“I’m not so sure,” I said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they did want you to join them. What will you say if that is the case?”
“I have no idea. For now, let’s get through showing this elf around the city.”
A short while later we arrived at the watchhouse. Word was sent that the elf lady was coming here, so the place was cleared out, except of course for Sarge, stolidly behind his desk as he always was.
“Duke, Lilly,” he said as we came through the door.
“Hey, Sarge,” I replied, matching his casualness.
“Calm down, Duke,” he said. “You’re all atwitter.”
So much for matching his coolness.
A few moments later there was noise outside the door, and then they walked in. The elven woman from the gate led the way, every bit as stunning as she was before, but even more up close. Behind her came her two bodyguards, who scanned the room, glancing at Sarge and Lilly, before their eyes landed on me.
As one, they moved forward, hands on the hilts of their swords and stood in front of me. The one said something in what must have been their own language, which managed to sound both melodic and threatening at the same time. The woman said something in return, and then repeated it with a sharper tone. The two stepped back, their stares never leaving me.
They were all tall, much more than I, but not quite on par with General Dakin and his bunch, or with some of the ogres and trolls around the city. They were thin, not to the point of being unhealthy, but rather lithe and nimble appearing. The woman had long blonde hair, very close to Lilly’s own color, while the two bodyguards had dark hair, almost a perfect black shade.
Instead of the armor and swords that her bodyguards wore, the elf woman wore a long gown that flowed to the ground, and covered her slender arms. It was blue, I think, but then sometimes seemed green, or purple, when she moved. She smiled as she walked forward and extended her hand to Lilly.
“I apologize for Katashi and Masuyo. They are overly cautious at times, I’m afraid. I am named Tomoni, and I am happy to meet you, Lilly.”
Lilly shook her hand and smiled. “It’s fine. Duke’s a big boy. It’s nice to meet you too, Tomoni.”
Tomoni turned to me and extended her hand a second time. “I am pleased to meet you, too.”
“Duke,” I said, as I shook her hand. “I’m with Lilly.”
She cocked her head at this, as if she didn’t understand.
“He’s my fiancé,” Lilly explained. “I hope it will be okay if he joins us?”
“Ah, you are to be wed? How wonderful! And yes, please join us. Now, can you show me some of this amazing city?”
Again, I felt that unreasonable sense of pride flare up in me as she said this. Why was I getting all giddy? It’s not like I had anything to do with the place, other than getting rid of a nuisance here and there.
Lilly started the tour right there in the watchhouse, first introducing her to Sarge, who didn’t seem awestruck one tiny bit. She showed her the Board and left it to me to explain to her how the system worked, and my role in it. She asked if she could see my gun, and I slowly took if from my belt to show her. The twins, (as I determined to call the bodyguards), shifted slightly and put their hands on their hilts as I did.
Tomoni took the gun and examined it, peering closely at it as she turned it in her hands.
“It is very old,” she said, handing it back to me. “Even by our standards, it is ancient. It is a very special weapon, and I hope…well, it is special, that’s all.”
Huh. I didn’t realize it was all that old. It didn’t look it. It was clean, not banged up much, and worked perfectly, except that one time with the Death Knight. Now this was twice that someone…otherworldly, if you would…. recognized it.
“Thanks,” I said. “Does the name Griefmaker mean anything to you, by chance?”
“No, should it?”
“No, I guess not. Just something I heard recently.”
We finished there, and after answering any more questions, left the watchhouse. Lilly suggested a stroll to Silver Tree Lane, which would lead us through some typical working-class neighborhoods before hitting the mansions of the wealthy.
“See you later, Sarge,” I said on my way out. “Don’t wait up.”
“You’re like a little girl, Duke. Show some dignity, would you.”
He was jealous. I could tell.
Tomoni looked around with what seemed to me to be genuine interest and happiness as we walked along. People stopped what they were doing when we passed, to stand and stare, but none of them braved the imperious glares from the twins, so we moved on unmolested.
