Do the Gods Despise Us?

by Jeff Henrikson

  Gram turned to Nero and continued in his conversational tone, “Nero, it was a pleasure working with you. Good luck recovering the gem. I hope the elves do not disrupt my work by looking for the entrance to the Underworld; otherwise, I will be forced to kill them.” With his words said and his power proven, Gram stepped behind a pillar in a dark corner of the main hall and disappeared.

  Eventually the magic holding Nero and Gaston frozen dissipated. At any other time in the past Nero would have turned away from Gaston’s intimidating presence, but no longer. The veil had been lifted and there was no turning back. The piercing gaze of Gaston was the same, but Nero was different.

  Gaston took a more relaxed pose and said, “Let’s get some rest and talk in the morning.” Gaston did not wait for a response as he turned on his heel and walked toward the galley with his black cape following closely behind. Nero was also hungry, but he would be damned if he was going to follow Gaston into the galley. Instead, he decided to go downstairs to inspect his new quarters and see what privileges came with his new rank. Rumor was that the Guildmaster took care of those closest to him, and the Guild could certainly afford it.

  The Guild prided itself on its intelligence, knowing that information, not money, was the true currency in the world. Nero had watched wealthy men who were clueless walk into a trap and meet an untimely end, while many lowly criminals escaped justice because they knew who to bribe and who to blackmail. In much the same way, the Talon Guild had a hand in everything that happened across Tellus. Every lord in every town had a Guild member watching over his shoulder, and every king had an agent in his court.

  The Guild had scouts, thieves, diplomats, treasure hunters, warriors, and mercenaries at their call when the occasion warranted their use. There was no sound too quiet to hear, no wall too difficult to climb, and no torture technique out of bounds. When healing or divine knowledge was required, the Guild had priests for the job, and when magic was required, the Guild had some of the best wizards in all of Tellus on its payroll.

  On the surface of Locus, Guild headquarters fronted as a legitimate distribution company that owned several blocks of the city, complete with warehouses, stables, employee housing, large mansions, and other small businesses. The underground complex at the center of the Talon Guild could only be described as opulent. With each level, the security and secrecy increased. Up until now Nero had only been two levels beneath the surface, but he knew there were at least two more. The third level housed the Thirteen, with each member of the Inner Circle having his own quarters and servant staff. The Guildmaster had the fourth level entirely to himself, as befit a man of his stature, along with the meeting room where the Inner Circle formally met.

  Nero moved to the stairs going down to the third level and found his way blocked by four armed guards at a checkpoint. Luckily, Nero recognized one of the guards and moved over to shake his hand. “Gabe, how have you been?”

  “Never better. I hear you’re moving up in the world.”

  “Yes, rumor has it I am now a member of the Inner Circle. I was wondering if my quarters were ready downstairs?”

  Gabe looked almost hurt at the insult. “Of course they are. The Guildmaster has seen to it personally.”

  This was going better than Nero could have hoped. Perhaps rank did have its privileges. He would have to see how far his new authority would carry. “Excellent. And which quarters are mine?”

  Gabe winked at him and said in all seriousness. “I believe there’s a young elf lady down the stairs who would be happy to show you to your quarters. Consider her a gift from the Guildmaster.”

  “Thanks, Gabe.” Nero moved down the wooden staircase to the next level, where he found a beautiful elven woman named Shelay who escorted him to his new quarters.

  After half the night had passed, Nero got up from his bed and had a closer look at his new quarters. An oil lamp burned by the bedside and Nero could see Shelay sleeping peacefully with her half-covered form cast among the shadows of the lamp. Nero left the bedchamber to move about the apartment and found it grander than he would have thought possible.

  It was good to be under the protection of the Guild again. This was his home and these were his people. It was difficult being away so long on a continuous undercover assignment, but it was his infiltration of the Philosophers that had gained him his new position. He had finally been rewarded for all of his effort and achieved the kind of power he had always wanted. Life was good, and he was intent on enjoying this moment. He got up from his seat in the living room with a smile on his face as he headed for the bedchamber with lust and power on his mind. Shelay’s thin, perfect form was exactly where he had left her. Nero took off his clothes and moved to the bed to prove his dominance over those around him. He was gentle with Shelay at first, but in the end he pressed her as hard as he could. She took his aggressions in stride and seemed to enjoy every move and every word. Afterward, Nero fell asleep feeling every bit the master of his own destiny.

