Apprentice

by Nicholas Hale

  Live, completed the voice in Riven's head as Toskk broke off, staring into emptiness.

  "But you did it!" said Riven. "So many things could have gone wrong in the job, but you broke into a Summoners house and you lived!"

  "Yeah," said Toskk, smiling.

  "What happened next?" asked Riven.

  "I was to deliver the egg to Garvin's men and then I would be considered square with the Black Ravens. After sending me to rob a Summoner's house, Garvin probably didn't want any loose ends left. There's every chance that the Summoner could now be searching for me. So, he decided to get rid of me in case I got caught and gave him up."

  "You should have given the egg over to Stinky Tom."

  Toskk shook his head.

  "The way Tom was talking, they didn't want this egg anywhere near any of the guild-halls. Even for a second."

  Riven nodded. It wouldn't pay to have a Summoner mad at you. Not when he had the power to set a rampaging demon on you.

  "Garvin must have paid the Ravens, right?" asked Riven.

  Toskk nodded.

  "So what happens when they find out you didn't deliver the egg?"

  "What do you think will happen? Garvin's men are probably heading here right now. The Black Ravens have an obligation to deliver the egg to Garvin. So, they're probably on the lookout for me. To top it off, I might have a pissed-off Summoner hunting for me as well."

  This was bad, thought Riven. This morning it was just the Black Ravens. And now...

  "What are we going to do?" asked Riven.

  "First, we're going to leave this shack. You're going to take some of our things and go over to the place we have in the gambling quarter."

  That made sense. The gambling quarter was always crowded and people were always drunk there, so they never remembered much of what they saw. The place itself was much smaller than this one and Toskk had kept it for just such an emergency as this one.

  "We haven't been there in almost a year. It's probably all dirtied up because of the rains."

  "You're going to have to clean it up then, aren't you?"

  "What are you going to do in the meantime?" asked Riven.

  "I'll let you know when I meet you there. I need to see someone."

  "Who?" asked Riven. He was at the edge of his patience with his brother. He had just saved Toskk's life and if Toskk wouldn't tell him...

  "Don't worry it's no one dangerous. A mage. I haven't met him for some time."

  Riven wasn't sure. He'd have liked to be with his brother.

  Things were a lot more dangerous now than they were in the morning. There could even be a price on Toskk's head. Yet someone needed to go the hideout. And Riven could make sure it was safe too. No one knew about it, but just in case.

  "Don't worry. I'll see you there by midnight," said Toskk in a reassuring tone.

  Riven nodded.

  "And use the sewers to get there," said Toskk before they started searching the shack for anything useful that Riven could take with him.

  Chapter 15

  Normally he wouldn't send Riven out on any important errands, but he was really cornered now and couldn't waste time. Riven had killed a man. Stabbed him to death. With relative ease. He didn't seem too bothered by it, which was what was bothering Toskk. If this were any other day, he would have given it considerable thought.

  The first time Toskk killed a man, he couldn't sleep for three days. And he was much older than Riven. Maybe Riven was hardened to all the violence in Archon.

  Regardless, he was thankful that Riven could save his life.

  He put it out of his mind as he carefully made his way out of the shack into the streets. It was nearing midnight and there was no sign of anyone else. Toskk walked through the alleys heading to the trade quarter of Archon.

  He realized as he walked, that there was nothing left for him in this place. Not with so many people out for his head now. Garvin would have gone and vented his rage in the Black Ravens guild-hall for setting him up with Toskk. It was very likely he would also tell them that Toskk was the instigator in the whole mess. Add the Summoner who might be looking for him, and his time in this city was rapidly expiring.

  He knew that the only chance for survival was in his bag. All of them wanted the egg, and he needed to find out more about it.

  After nearly an hour of walking through the numerous alleys, he reached his destination. The building was painted in a rather dull color and huddled away in one corner of the trade quarter.

  Daedalus was an old friend. He had studied magic for quite some time, but didn't prove too exceptional at it to actually become a practitioner of magic, or find employment at any of the guilds, merchants or nobles that often added mages to their staff.