For my part, I thought the bodyguards’ constant vigilance to be unnerving. After all, what did they think was going to happen? Then, I remembered the recent events in the city and realized that they were absolutely right to remain on guard. I resolved to do better myself. After all, it had been made very clear to Lilly that the success of this venture was wholly on her shoulders. And while I was sure the twins were more than competent, I was the one that was familiar with the city and would know if something was out of the ordinary if I saw it.
But still, I liked to listen as Tomoni told stories of her homeland and asked questions of both Lilly and I. For someone so high up in the Elven Nation, and she was, she was remarkably down to earth. She asked questions about what the shops that we passed specialized in, how people made their living, and how the inclusion of so many different races was working out. And more impressively, she actually listened to the answers.
Finally, she asked if we could perhaps try some local food and drink, which was of course, my specialty. I knew the area that we were in, and ahead was a tavern of not too ill-repute, the Swinging Jug. While not quite as nice as the Barman’s Choice, it would give Tomoni a good look at real life in Capital City.
Lilly went in first, followed by one of the twins, Masuyo, I think, then Tomoni, then Katashi, and finally me. Before I went in, I took a moment to smile at those who stopped to gawk. But then, across the street, something caught my eye. Like I said, I was more equipped to notice something out of the ordinary.
Most of Capital City is lit at night by street lamps: tall posts with an oil reservoir and wick at the top of them. The city employs an army of young men and women to go around at dusk and light them. Because of that, the streets are fairly well lit at night, and you can see pretty well.
But across the street was a patch of darkness and I saw that one of the street lamps wasn’t lit. That was a little odd, since those same lighters are paid to make sure the oil well is full, the wick is trimmed and so on. But still, it does happen.
It wasn’t a big deal, really, but it was something out of the ordinary that I noticed. I chalked it up to my remarkable perception skills, and then entered the Jug, to introduce Tomoni, and maybe even the twins, to the joys of ale. If I was lucky, they’d let me in on the mystery of whether or not there was truly elven ale, and if so, where I could get it.
Tomoni was a hit inside the Jug. A few people vacated a table when we came in so that she could sit. Before doing that, she said something to the twins and they moved off to stand near the wall at opposite ends of the room, where they tried, unsuccessfully, to blend in with the woodwork. Lilly and I sat down with her.
I gave her credit, she tried an ale, but didn’t have the taste for it, which didn’t bode well for my wish for elven ale. Instead, she drank a wine with Lilly and continued to chat like they were old friends. Several people made their way near the table, under the watchful eyes of the twins of course, and she engaged with them all. She was charming, pleasant, amusing and approachable. If the Elven Kingdom’s wish was to have an ambassador that would entrance the masses of Capital City, they couldn’t have picked a better one.
After a while, it was time to move on. Tomoni beckoned to her bodyguards and we left. I noticed that the light across the street was re-lit, but saw that one further down the street was now out. Cute. Someone must be playin
g games.
We discussed it in the Swinging Jug, and decided that we would end the tour for this evening, and pick it up again tomorrow. Tomoni expressed a desire to see the First Quarter and Underworld, as well as some of Orc Town, so it was going to be a full day.
As we started back to the watchhouse the street light that was out was in front of us, on our left. I happened to be looking at it when it suddenly came back on. No one relit it, or was even near it, when it flared back into life, burning merrily as if it had been lit all night.
Which was when the light that we were passing under went out. There were plenty of street lights around us still blazing away, so it wasn’t as if we were plunged into sudden darkness. But there was a pool of inky shadow around us, and it was only when I spun around to look at the light that I saw the glint of the knife blade.
It was moving by itself, a shining, sharp edged dagger, rushing quickly toward us from the rear. It rose in the air as if an invisible arm was wielding it, raising it to strike, and then it plunged downward, directly into the back of Katashi.