  Early the next morning there was a heavy knock at the door. Nero went to the door in a daze and found Gabe standing out in the hall. Nero was too sleepy to say anything, so Gabe started in, “Nero, sorry to wake you. The Guildmaster has called a special meeting of the Thirteen, and he specifically asked for your presence.”

  Nero stood there taking it all in. “Thank you, Gabe. Tell the Guildmaster I will be there presently.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Nero shut the door and immediately his mind began asking questions. What could be going on that was so urgent? He wandered into his new bedroom and saw Shelay’s delicate, naked form sleeping once again on his bed. He thought about taking her one more time before he left but decided it would be better if he was early rather than late to his first meeting with the Inner Circle. He went to the closet and found to his satisfaction that all of his clothes had been brought down to his new quarters. He put on his best gray, silk shirt that buttoned up to the neck and a pair of black cotton pants. He went to the kitchen for something to eat.

  After eating, Nero left his quarters and went to another stairway leading down to the lowest level of the Talon Guild. Normally he wouldn’t leave a paid whore alone in his room, but those used by the Guild were paid for their skills in the bedroom and their unquestioned discretion. There was another guard post on the stairway, of course, but they let him pass easily enough. As Nero came to the bottom of the steps he found himself in the most lavish sitting room he had ever imagined could exist. The furniture was made from pristine chestnut and mahogany, and the chairs were covered with leather. Servants ran in and out of doors on every wall carrying food and drink for the Inner Circle members gathered there. At the far end of the large sitting room, two large mahogany doors led to what Nero assumed was the Circle meeting chamber.

  As he walked into the sitting room, he was immediately met by a servant who offered him a tray with glasses of red wine. If the bottle in the middle of the tray was to be believed, the wine was one hundred twenty-three years old. Other members of the Thirteen were sitting and chatting among themselves. Since Nero wasn’t sure what the protocol was for a meeting, he played along. He made small talk with the members he knew and slowly made his way around to those he didn’t.

  As he was finishing a conversation, a strange human caught his attention. There was something odd about the way he moved and the way he looked. The human dressed in fine clothing, but it was his skin and manner that caught Nero’s attention, not his dress. As the truth slowly became clear to him, fear gripped Nero’s heart. The human had pale skin and his movements were too graceful and precise. Nero had never seen a vampire before, but it was the only thing this person could be. As he moved toward Nero, a panic set in that must have been evident in his eyes. “Do not be afraid, my young elf friend, I do not feed on members of my own guild. I see you have chosen a glass of red wine to pass the time. An excellent choice. My name is Daniel, and you are?”

  Daniel extended his hand and Nero could not look away. With h
esitation, Nero reached out and shook the vampire’s hand. The flesh was slightly cold to the touch. “I – uh, I am Nero. I didn’t know anyone with supernatural abilities was one of the Thirteen.”

  “Indeed, well, I don’t often come to these little meetings, but I had a feeling this one might hold my interest.”

  “Well, ... it’s a pleasure meeting you, Daniel.”

  “Oh I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. The Guildmaster says good things about you.” Daniel gave him a curt nod and moved away. Nero was awestruck that someone undead was a part of the Guild. A vampire’s power was legendary, and Nero had the feeling he would never again get a good night’s sleep in Guild headquarters.

  Two servants finally threw open the doors to the Circle chambers and everyone filed in with practiced ease and found their assigned seat. Nero took his time as he finished his wine and looked around the Circle chamber. The room reeked of power and wealth. Nero was no craftsman, but he could tell the entire room was made out of a very expensive walnut and that the chamber table was made out of finely polished rosewood.

