different about this scene. The eerie light one could find
in the Great Citadel, and so the stench of humanity. But here, here
in Bridgeville there was - and continues to be - an aura about this city
that filled me with a sense of purpose, and belonging for the first time
in what seemed forever.
I inhaled deeply,
and smiled.
"What are you smiling
about?" Chantel asked.
I looked at her for
a moment, then blinked. "It would be too difficult to explain, elf."
The elf-mage snorted
- a disgusted gesture, and we continued to the nearest inne in relative
silence.
The rooms that night
were nice, if a bit expensive. But my companions seemed bent upon
pampering themselves with a night in a real bed. The luxury had lost
its draw to me years previously. I would have been just as comfortable
lying in the alley beside the inne than in a posh bed with pillows and
blankets.
I did not sleep much
that night. As much as the spirit of Bridgeville filled me with good-being,
this was a new place, untested, unknown; I did not trust it. I still
do not. While the others slept quite soundly, I paced back and forth
- silent as a cat - in our room. Moonlight played on the window,
and I felt drawn to gaze out at Luna.
The goddess shone
down upon Gaia in a wonderful brilliance, unencumbered by clouds, and her
children stars gathered close about her. She kept a good watch over
the night, and all those who dwelt within it. One could say that
she had become my patron.
Suddenly, whether
through some trick of Lark or just a thin passing cloud, Luna begun to
shine a deep red. I gasped as the red veneer began to undulate, giving
the impression of flames dancing across Luna's face. A scream locked
itself in my throat, as a definite face appeared upon Luna: with two deep,
black sockets for eyes, and thins horrible line of a mouth, Kraz gazed
down at me and smiled wickedly. I could almost hear his sinister
laugh in my mind.
The scream still locked
in my throat, I dove into bed with Kes, pulling her near and burying myself
deep under the blanket. But as far away from that evil apparition
and closer to the security that was Kes as I tried to get, the horrible
vision remained burned in my memory, and the unheard laugh rung and echoed
within my ears.
I shivered as Kes
wrapped her arms about me, and then I held her near. Sleep was long
in coming, though I know I drifted off before Kes. Dear Kes, what
had I gotten her into?
In the morning, the
horrible vision mostly forgotten, we gathered in the foyer of the inne.
"So, now what?" asked
Thorax.
"Well," said Chantel,
"we're adventurers, right? We need a job."
"Besides," Kes added,
"we're running low on money."
"Money?" I said.
"I can get you money."
Kes looked at me sharply.
"I'd prefer a legal means."
"Why?"
Chantel huffed.
"Some of us still have a conscience."
"What a waste," I
said, and fell silent.
Thorax took a deep
breath and exhaled slowly. He always did that when he was thinking.
"There has to be someone in this town that would want to hire a hearty
bunch of mercenaries."
"Sure 'here iz," came
a raspy voice from behind the counter. We all turned quickly with
surprise, and my hand rested upon my dagger hilt. There stood a very
short man with dirty hair and a short, scraggly beard; each looked as though
perhaps they were supposed to be blond, but dirt and general filth had
tinted them an ugly yellow. His face was long, pale and drawn.
And he had crystal blue, piercing eyes. "Da Guild iz always lookin'
fer somebody ta do somethin'."
"What 'Guild'?" Kes
asked. She threw him a suspicious glare.
"Da Tieves Guild,
wha' else?"
I suppressed a groan,
though Chantel didn't.
"No way," she said.
"I am through dealing with Thieves Guilds."
"Any other ideas?"
Thorax asked.
Chantel turned to
the wizened old man. "Are there any other... guilds, nobles, anybody
looking for adventurers?"
The dirty old man
shook his head. "Mos' of da nobles in dis town don' trus' da likes
o' you." He paused in thought, then shook his head. "Nop, jus'
da Guild."
Kes sighed with exasperation.
"Well, they can't be worse than the one in Near Capital."