Or at least, it would have been into his back if I hadn’t seen it coming and pushed him. As it was, my actions were barely enough.
The knife cut through his armor like it was made of paper, ripping it open and cutting into the flesh underneath. It plunged into the elf’s shoulder, and then rose again, dripping blood. I yelled and moved forward, drawing my gun, but as suddenly as it went out, the street light flared to life again, and the knife was gone.
Katashi was down on one knee, his right hand held over the rent in his armor, blood streaming from between his fingers. Masuyo had drawn his sword, and kept Tomoni at his back, walking slowly backward until she was near a wall, and he stood guard in front of her.
I reached down to help Katashi to his feet. He accepted the help for a moment, and then shrugged me off with what sounded like a curse. His eyes blazed as he searched the area, finding nothing, and no one, to vent his fury on.
For her part, Lilly was already in full action mode. She was chanting, her hair wild around her and her eyes black marbles. She scanned the street also, but she was doing it in ways that neither the twins nor myself were capable of. After a few minutes, she stopped, and returned to normal with a sigh.
“What was that?” she asked me.
“I don’t know,” I replied. “But it came when the street light went out.”
“Let’s get Tomoni back to the watchhouse, and then we can get a coach to get her back to the Palace. Stay on guard.”
“Please,” Tomoni said, pushing past Masuyo, “first let me make sure that Katashi is all right.”
She went to him and they spoke in their own language. Tomoni inspected the wound and touched it, making soft sounds as she did. Whatever it was she was saying, it must have had some effect, because some of the pain went out of Katashi’s face, and he breathed easier.
“All right,” she said then, “let us go.”
Lilly led the way, with Tomoni sandwiched between the twins, and I brought up the rear. I kept an eye on the street lights, but none of them showed any sign of going out. At least not until we neared the watchhouse.
We were right down the street from our goal, a mere block away, when every light on the street went out, casting us into much heavier darkness than we were in before. I looked around wildly, but didn’t see any sign of that knife. I kept one eye on Lilly, and one on Tomoni, ready to charge over and get them out of the way should I see it appear near them.
There was a cry, and I spun around to see Katashi raise his sword in time to block a jab from the knife that appeared in front of him, and stabbed toward his stomach. His sword flicked out, caught the dagger and forced it up and away. But it immediately circled around, slashing toward his face, and it was only his remarkable speed and agility that allowed him to block it again.
Masuyo moved in, cutting at the air, where the arm that wielded the blade should be. His sword made a peculiar noise as it went through the area, like the sound of fabric ripping in two. The knife dropped to the ground and disappeared, and all of the street lights came back on, their flames dancing in the night air.
There was no sign of the dagger on the ground, or anywhere else around.
We all stood, breathing hard. The whole attack lasted mere seconds, and I was impressed at the cool-headedness and speed of the elven bodyguards. Tomoni was unharmed, if a little spooked, and other than the original stab wound in Katashi’s shoulder, no one was hurt.
“Come on,” Lilly said, “hurry!” and we all moved quickly to the watchhouse. We covered the remaining few yards without encountering any more attacks, and rushed inside, glad of the bright lights burning in the lanterns.
For one of the only times that I ever saw, Sarge was actually surprised.
“What the hell…” he began, when all the lanterns in the room went out, casting us into darkness once more.
Now that we were inside, there were no other sources of light to glint off a blade hovering in the air by itself. Now it could take its time and strike unseen.
“Lilly,” I shouted, “we need light! Can you do something?”
In answer she started chanting again, and the sparks that always danced around her fingers gave off some illumination. Not enough, not yet, but better than nothing. We surrounded Tomoni, Sarge included, and tried to watch everywhere at once.
There! The knife came slashing in, heading toward Lilly’s face. But she was more than ready for it, and with a word, it hit an eldritch shield around her and bounced away, sparks flying as it did. It disappeared again.