  Mages were good muscle. They cost you a lot, but simply having one in your employ often dissuaded a lot of people from messing with you. Daedalus realized his shortcomings and hence concentrated on the study of magical artifacts. In combat, he would be near useless. But he was perfect for Toskk in the older days when the Black Raven guild wasn't very aggressive towards freelancers.

  He had taught Toskk what kinds of artifacts were worth stealing and which were better off left behind. He also had a connection to many of the more reputable suppliers of magical items and weapons. So Toskk was always glad to split earnings with him.

  Ever since the Black Ravens started weeding out the freelancers, nearly two years ago, his trips to Daedalus became less frequent. They had completely stopped a year ago when Toskk decided that the safest course was to work alone unless absolutely needed. He preferred to steal items like gold and silver—hard currency that didn't involve trade—and the occasional enchanted weapon. Anything that could be easily disposed of for some quick gold.

  He wondered how Daedalus would react to seeing him now.

  The gate wasn't bolted which meant Daedalus was probably home. He still needed to be careful. It was easy to blend into the shadows at night, but the eyes of a thief were sharp. A Black Raven could spot him going in.

  He stayed a small distance away and scanned the surroundings to see if there was anyone watching, and only when he was convinced it was safe, he entered the gate. He ran up the flight of stairs to the second floor and gave a soft three knocks on the door, followed by another two. He wondered if Daedalus still remembered that pattern they used earlier. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal Daedalus. It took Daedalus but a small moment to recognize Toskk.

  "Well, old friend. I must say I didn't expect you to come here. So soon at that."

  Toskk had to raise an eyebrow. He hadn't seen Daedalus in over a year. He expected a hearty greeting. It was too much to expect a hug, but it was possible. He did not expect this. It struck him then.

  "You heard?" he asked, his heart skipping a beat.

  "Don't worry. Nothing big going around. I was lucky to hear it. I happened to chance in on it just an hour ago."

  Damn. They were moving fast. It had been just three hours since the mishap and they had already put the word out on the street.

  "Is there a price on my head?"

  "What did you expect when you tried to assassinate Garvin?"

  "Assassinate Garvin? He wasn't even there at the meeting!" said Toskk. He expected some trumped-up allegations against him, but the Black Ravens would know that Toskk wasn't stupid enough to try and kill Garvin.

  But still. It was the word of a freelancer against one of the Raven's more valuable customers.

  Daedalus shrugged.

  "How much?" asked Toskk.

  "He had the Black Ravens put a bounty of two hundred gold on you."

  Two hundred gold? Toskk relaxed. It was a meager sum, and would attract only the lower tier of bounty hunters. It wasn't substantial enough to warrant the attention of some of the more ruthless types that Toskk would have trouble evading.

  "So I can come in?" asked Toskk.

  Daedalus nodded stepping away from the doorway allowing Toskk inside.

  Toskk had
always assumed that magic required a meticulous mindset. This naturally would lead to a more methodical lifestyle. One that prioritized organization in the household. But not Daed's place.

  Books were strewn all over the flor, and there were several artifacts glowing and moving in the house. If this had been the first time Toskk had seen Daedalus's place, he would have thought it had suffered a spell gone wrong within its walls. Yet after countless visits, he had somewhat gotten used to the chaos that was Daed's house. Daed could always find anything he needed in a fraction of a second though.

  "Make yourself comfortable. I'll fetch some drink."

  Moments later, both of them were sitting in hall sipping on some wine that Daed had brought out. Toskk had only taken a small sip. He hadn't eaten since the ordeal and could certainly have used a drink. But this was the time when he needed his head to be most clear. He couldn't afford any slip-ups.

  "Well then. Are you going to show me what you stole? That's why you're here right?" Daed broke the silence, getting straight to the point. No small talk.

  That suited Toskk. He brought the pouch from inside the bag. Opened it slightly to expose the egg. He began to remove the egg out of the pouch to hand it over to Daedalus before he heard a scream.