Chantel: "Don't be
so sure."
"Well, unless you
two want to leave the raising of funds to our smallest companion, then
I don't see what other choice that we have."
I continued to stare
at the old man, almost totally unaware of the others' conversation.
He seemed familiar in an eerie way, very at place in this city, and yet
not so.
"You know that they'll
have us do something illegal anyway," Chantel said.
Kes sighed again.
"I'd rather be in charge of what trouble I get into. No use just
letting the Kid do it all."
"Don't want to have
to break him out of a dungeon?" Thorax asked.
Kes shook her head.
"Don't want to have to rescue any Watchmen from him."
"Fine, then," Chantel
said. She turned to the old man. "Where is the Guild in this
city?"
The man smiled.
"Across the bridge, in the Dark Alleys."
"Figures," Kes said.
"Right in the middle of the Thieving Quarter?"
The man nodded.
"Well, let's go,"
Thorax said. "We're just burning daylight."
The others began
to leave, but I remained, my gazed fixedly on the old man. It was
his eyes. They were very familiar, almost ominously so.
"Kid?" Kes called
form the doorway. "Are you coming or what?"
"Go ahead, Kae," the
man said. It was almost a whisper.
I smiled faintly. Stëpan. I had thought so.
I gave him a short wave of thanks, and rushed to join my companions.
The streets were thick
with people that morning, like any large city. It was only by the
greatest control that I kept myself from pocketing the baubles and purses
of passer-by. Kes would have been upset, and that was the last thing
that I wanted presently. But I kept a wary eye upon everything, never
straying from the rest. This city was smaller, and more innocent
than Nyr Kohpitoll, but it had its rogues, its dangers.
And its bridge.
We came upon the Bridge
only a few minutes after leaving the inne. It was a massive, stalwart
construction, made of thick grey stone, unmarred and untainted by time
and weather. Four Watchmen stood before, carefully guarding the entrance
to the other end of the city. And the other end of the kingdom, for
that matter, I thought as I eyed the guards. They were the standard
of the Watch, nothing to be feared.
But there was no need
to draw suspicion to myself. I clung close to Kes, as though perhaps
she were my mother, or I her apprentice. Kes reached down and placed
a firm hand upon my shoulder to complete the ruse.
"May we pass, good
sirs?" Kes asked politely.
The largest Watchman
gave us hardly a glance. "Go on." He waved us past with hardly
the blink of an eye.
I smiled to myself
as we passed the Watchmen. They were cocky and sure, either that
or apathetic. Either way, crossing this bridge should never present
a problem.
I broke from Kes and
wandered close to the rampart of the bridge. The River Sern thundered
beneath us, immeasurable amounts of water rushing to and away at a mind-boggling
pace. A slight breeze wafted on my cheek. I looked up to a
brilliant and deep blue sky, unmarred by a single cloud. This place
was holy, I felt. This was the heart and soul of this city.
This bridge was the key to many, many things.
How bitterly ironic
that I owe finding it to mere chance. The universe is as kind as
it is cruel. Everything finds a balance, it seems.
I passed over the
bridge in a slight daze, filled the greatness and holiness of the structure.
When we reached the other bank, the Watchmen there hardly noticed us.
- Or had they? I suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and gave a glance
at my surroundings. Everyone on the street was watching us as we
left the bridge, very discretely, going about the veneer of normal business.
How ingenious, I thought. Most thieves - most people in general -
would never suspect that the obvious guards were but a fraction of the
Watchmen that kept the bridge. It was a mistake I'm sure enough people
had made, though not often enough to give the secret away. Mere Watchmen,
however, were not going to trick me so easily. I had been trained
by the best; I was the best.
Finding the Guild
was not a difficult task. The common beggar or peasant quickly pointed
one in the right direction, and we came upon the shabby, two-story edifice
about mid-morning. The entire building appeared as if it were on
the verge of total collapse. In fact, it looked rather deserted.