  The Inner Circle always consisted of thirteen members. No more, no less. No one except the Guildmaster knew exactly why, though some speculated that there was something special about the number thirteen. The Guildmaster was missing from the meeting room along with Gaston and Gram, leaving ten Circle members sitting around the circular table. Gram had returned to the Old Shetley Fortress to continue his work, and Nero had not seen Gaston since last night. The other nine Circle members in the room consisted of two human women, three human men, one male dwarf, one male halfling, one male half-orc, and the human vampire. Unlike most organizations, the Talon Guild did not exclude anyone or any race, and this added to its strength. The rosewood table that occupied most of the Circle chamber was a circular table where the Guildmaster sat in the seat closest to his chambers. Nero had heard that the Guildmaster was traditionally flanked on either side by Gaston and Gram. Keth, the enormous half-orc warrior, sat next to Gaston’s empty chair. Daniel sat next to Gram’s empty chair, and the rest of the seats were arranged in order of rank. As Nero was the newest member, he found his empty seat across from the Guildmaster’s, at the lowest rank.

  After Nero had a good look around the room, the Guildmaster eventually emerged from his quarters on the far side of the chamber with Gaston at his side. Gaston still seemed drained and the Guildmaster wasn’t happy. Nero wondered if Gaston had been called to the Guildmaster's quarters to recount his side of the failed attempt to recapture the gem, leaving Nero to wonder what spin he had put on his story. The Thirteen stood as the Guildmaster took his place with Gaston standing next to the seat on his right. The servants bringing food and drink quickly left the Circle chamber so they did not overhear the innermost plans of the Guild. In the past there were a few servants who sold Talon secrets to Guild enemies, but after they were tortured to death, the rest quickly fell into line and learned their place.

  The Guildmaster was a human whom Nero judged to be in his forties, but that was not possible since he founded the Talon Guild more than three centuries ago. In truth, no one knew how old the Guildmaster was or how he managed to stay alive so long. He was a thin man with a mustache and a look of serious determination. The Guildmaster had accomplished his greatest feats long before Nero joined the Guild, but he had heard impressive stories. Apparently, he had some sort of sixth sense that alerted him of any danger long before an attack came. His precision with weapons and his cunning in planning strikes against enemies at their weakest moment were legendary. It was said that he could pick any lock and disable any trap. So supreme was his legend that a century after his greatest feats were accomplished, no one dared challenge his authority.

  The Guildmaster had been forced to leave the life of an adventurer behind long ago as the Guild grew larger and required more administrative effort, but no one doubted that his skills were still there. The Guildmaster even excelled at leadership. Since its founding, the Talon Guild had never lost a serious challenge. It had only grown larger and more powerful. The Guildmaster was like a great general leading an army, only he led spies and thieves instead of soldiers. He used politics and subtlety to his advantage. One of the axioms of the Guild had always been: don’t attack an enemy directly if you can get two of your enemies to destroy each other.

  The Guildmaster took his seat first, and everyone else followed. The Guildmaster nodded at Lidea, who sat next to Keth. Lidea got up and opened the Circle chamber doors that led to the Guildmaster’s quarters. Outside the door stood two female Krone! Nero managed to restrain himself and resisted the urge to jump out of his seat and draw his rapier. Lidea ushered the Krone in and resumed her seat at the table like nothing had happened. The Krone females stopped several feet away from the table but close enough to hear the conversation. The Krone were clearly from the same family, with one being the mother and the younger one probably being the oldest daughter.

  The Talon Guild was in league with the Krone! Nero knew the Guildmaster yoked the power of the Krone from time to time. Gram’s work obviously depended heavily on the Krone, but to have them here, on the surface, in Guild headquarters, was unthinkable. Nero was immediately torn between his position in the Guild and his faith in Venal. When his god had been mortal he had fought the Krone with every fiber of his being, and now that Venal was in the heavens, he still fought the Krone with his immortal soul. It was a great sin for him to just sit here and do nothing.