I jumped forward, stamping down as it came in low towards Masuyo’s calf, trying to hamstring him. When my boot came down on it, it felt real, and there was a metallic sound as it hit the floor. Again, it disappeared.
We all stayed on edge, staring into the darkness. Lilly began working on another spell, calling into existence a ball of light that spit and crackled with energy, like the one she tried to throw at the Death Knight. The darkness began to ooze away from her.
“Inside or out, I haunt the darkness. None escape my knife once it has been given the name. It has yours now, Lady Tomoni. You shouldn’t have come here to our city.”
The voice was hardly more than a whisper, and came out of the air all around us. It was dry and cracked, like words spoken by something that should have been long dead and in its grave. Then there was a chuckle, a low, drawn out sound, and the lights flared to life once again.
“Lilly?” I said.
“No idea,” she replied. “But I’m getting really tired of this.”
We stood in a group, weapons drawn and waiting, but the lamps stayed lit, and there was no sign of the knife, and no more words issued in that dry, rasping voice.
“Lilly,” I said, “can you make some sort of light that will last?”
“No, that’s not my specialty. The Orb of Disintegration that I called up is probably the brightest thing I know, but I can’t maintain it for long. Not even with everything Minerva taught me.”
“We’re going to need something. I don’t think this is over.”
Sometimes, I swear I have the gift of foresight, and should learn to keep my mouth shut. No sooner did I said that, then the lights were gone, the blackness descended, and we heard Masuyo cry out. The lights came back almost immediately, but the damage was done already. The elven bodyguard was bleeding from his side, where his armor was punctured. His already pale face was growing even more ashen, and with a groan, he sank to the ground.
“Masuyo!” Tomoni cried, and rushed to him, pushing past Katashi.
The lights went out again, there was a scream and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. There was another grunt, and the lights came back on.
Katashi lay on the floor, blood pooling from his back. Beneath him sprawled Tomoni. As soon as she tried to move to the stricken Masuyo, Katashi had thrown himself on her, taking the blow that was surely meant for her.
His breath came in
labored gasps as Sarge and I gently rolled him off of her. Lilly helped Tomoni to her feet and kept her close.
Katashi stared up at me, his vivid eyes becoming duller by the second.
“Watch out for her,” he whispered to me. “Help Masuyo keep her safe…”
And he was gone. The knife found its mark accurately, even if it wasn’t on the body that it was aiming for.
The lights went off again, and I sprang to my feet, putting my back to Sarge’s. I heard Lilly chanting, and saw a soft glow surround both her and the elven lady. But peer as we might, there was no sign of the knife.
“That’s one of you gone,” the voice came again. “He was nothing, an inconsequential annoyance. I would spare the rest of you. Leave the elf woman to me, and go. Or I will kill you all, one by one.”
The lights came on again, and we all looked at each other. Tomoni’s eyes were wide and frightened, and she clung to Lilly, who made soothing noises as she checked the room for any sign of the knife.
For the next several minutes, the lights stayed on, and we got Masuyo to Tomoni, who helped him the way she had Katashi out on the street. She must have had some sort of innate healing ability, but I didn’t know if that was special to her, or to elves in general.
I moved to Lilly.
“What is this thing?” I asked her. “I don’t even have anything to aim at, let alone know what to set the gun for.”
“I don’t know, Duke. I’ve never even heard rumors of anything like this.”
“Now what?”
“We have to keep Tomoni safe, at all costs. If we don’t, it could mean a lot of trouble. She’s the Elven King’s family, and if she were to be killed here, I don’t think they’ll be happy.”
“Do you think this is part of the attacks?”
“Probably,” she said. “But that doesn’t help us know what it is.”
“Someone’s got to go get help,” I said. “If we can get one of the guys in black here…”
“Yeah, they might come out for a potential international incident. But who goes?”
“Has to be Sarge. Masuyo’s not going to leave Tomoni, and I’m not leaving you. It’s got to be him.”
Duke Grandfather- The Whole Story Page 47