The entire street looked nearly dead, only a few beggars, probably blind
and starving, wandered or sat in the street. The decrepit building
leaned heavily against a much more massive, if equally shabby wall that
appeared to have once been the outer barrier of the city.
"This is it?"
Chantel was incredulous. "This is the infamous Guild of this city?"
Thorax put his hands
on his hips, his massive arms flexing with sheer brute strength.
"This place is ugly, and I don't mean its appearance."
Kes did not say anything,
merely looked about us with her suspicious glare. Her hand tightly
gripped the hilt of her dagger, and her muscles were tensed, ready to pounce.
So that is why she
had lived so long, I thought. She was suspicious. Good, very
good. I gave the entire street a quick sweeping glance and nodded
my head: my suspicions had been confirmed. This run-down building
was anything but unguarded. Beggars and peasants watched us warily
out of the corner of their eyes.
"We'd better be careful,"
I said. "I don' think they like uninvited guests."
Kes nodded, and so
did Thorax. Chantel looked about us with a glance that was far too
obvious, caught someone's eye.
"Oh," she groaned.
"Great."
"So, now what?" Thorax
murmured to the rest of us.
I shrugged.
"We might as well jus' go in. Ain't no point in standin' 'round here
waitin' to get our throats cut."
Kes sighed.
"The Kid's got a point." The rest of the party nodded reluctantly
and we all began towards the run-down shack before us.
A shabbily-clothed
and filthy beggar swiftly limped his way towards us, intercepting us only
a few paces before the building. "Alms," he croaked. "Spare
some coins for a starvin' man."
I grabbed him by the
collar of his soiled cloak and pulled him down to look me in the eye.
"The only metal you'll be gettin' from any of us is my dagger through your
throat if you don't get out of our way or get us in that Guild."
The man's eyes grew
wide for an instant, and then his smiled a wicked smile, revealing a couple
of missing teeth. "Alright, then. Come with me, little boy."
He turned to lead
us away, but I kept my grip on his collar, and whirled back about with
a yank. "I'm not joking, little man. I'm Master Joseph's best,
and don' think I won't kill you for an insult like that. You'll call
me "sir," and introduce me only as the companion of these people here."
I drew my dagger and pressed it close to his neck. "Get it?"
He nodded slowly,
his eyes never leaving the dagger at his throat. I could see by the
look in eyes that he was taking me seriously, which was all that I really
could ask of the likes of him.
The man led us inside.
The outer doors creaked horribly on their hinges, and led into a shabby
and uninhabited sitting room with a rusty stove at one wall. There
was only a rickety set of stairs leading to the second story, but the man
paid them no heed. He proceeded directly to the far wall and twisted
a rusty candelabra. A portion of the wall in front of him slid away
to reveal a plush anteroom filled with smoke and laughter and the smell
of drunken men and women. Exactly what I had suspected to find.
"Come on in, ladies
and gentlemen," the man invited, bowing and motioning us in with an outstretched
arm. He followed us in; but I did not like him standing behind us,
so dropped back beside him, my hand resting on the hilt of my dagger.
"What is it that the
great Guild of Bridgeville can do for you adventurers?" the man asked.
Kes surveyed the scene
warily, and then turned to face the man. "We're looking for employment,
and were told that the Guild is the best place to find some. Not,
mind you, that this was our first choice."
The man raised and
eyebrow. "Indeed. Well, I'm sure that there's some errand or
another that we could use you for. Would any of you like a drink?"
We all remained silent.
"No? A pity,
we serve good spirits here."
I swiftly rammed my
heel into the man's shin, and he buckled to the floor. I found his
collar once more and drew him close to me. "We're not here to drink,
or to be poisoned, or have any thief's glib run through our ears.
We're here for work, little man. Now, do you have any or not?"
He nodded slowly.
"Aye, we do." He glanced from one side another. I followed
his gaze, but saw no one looking. "That is, if you're up to the task."