  The Guildmaster placed his hands on the polished surface and began the meeting. “My friends, we are moving ever closer to achieving our goal. Soon, for the first time in history, a thieves guild will have a kingdom of its own to rule with Locus as its capital. We will take the eastern portion of Kentar and the western portion of Armena as our own. Once this is done, our Krone allies will launch strikes against our enemies and help us defend what is ours. Some of you may think this seems unlikely, but two of the four goals necessary to create our own kingdom have already been achieved.” Murmuring went up around the table as most of the Thirteen had not been aware they were already halfway to their goal. After a moment the Guildmaster continued. “Some mistakes have been made, but I am still confident of victory.” The Guildmaster sat back in his chair after gripping everyone’s attention, and the meeting took on more of a business-like tone.

  “First, let me introduce our newest member of the Inner Circle. I believe most of you know Nero even though he hasn’t visited Guild headquarters in some time. Nero has been with the Guild for nearly forty years, but two decades of that time have been spent in undercover work in Armena. More than a year ago, Nero’s undercover work finally paid off when he was admitted into the Philosopher organization. As many of you know, we have been trying to infiltrate the Philosophers for over a century, and Nero was able to do it. This is how the Talon Guild was able to kill the King of Armena and his trusted bodyguard, Lacrue. He has more than earned a seat at our table, and I hope you will welcome him.” The Guildmaster looked Nero in the eyes from across the table and said, “Congratulations, Nero. Welcome to the Inner Circle.”

  A spontaneous round of applause went up around the table as everyone recognized his extraordinary achievement. Nero relished every moment and happily took it all in.

  “During the attack on the King we were also fortunate enough to capture the First Heir of Armena.” This statement caused an uproar of murmuring and the Guildmaster was forced to wait until it subsided. “This was a great unforeseen event for the Guild, and it has placed us in a much better bargaining position with our Krone allies. Even now, Gram continues his work to take full advantage of the First Heir’s capture and the blood that flows through his veins.” No one in the room said anything, but Nero could tell the entire room was in shock.

  “Unfortunately, in the battle against the King, we lost Cyrone and a number of other good operatives. His is a great loss, but his sacrifice will not be forgotten.” A few of the Thirteen looked in Nero’s direction, making it ob
vious his new position in the Inner Circle had come at Cyrone’s expense. “The death of the Armenien King and the abduction of the First Heir has all but crippled Armena.

  “I have arranged for us to hear a firsthand report of the situation within the Armenien court.” The room darkened as the head and shoulders of an elf appeared in the center of the table. The image was small and blurry, but Nero thought perhaps he had seen this elf before. “Can you hear me?”

  “Yes, Guildmaster, very clearly.” The voice sounded familiar as well, but where had he heard it before?

  “What is the state of the Armenien King and court?”

  “Guildmaster, King Jalid is very young and unsure of himself. He relies on his mother’s advice, and his mother relies on Shane. As long as this is the case, the new Armenien King is crippled, I assure you. However, the Kingdom of Armena itself is strong and intact. The army is well trained and powerful, but there is no leadership at the top and no general to lead them. I will keep the situation sufficiently chaotic for you to continue with your plans.”

  “Excellent. And how long do you think the chaos will remain?”

  “It is impossible to say. Perhaps six moons to a year. The new king was raised well, and he learns very quickly. It is only a matter of time before he has full control over Armena.”

  “Thank you. You may go.” The elf in the image bowed slightly and disappeared. The lights went up again, and the Guildmaster continued.

  “The second objective that has been met is to prevent the Sorcerers of Kentar from interfering in our plans. To this end, Lidea was successful in capturing the head of the Sorcerers, Vanderhoff, and imprisoning him inside a gem.” The Guildmaster opened his hand in the direction of the human woman three seats to his right in order to give credit where credit was due. Everyone looked at Lidea as she inclined her head in recognition of the Guildmaster’s compliment. Nero had forgotten how striking Lidea was for a human woman and had no doubt Vanderhoff had been taken unaware. “The loss of the High Wizard has left the Sorcerers crippled and confused. Well done, Lidea.” The Guildmaster began to clap and everyone else followed. As the clapping died down the Guildmaster continued.