  "Put that back inside!"

  Toskk reacted quickly to close the pouch.

  "What on earth are you screaming for?" he asked.

  Daed sank back into the chair with a worried look on his face.

  "What is it?" asked Toskk.

  "First, tell me how you found it. I mean to ask if it was in that same pouch," he said.

  Toskk recollected that it was in the pouch when he found it so he nodded.

  "Did you ever completely remove it from the pouch?"

  "Once. Maybe twice," he said. He remembered taking a peek inside the pouch when he first acquired it. He removed it once to hand it to Riven back at the shack.

  Daedalus shook his head.

  "Now tell me where you found it."

  Toskk narrated a short version of how he broke into the Summoners house.

  "You fool..." he kept mumbling while shaking his head as Toskk kept narrating.

  "I do hope you remembered not to disturb anything else in his house..."

  Toskk nodded feeling slightly offended. This was the first Summoner's place he had broken into. But certainly not the first mage. He knew enough to know that many of the artifacts could be tracked down by the mages. He hoped this egg wasn't something that the Summoner could track.

  "Can the Summoner track me down with this?" he asked.

  "It's not the Summoner I'm worried about," said Daed. "Not him, not the Ravens and least of all Garvin. That's a dragon egg you have there."

  Silence. It took a full half-minute for the gravity of that statement to hit Toskk. He had never seen a dragon in his life. The last time dragons had been rumored to have been seen was during the Siege of Azanar, where Naxannor made his last stand. More than twenty-five years ago when Toskk was still a child.

  "Judging by the size of that egg, I'm glad to say it isn't from a queen's clutch. If it was, we would have a whole flight of dragons outside Archon."

  Toskk nodded. He didn't know what to think.

  "Dragons can sense their eggs across great distances. Across oceans from back in their lair."

  There were many questions Toskk had but this was a topic he knew nothing about. It would do well to hold his questions for now and listen to what Daed had to say.

  "That pouch. I can sense wards all over it. I'm sure it's to prevent the dragon from sensing its egg."

  "But I removed it..."

  "What's done is done. There's probably one on its way to retrieve it. But keep it inside that pouch from now on."

  "Great. A crazed mother dragon added to my list of pursuers..." Toskk gave a sardonic laugh. This was much more than he could ever hope to handle.

  "Not a female. She would have sent one of her mates."

  "Like that makes any difference."

  "A little bit. The male cannot sense its offspring as well as the female does. So even if it enters the city, you're safe as long as you keep the egg inside the pouch."

  "Daed, I'm in over my head here. What should I do with this thing?"

  "Like I said. As long as you keep it inside that pouch, there's no problem. Do you have any idea how much Garvin paid the Ravens to get hold of it?"

  Toskk shook his head. Daed seemed to be thinking.

  "Dragon eggs are incredibly rare. You have no idea. I know mages who would kill to get hold of one."

  "Who on Earth would want a dragon for a pet?"

  "Pet? Dragons are no pets. They're far more intelligent than humans. And even a newborn dragon has innate abilities that match a full-fledged battle mage. It's the egg they want. Blood is an important part of many spells and rituals. The egg holds in it latent essence that could compare to at least that of a small army of men."

  Toskk didn't care. Right now, the egg was a threat to his life. He suddenly had a thought.

  "What if the egg hatches?"

  "It won't. It needs the mother by it to hatch. And it needs to be warmed by the mother's fiery breath for years before it has the full strength needed to break out."

  "Are you sure? Have you ever seen one before? A dragon's egg?"

  "I haven't been that fortunate. I have read all about them though. As far as reagents go, a dragon egg is one of the rarest and the most powerful component of numerous great spells."

  "You think that's what the Summoner had it for? Some spell?"

  "I'm sure of it. Nothing feeds off essence more than Summoning magic. Most Summoners need to sacrifice much of their own essence to open portals into the other planes. Most of them can't reach beyond the nearest planes to call creatures. A dragon egg would have enough essence to allow them access to the deeper planes to call forth more formidable demons."