Kes reached down,
took the man by the collar and lifted him to his feet. "In the past
few days we've faced the Watch, demons, and trolls. I think we're
up to just about anything this joint could possibly throw at us."
The man grinned wickedly
again and nodded. "Good, I've been waiting for the likes of you for
a while."
"We're growing impatient,
human," Chantel snapped. "What do you have for us?"
"If you would kindly
unhand me," he said, and Kes released the iron grip on his collar.
"Thank you. Now, follow me this way. This is not something
to be discussed here. Too many ears with too many flowing mouths."
We followed him out
of the large chamber into a smaller one off to the side. It was little
more than a recess with a door. We each sat down at a large, low
table upon plush coushins.
The man closed the
door and locked it shut. Well, now that we're in relative privacy,
first things first, introductions. I am Malcolm, Master Thief of
this Guild."
Kes and Chantel gave
a collective gasp. Thorax merely glared.
"And you are?" Malcolm
prompted.
"It don' matter, our
names," I said before Kes could begin. "You know how to address me,
and I think that might be too much. What's this job that has to be
so secret?"
Malcolm glared at
me for a moment, then nodded in acquiescence. "There are certain
officials of this Guild which I need... eliminated. They are a constant
thorn in my side, and things would go much more smoothly if they were no
longer a concern."
"Is that all you thieves
do is kill everyone?" Chantel asked, once again appalled and incredulous.
I turned to her: "For
the most part, yes." She did not respond.
"Who do we have to
kill?" Kes asked. She was far from amused or excited about this proposition,
but I believe she saw that we had little other choice.
"Just two men, council
members," Malcolm answered. "Your reward shall be substantial.
Five hundred gold for each of you."
I blinked. Five
hundred gold was no small sum. And it said something about this assassination.
"What's the catch?" I demanded.
"Catch? No catch."
I glared at Malcolm.
"You might be paid five hundred gold for killin' the Duke. Hell,
I'd kill the King for five hundred gold, but two Guild council members?
What's the catch?"
"No catch... sir."
He paused. "Just that these two men never leave the Guild building."
I groaned. "We
get our money up front."
"I think not."
"Damnit, Malcolm,
don' try an' swindle me." I drew my dagger. "You know damn
well that we're gonna have to run the moment we finish them off.
We get our payment up front."
Thorax leaned forward
and whispered in my ear: "I take it you've done this before."
"Too many times to
count," I murmured.
"Very well, sir,"
Malcolm sighed. "Here is your payment." He took four diamonds
from a belt pouch. Each gem was about the size of my nine year-old
fist. They were each easily worth five hundred pieces of gold.
"And here," he pulled a folded piece of parchment from a pocket, "are directions
to the private rooms and offices of your targets. Remember that you
will not have much time before someone becomes suspicious - "
"I know more ‘bout
thieves' guilds than even you, Malcolm," I snapped. "We don’ need
no lecture. Get."
The Master Thief snarled
at me, then turned and left the room.
Kes unfolded the parchment
and glanced over the directions. "This is some fix we've gotten ourselves
into."
I looked at the enormous
diamond clutched in my hand. "I'd say it's worth it."
Chantel stood to leave.
"You tell me if it was worth it if we get ourselves killed trying to do
this."
I stood also.
"You make death sound as if it were a bad thing."
Cautiously, but with
speed, we made our way through the enormous Guild building. To my
relief, I saw no lower levels to be entered. Years within the prison-like
room at the Near Capital Guild had given me a tremendous aversion to anything
underground. We did our best not to look suspicious, though the sight
of a large, muscular man, two elves in tattered robes and a small child-thief
was not exactly what passed for normal in this guild.
Again to my tremendous
relief, no one stopped us to ask any questions, and I could detect no one
trailing us through the building. To be safe, however, I had Kes
wind our way through the building and then double-track back to our first
destination. To my great surprise, there were no guards outside the
chamber doors.
