by Dawn Chapman
I glanced at my inventory and checked the gold I had, still the same. “Enough,” I said, not giving him any information so he could overcharge me.
The dwarf pulled out a pouch from a bag and opened it up. There were three items, one bronze, silver, and gold. I knew for a fact there was no way I could afford the gold or silver. So, I looked at the bronze piece. “May I?”
He passed it to me, and I read the pop-up.
BEARER’S TOKEN - BASIC PROTECTION AGAINST MAGICAL WARDS.
I noted the price, one silver. I could easily do that, so I picked up the silver item. It wasn’t as heavy, and I probably could slip it inside my shirt. A pin would attach it to the fabric so I wouldn’t lose it.
SILVER WINGS OF CARN - WARDS OFF MAGIC AND POISONS.
One gold. I looked at the dwarf. “I’ll take this,” and then I paid him.
Before I turned to leave, he said, “Watch for the keepers of Travoy’s, Miss.”
“Why?”
“They’re not all good,” he said, before being distracted by another customer.
I wandered off, trying not to be noticed by anyone, but now knowing that they were the Guild I was seeking, I wanted more intel on them. Perhaps coming here was my best move, despite almost being sucked into a trap.
I wasn’t very good at moving about the market; the constant elbows in my ribs and people jostling past me were more than annoying. I followed the red-haired woman for a little and then lost her in that crowd. I’d also seen her male friend go off in a different direction. But didn’t follow him either. I wanted to make sure they hadn’t thought I was following them, which it seemed not. After all, the market was busy and they were well on top of the movement, unlike me.
A kid stopped in front of me. His scruffy clothes and general appearance told me he was a beggar, but I wasn’t going to be distracted by him either.
“Miss, my sister needs help,” he started.
Kind of an old trick really, but it tugged at anyone’s heartstrings. When I ignored him, he moved onto his next target, and I watched as an adult was sucked in and would probably be robbed in some street away from the market. I couldn’t risk helping them, and to my own surprise I laughed—the old tricks were the best.
I moved away from the market, watching and waiting for anything else to stick out, but there wasn’t a trace of the blue cloaks or anyone else I thought might be working for the Guild. My stomach grumbled for real, and I noted a small stall at the far end of the line. There were a few customers standing about eating and drinking by it, so I presumed that it was good enough and moved to see what it was selling.
Roast pig and some kind of rice dish. I asked for a bowl and was served a steaming portion. The bowl picked up the heat quickly, and I used my sleeve for protection. Moving to add some extra flavour from the sauce stand I listened in on a couple talking and eating nearby. I tucked into mine, observing everyone and everything.
The market had mostly stopped and turned to more eating than shopping. I liked this; everyone still had their basic needs. Food being one of them. A small argument started at the far end of the market. I noted the young woman from earlier. Her hair stood out; half white, half as dark as night. It almost had an ethereal quality to it, and so did her attitude. She was quick to sort out the argument whatever it was over.
The couple to my left started talking about her, and I heard her name.
OMG. That was Maddie.
I swallowed my mouthful of food and stared. Was I supposed to kill her? It was mission impossible.
Mission impossible with a high chance of dying.
I put more food in my mouth and listened into the couple once more, hoping to hear something that would give me a step up.
Their conversation turned to the Travoy’s Guild and what they were doing for the city. It seemed that Gestal was right; they were causing him a lot of trouble. But maybe that was for good reasons. Cleaning up the market was a good thing, right? But what if the two creatures were working for Gestal?
I remembered the first time I’d seen the market, and he’d instructed me to look closer. I had seen nothing but good until he’d told me to look harder. The lizard creatures had said I’d seen them, and I recalled their look and the horror as their true identity had been revealed.
So, Gestal was bad—very bad—and I worked for him. Well, at this moment in time I wasn’t sure that worked for him was right. It was more that I was forced to.
The more I contemplated the job at hand, the more I thought about trying to ditch it, and him. I didn’t even know if that was possible.
The woman to my right laughed, and mentioned that the Guild was trying out for certain jobs. I listened in some more, whilst continuing to eat. I had almost finished my bowl and decided that more would be appropriate in case I didn’t get anything else for a few days. I bought some more and moved back to the sauces, piling on some nice orange and white mixture. It added some zest and a bit of a kick to the meal and I continued to eat and watch.
“The trials aren’t supposed to be easy,” the male counterpart added. “But we may have a chance to get in to work for them. The pay is decent and they look after their members.”
I admired the politics around most Guilds; in other games I’d played there was always a couple of people who believed in fair treatment. All I wanted was a chance to get in, to see Maddie, and watch what and where she went.
Maybe I wouldn’t need to fight her. A sneaky way to pop her off would be my best bet. Something no one would suspect. The couple made plans to apply to the Guild in the evening while I decided to move on to the other side of the market to try and pick up some goods that may help me, poison, traps? Anything sneaky. If I couldn’t buy the goods on offer they might still give me some inspiration to come back while I bid my time with the Guild.
The couple finished their meal and moved away. Maybe I’d see them later. I was getting full now, my eyes so much bigger than my belly. But it was so nice. I stood and made sure I ate every morsel.