  "So there's no chance the Summoner is going to let go of this? Maybe consider it lost and move on?"

  "If I was in his place, I could spend my whole life hunting for you. Most of the creatures they summon are no more than dogs are to humans. They're not even demons really. Mindless animals from other planes. An egg could let them call forth a greater demon."

  "Something like Naxannor or Namoth?" asked Toskk. He heard of Naxannor's reign of terror as a child. His childhood was spent not too far from Azanar. And had the demon not met its end at Azanar, Toskk was sure it would have destroyed his town as well.

  And he heard rumors of how Namoth was now decimating the Army of Light. Maybe this was the bright side to the whole thing. His theft would be meaningful in that he saved mankind. He was in no hurry to die, but if he did, he could take solace in his last moments that he had averted a cataclysmic disaster.

  "No," said Daedalus looking at Toskk as if he was stupid. "Naxannor and Namoth are arch-demons. You can't reach their planes even with a hundred dragon eggs. Just a greater demon."

  Toskk had no idea what a greater demon was.

  "In any case, it's the crowning glory for a Summoner to control a greater demon. So, rest assured this Summoner will do everything in his power to track you down. Very few people know where the dragons make their lair. Fewer still would risk stealing anything at all from a dragon, let alone its egg. He took a much greater risk than you did. He's not going to let it go so easily."

  "That idiot Garvin. Do you think he knows this?"

  "Of course he does. This was why he probably wanted someone else to steal it for him. Garvin is a businessman. He probably knows how valuable that egg is. Like I said, give me a few days. It might take time, but I could fetch you a fortune for it. Even with my modest cut, you could live like a nobleman."

  "What am I supposed to do for a few days?" asked Toskk. "I want a way out of this mess."

  "Remain hidden. I'm sure you can avoid the Black Ravens. You've been doing it for years. The dragon won't find it unless you remove it from that pouch. The only thing you have to worry abo
ut is the Summoner."

  Toskk wasn't sure about this. Daed had gotten a greedy gleam in his eye. Toskk had recognized it from their earlier days together. Back when they were making plots to break into some mage's house or some shop to acquire something Daed decided was valuable. Daed had never let Toskk down in that matter. His appraisal of an artifact was perfect. It always fetched the price he foretold. If Daed said the egg was worth a fortune, it was. The lure of gold was strong for Toskk as well. Like Daed said, the Black Ravens and Garvin he could handle. The dragon, while it scared the life out of him, was a not a problem as long as the egg was inside the pouch. It was just the Summoner.

  "I'm better off just giving it back to that Summoner and telling him the truth."

  Daed stared at Toskk for a while before speaking.

  "Are you insane? This man calls forth demons to this plane and you want to reason with him? He'll kill you as soon as he sees you. He'll kill you even if he merely doubts that you have that egg."

  That did make sense to Toskk.

  "So you want me to hide?"

  "Yes. You're neck-deep in this pile of shit, I know. But we can still come out on top. Once I get a buyer for this thing, you can leave Archon for good."

  "I'd rather leave Archon now."

  "And go where? Ryga? The Summoner will follow you. And you can forget about the Eoran cities. They don't let islanders inside without checking them thoroughly first. You need gold to charter a ship for yourself silently. And to cover your tracks. Let me sell the egg, and you'll have enough gold for that and much more left over after."

  "How much are we talking here?" asked Toskk.

  Daedalus made to think as if calculating mentally.

  "Nothing less than sixty thousand gold," said Daed.

  That did astound Toskk. The number he expected to hear was nowhere near that. It was ten times the amount that Toskk had saved in his entire life working his trade. A private ship could take ten thousand. He could bribe his way out of Archon safely and still have enough to live like a nobleman. Riven, too, could live a more normal life once they were away from Archon.

  Toskk shook his head. He was getting way ahead of himself. He recollected the reality of the danger he was in right now. Safety was his first concern.