"Just how are we going
to do this?" Chantel asked. We were all casting nervous looks up
and down the hallway, watching for anyone or anything suspicious.
I swiftly placed an
ear to the door, and grinned: soft moans. "I think the council member
is a little preoccupied right now." I opened the door, and ushered
everyone else inside. Our target was in bed, and much too busy with
his companion to notice our entrance.
Chantel looked slightly
disgusted, but Kes paused not a heartbeat before drawing her dagger and
flinging it into the mass of moving sheets upon the bed. A quarrel
from Thorax's crossbow soon followed. In the next moment, the two
figures lay motionless. I approached the bed, and flung the sheets
away.
"Really, sir, a common
whore?" I asked the council member. His eyes were closed and I could
not discern whether he was truly dead are simply trying to bide his time.
I clucked my tongue, and then slit both of their throats: no use taking
any chances. I swiftly recovered Kes' dagger and Thorax's quarrel,
and then covered the pair with the sheets again. It would buy us
some time if anyone visiting thought that the council member and this whore
were merely sleeping, and would in time awake.
"Come on, hurry,"
I said as I opened the door and peered outside. There was no one
in the hallway, and we poured out of the chamber. We made our way
to the next council member's chamber as swiftly as possible without looking
conspicuous. I turned to corner before the rest and instantly slowed:
there were guards before the chamber door. I disappeared back around
the corner before they could see me, and reported to my companions.
"Oh, shit,"
Chantel said. "Now how are we going to do this."
Kes thought for a
moment. "It's going to have to be fast, and we're going to have to
off those guards, too."
I nodded, and smiled slightly. Kes was learning.
"Any handy spells
you two might have would probably be enormously useful," Thorax said.
"I have no powers that will help us now."
Chantel's face lit
up like a torch. "As a matter of fact, I do."
"Good," I said. "Then
let's do it."
"Wait," Chantel said.
"Don't you want to hear what I've got planned?"
"No," I replied.
"I'm sure you're gonna do it whether I know or not."
Chantel shook her
head and followed me around the corner. I walked well ahead of the
rest of the party, and the guards caught sight of me in a moment.
"'Scuse me, guys, but I was wonderin' if you could give me a hand.
You see, this place is jus' huge, and I need to know where I could find
your graves."
The guards looked
at me bewilderedly, and the first had that expression frozen on his face
as my dagger went through his throat. The second was fast enough
to draw his short sword, but the hand holding it fell to the floor the
next moment, and his bowels fell the next. He hit the wooden floor
with a scream gurgling in his throat, spraying blood all about.
I turned and kicked
he door open as my companions joined me at the entrance. A wave of
smoke and loud music mixed with drunken laughter assailed us. "Surprise!"
I yelled to the celebrators within. I saw that a few turned with
astonished looks and some even had enough time to draw their weapons before
Kes and Chantel each sent a ball of flame hurtling inside. The chamber
and all those within burst into flames the next moment, and I swiftly pulled
the door closed.
I breathed a short
sigh of relief and grinned wickedly. "Nice work," I said.
"Why don't I like
your tone?" Kes asked.
"I jus' saw Malcolm
in there," I said.
"Oh," Chantel said.
"Damn, one less Master Thief."
"Now you're gettin'
the hang of this," I said, and began to walk briskly away down the hallway.
"Right now, though, I think we'd best begin to run. In case you haven't
noticed, we've left a nasty trail behind us, and this place is made mostly
of wood."
"So?" Chantel asked.
"So," Thorax answered.
"There are going to be a lot very angry thieves on our butts in a few moments,
and in the meantime this building will be burning down around our ears."
"Oh."
Kes nodded.
"Oh."
And so we began to
run down the hallways. The loud crackle of the fire becoming louder
behind us. We burst into the front room, as full of drunken thieves
as we had left it.