I headed back into the throngs of the market and made my way to the unusual tables, those that were mostly hidden from the normal people’s sights. It made manoeuvring a little more difficult, and I soon had my head filled with potions, prices and wares I could possibly get to entrap my next mission.
I hoped that if I did get hired by the Guild that I’d earn something to add to my limited funds. Buying a product from here was the best way to get this mission completed, no amount of sneaking about at night would be enough.
The market seemed to explode with people as the sellers started to pack up, and there were bargains to be had, so I left the bustling streets and made my way over to the Guild’s main building. It was actually a decent size, though I’d not seen the full extent of Gestal’s home from the outside I believed Gestal’s house to be one of the largest homes I’d seen in this version of London. I looked around some more as I walked. There was so much here that reminded me of the real city, but this version of the city screamed modern. I had no idea what was going on, and it left me confused and scared.
The way everything felt and moved, was just off.
Lanterns brightened the dirty streets. Nothing was electrical; everything was old. I wondered what had made the game designers think to make it look like this for a setting. It was nice to not see streetlamps and endless cars. Now stood in front of me was a large gate framed with a high-end tech computing system and all the trimmings, camera and more. The door looked like an x-ray scanner. I swallowed. I wasn’t sure that I’d get into the Guild’s building with my weapons, let alone some of the other pieces I had on me. If my cover was blown I’d never have a chance to get near Maddie or learn where my sisters were.
I stood up tall and joined the small crowd waiting to go through the gates. No alarms sounded. I seemed to have made my way inside with no issues. I guess I’d have to see what happened from here on in though.
When someone opened a door at the main building and smiled, I recognized the
redhead. “My name is Alia, I’m the lead recruitment officer and I’ll be interviewing you each at the end of your trials. For now, though I’m going to pass you onto my colleagues for assessment.”
She stood back, and a young man and a couple of other ladies filed out of the building. They made their way down into the crowd, and I waited. I’d no clue what was going on and felt totally out of place. Everyone else knew their goals and what they wanted. I was a lost sheep, and I meant that as in really lost. Stuck here.
I felt my emotions building, and tears brimmed. When I saw the blond-haired man heading my way, I swallowed and met his stunning golden-eyed gaze. His uniform, comprised of crisp white slacks and a shirt, seemed to show off his sun kissed skin all the more making him seem ghostly.
He held out a hand, but I was wary of taking it. Was he a paladin? Sure seemed like one to me. “Hello there,” he said. “I’m Noc.”
Eventually, I reached for him and took his hand in a firm shake. “Katie,” I lied.
“How did you find your way here? You look lost.”
I shrugged and decided to tell him at least some of the truth. “I overheard a conversation. They told me that you looked after your members. Thought it had to be a better bet than where I was heading.”
His gaze lingered on me and I felt the silver charm heating up under my shirt. He was using magic on me, the cheek!
Noc’s gaze altered slightly. Maybe he realised I couldn’t be read that easily. “Well, you’ve come to the right place for that. We take a lot of pride in making sure our members are healthy and happy in what they do.” He glanced at one of the cloaked girls, and there was a brief exchange. The way they looked at each other, a nod.
My stomach twinged. I’d been caught already.
“Would you mind coming with me? I have a few tests I think you’d excel in.” He gestured towards the far end of the grounds. I just wanted to bolt.
But he smiled, and that smile was infectious. “Please, Katie, you’re safe with us. Whatever’s going on will work out fine.”
My feet moved, but my head wasn’t happy.
I followed him though. It was my choice to walk through the gates. To try and do the job Gestal had given me. I wondered if I could play this off well enough that they’d believe me.
Noc sat down on a wall and pointed to the stones near him. “I know you’ve concerns. I can see that. You’ve also some magical warding, and weapons. That makes you not stupid, but...” he seemed to pause and waited for me to fill in the gap, so I did.
“Dangerous?”
“Yes, I’ve brought you over here because there’s something going on that I’m not sure of. But, as part of the recruitment process, we are, as patrons of the Guild, allowed to go a little outside the norm.”
I had no clue as to what he was waffling on about. Others around us were being put into small groups, though most were escorted off the grounds. They were rejecting a lot more than I thought they would. I nodded and got out out an “Okay,” and focused on him. Maybe it really could work out.
Chapter 8
Noc seemed nice enough—almost too nice. He took me inside and showed me where the new recruits from today would be staying. I was given a shared room. But there was no one else there yet. He said they might join later. Perhaps they were with one of the other trainers.
I placed my bag on the bed and took off my cloak. It was warm enough in here. When he noted my daggers, I smiled at him. “Girl’s got to defend herself.”
“There’re a lot of bad people around. Of course you do.” He took a step forward though, and I backed off because his face flushed, and his attitude changed. “Where did you get the necklace?”
I hadn’t realised it was on show. I fumbled and tucked it back in.
“Found it on the street,” I lied, knowing he could see right through me. “No,” I admitted and plopped down on the bed. “I can’t do this.”
“Do what?”