"Hey!" someone yelled.
"Who the hell are you?"
I sighed heavily.
"Gods help us now."
We took to our heels
and fled out the front of the Guild at break-neck speed. A pack of
filthy, angry, and half-drunk thieves in close pursuit.
"Oh shit," Kes whined
as we wound our way through the streets of the Dark Alleys.
In a short while we
reached the main road, and the Bridge. I made a bee-line for the
bridge, heedless of the dozen or so Watchmen who I knew were watching our
every move. "Stop!" one in uniform cried as we approached the Bridge,
but I merely shoved him to the side and sped across the Bridge.
"Brilliant, Kid!"
I heard Chantel cry behind me. “Now you've got the Watch after us!"
I glanced behind me,
and saw that the crowd following us had swelled in size. I redoubled
my speed. We reached the end of the Bridge in a matter of moments,
and I shoved my past yet another guard. My mind was not working as
quickly as my legs, if it was working at all anymore. A blind panic
had taken control of my actions, and all that it was telling me to do was
run, and so run I did.
My flight took us
back to the inne where we had left our horses. The old man we had
talked with that morning was tending to them in the barn. They were
saddled and ready to leave.
"Did you find
some work?" he asked me.
I looked behind
me to see the rest of the party still coming, and the mob not far behind
them. "That and more, Stephen," I said. I jumped upon Kes'
horse, and then leaned down to him. "And the next time you send me
into a death trap again, I'm gonna kill you when I get out."
Stëpan
laughed. "You cannot kill me as much I cannot kill you, Kae."
I looked him in puzzlement, but then my companions arrived, and
mounted in haste. "Thank you, sir," Kes said to the old man.
"We owe you a great debt."
"Think nothing of
it," he said. "I'm sure you'll return the favor someday."
"Someday, indeed,
old man," Thorax said. "Someday in the future."
I looked to Thorax, and then back to Stephen, and the two shared
a knowing glance. It unnerved me, not being party to their secret.
I did not have time to ponder this, though, as we took to flight once more.
The horses quickly took us out of the city and west, back the way that
we came. I looked behind to the city of Bridgeville with almost a
sadness in leaving it.
However, there were
more important things to be worried about presently: I saw a group of a
dozen horses in hot pursuit, the colors of the Bridgeville Watch adorning
them.
"We've still got company,"
I told Kes. She looked behind us and spat something in elfin which
I was sure was a curse. Then she pointed her horse off the road and
we plunged into the wilderness of the Central plains.
We rode the horses
hard for hours, and it was becoming dark. Still the Watch staid close.
I could feel Kes' horse beginning to falter beneath us, and she cursed:
"Damn, there's gotta be some way to shake these damn humans."
I replied coolly,
"'Course there is."
"I'm listening, Kid."
"Ambush."
"We can't fight a
dozen trained Watchmen."
"The horses can't
go much further," I said. "You've gotta choice, stop and fight 'em
when it's best to set up an ambush, or stop and fight 'em when the horses
give up."
Kes grumbled, but
she knew that I was right. After topping a hill we plunged into a
small depression at the bottom of which there was a large creek and plenty
of cover. We hid in the dense, if small, trees and brushes.
"I hope this works,
Kid," Chantel said to me as we took cover.
"So do I," I said,
and glanced to where Kes would be hiding. She had been right before:
we couldn't really take on a dozen Watchmen, especially outnumbered three
to one. But, as I had pointed out, we had little choice, and preferred
taking such odds on my own terms. Even at the age of nine, I was
wary of the whore of chance.
I just hoped that
Kes would be all right.
The Watchmen came
to the top of the hill and plunged headlong towards our hiding-places.
They seemed almost possessed, a terrible and determined fire set in their
eyes. I knew that the only thing that would keep them from completing
their mission was death.
Well, I thought to
myself, if that's the way they want it. "Now!" I cried as the dozen
soldiers passed between us.
We all leapt from
our hiding-places. Blue bolts of magic crackled through the air and
the cry of frightened horses mixed with that of surprised men. I
tackled one man from his horse to the ground and had slit his throat before
he could even reach for his weapon. I stood and saw that Thorax had
taken two men to the ground; one lay senseless beneath the psyker, but
the other had drawn his broadsword and lifted it to strike. I cursed
to myself and fell the armed the Watchmen with my dagger. It was
the last time, I swore to myself, that I would ever save the life of a
psyker.
I looked about to
see Kes in melee with another soldier, her quarterstaff parrying blow after
vicious blow. I looked for Chantel, but could not find her.
A sharp, hard blow to my head from behind sent me sprawling, my hands splayed
before me as I hit the ground. I rolled out of the way just in time
to miss being hit by longsword.
I was upon my feet
in a heartbeat, glaring at my attacker. "Now that's not very sporting,"
I mocked, "hitting a man from behind."
"Shut-up, thief,"
he said, and swung again.
I was in luck, it
took a long time to swing a longsword. I ducked easily out of the
way, and tackled the man headlong, sending him to the ground and the longsword
flying from his hands. I gave a swift kick to his jaw and the man
fell upon his back, unconscious. I took a knife from his belt and
slit his throat.
I looked up to see
Chantel's unmoving form a few paces away. She was still alive - I
could see her breathing - but she wasn't going to be giving us any help
anymore. I saw that Kes had managed to fell one assailant, but two
more had taken his place, and that combat was not going well. Suddenly,
I could not find Thorax any longer, and I knew that we were very much in
trouble. "Ah, gods," muttered, and held the knife in my hand ready
as a Watchman approached.
Suddenly, a tremendous,
ear-piercing whine filled the air, which swiftly turned into a bone-shaking
rumble. The ground began to shake violently, and I was thrown off
my feet. In the next breath, a tower of flames erupted from the ground,
and a bolt of terrible panic exploded through my body. I was once
gain frozen in fear and I felt my soul melting away. Long, snaking
arms of flame shot out from the towering inferno and struck each of the
Watchmen, who all burst instantly into flames.
Seeing the flaming
figure of the man before me, I screamed in utter horror. And in the
same moment, I knew that was exactly what Kraz wanted me to do. All
the same, the scream and the fear could not and would not be stopped.
The Watchman fell to the ground, radiating the putrid smell of burnt flesh.
I scuttled away, not able to get to my feet and run.
Just as suddenly as the avatar had appeared, the tower of flames
ceased, and the sudden end of the roar echoed in my ears. I was breathing
heavily, and my heart pounded in my chest. My hands shook uncontrollably,
and I was staring at some point far beyond my surroundings.
"Gods," I heard Kes
whisper in awe. For a few moments the thin whine of a light breeze
was all that I heard, then Kes again: "Kid? Kid, are... are you all
right?" She walked to me, and knelt down.
My lip was trembling
with the rest of me, and I tried hard to fight back the tears. "K-
K- Kae," I said.
"Hmm?"
"K- Kae," I said again.
"M- my name is Kae. Just Kae." And with that I burst into tears.
Kes wrapped her arms around me like a mother comforting a babe, and once
again my tears wet her robes as I held her close.
I have continually
searched for some design that had led Kes into my life, and in three centuries
I have found none. Even Stëpan admits her appearance to be merely
“fortunate happenstance.” Fortunate, indeed. I have found despicable
plans for my life, for others; I have executed some of these plans.
But still, for the vast majority of every action I have found no real reason.
Each of us has control over our own actions, each of us is a lawful, ordered
thing that rationalizes every moment and every action of our lives.
But from each of these ordered and lawful existences there comes only chaos.
It takes the greatest of powers and strongest of wills to convert that
chaos to one's plans.
Gods have that power.
Mages and wizards such as Stephen have that power. I, as yet, still
do not. Nor do I want it.