I looked around the room, felt the sincere hospitality he’d shown me, and sighed. The resolve I had walking into the place, to find some way of doing the job I’d accepted, faded away. “Is this place magically protected?”
“There are some wards around it.” His face changed again, concern maybe? “We’re pretty isolated here. Why? Katie, what’s going on?”
There was a knock at the door and a dark-haired woman escorted another young girl inside.
Noc looked pissed off, he almost had me spill my guts. When he met my eyes again, he also knew that that time had passed.
I sucked in a breath. “Hey, roomie.”
The young girl stared at me, then at my daggers. “I think I’m going to like it here.” She grinned. “I’m Evin.”
She held out a hand for me, but I ignored it.
“Lights out in an hour, you can shower up and relax in the main hall. Talk to the others. Breakfast is early, five o’clock.”
The other girl groaned, but I liked early starts. I nodded at Noc and he left with the dark-haired woman chatting away to him. I stared at my new roommate and instantly didn’t like her. She was just too happy.
It was nice taking a shower without worrying about who or what was watching. Yeah, I was more than sure that there were creepy things peering in at me in Gestal’s place. From the first day, I never removed my underwear. The small room everyone mingled in wasn’t for me though and I headed back to my bedroom to hide for the evening. When the lights went out, I settled in the bed. I felt like I could sleep for a week.
I never got a chance. The Guild ran like clockwork. No sooner had my head hit that pillow, I was woken the next day for food and training. There were a lot of tests—some I didn’t understand, or think I had passed, but I was still there after a few days, while others had gone. I guess I must have done something right.
I heard some of the others, including Evin, talking about how they were character assessments, and tests on our alignments. Well, I was screwed then. I tried to focus on the answers a lot more after that conversation, but the tests just seemed so random. In the kitchens, talking about foods, tastes, what was good to you, what smelled bad. I mean how could they tell where your loyalties lay by your sense of smell? It weirded me out, and the more I did, the worse I thought I was performing.
However, just a week later, my dreams and thoughts worried me awake in the early hours of the morning.
Evin was sleeping in the bed opposite. She turned over but didn’t wake.
I needed to get out, to walk, to do something. Time was ticking by and I’d only seen glimpses of Maddie, only heard tiny bits of conversation about who she was. There was a rumour she was aware. An NPC that was aware. No way!
Noc had been attentive with me and the group I was with. I’d not seen the dark-haired girl again; maybe she’d been given another set of people to watch over. As I completed my tasks, most of the time well ahead of everyone else, it was Noc who would be waiting for me. He usually smiled, or held pleasant conversation, but for the most time gave me enough space to work around and finish as I needed too.
I knew hand to hand combat was going to crop up soon. I also knew that Noc and others had seen my daggers. What they didn’t know was if I knew how to use them.
Of course, I did. Training with Shin had been amazingly hard, but so worth it. I’d picked up more from him than I thought I could on my own. Even in the practices that would help me in the real world.
Now as I watched the smaller classes split off and Noc took us to an outdoor training ground, I grinned. I’d hang back if I could and see what some of the others were capable of before taking to any kind of display.
Noc put some of the others together and after we’d watched a couple of the older residents fighting he paired the others off, including my roomie. She looked a little forlorn pitted against one of the older boys we’d just seen fighting and she glanced to me for guidance, or something. I grabbed her arm, pulled her to me and whispered, “He favours his right leg, and his left strike is weak.”
/> She grinned and walked away much happier. She didn’t have any chance before, but maybe she did now and she knew it.
Noc stepped before me, “I want you to fight against Druella.”
I noted her as she glanced in my direction. She’d been fighting with daggers earlier and had good technique. I wasn’t concerned though. I was worried about making it look too easy when I beat her.
Druella stalked over to us. Stalked really was the right word—she was big, with thick muscular legs and arms and she towered over me. I could swear she had a green tinge to her skin too. I wasn’t kidding. She was a mammoth.
I studied her as she paced around me. She would take her time, I was sure, but I wanted her to. I needed this to look good.
Batting her eyes in Noc’s direction, she actually had the nerve to taunt me.
“He likes you,” she said. “Likes you a lot more than any of the other girls around here.”
I turned away, didn’t I? What a dumbass. She was inside my lines within seconds and although I jumped back and managed to deflect a strike, she sliced across my arm. I knew the pain, and saw my splotch edge upwards. 4.
What I didn’t like was the taunting. She reminded me of the bullies in school. Those who liked to pick on weaker kids. I looked weak. I always did. What they didn’t know was how hard I trained to kick their asses. I really needed to learn to ignore comments.
She tried a few other ways to embarrass me. Talking about family she knew nothing about.
Ping, “You have learned the ability shake it off.”
I didn’t want to just shake it off though, I wanted to channel it and use it to get her back. The more tactics she tried, the more I dodged and ran circles around her.
Noc was watching my every move though.
I started to pant, like I was overreaching myself. Trying to make it look like I was weaker than I was. I think it was working because the next strike she went for I didn’t move out of the way. She not only managed to cut me, but knocked me to the ground.