by JG Cully
After all, what happened when the world wide war that had fuelled their lust for violence was ended? Simple, they became mercenaries.
It was made clear, that everyone and anyone could hire the Darnhun warriors, from highest lord to the lowest criminal gang leader, as long as the coin was right. Moral code counted for little, sometimes even less than that. The coin did all the talking, aided by the promise of violence.
Now a group of these mercenaries were carried along by squadrons of heavy horses pulling armoured coaches, thundering through the morning light from an encampment on the Argon shores,
The coaches that the Darnhun were transported in were jagged ugly armoured things, sinister in the morning light, with spiked coach wheels and sharp angular frames. All designed to strike fear in those who saw them. They did a damn good job as they raced first through the Argon countryside, then through the streets of Larrick City.
Many a head turned at their passing, and many turned away again in fright and apprehension.
Upon the flanks of the armoured coaches, a symbol. Twisted coiling snakes of dark green, set before a blood red dragon with wings outstretched and mouth agape.
It was a sign of unity; unity between House Gladwell and the mercenary unit known as 'The Doom Vipers'. Hired by Horna Gladwell.
* * * * *
Victoria sat, using her knife to poke the so-called food in front of her.
Why she had decided to have lunch at the 'Broken Dreams' tavern was beyond her. It was maybe something to do with the distance from the Council of Peace compound. It was far away, and she wanted to be far away from that place right now.
It felt less infuriating than being near the Overseer.
But it didn't make her choice any less odd. The food here was...well you just weren't sure it was food.
She felt eyes on her and looked up to find one of the barmaids, a petite, young, brown-haired girl staring at her.
“Are you ok?” the girl asked timidly, giving Victoria a slightly pitying look; as if sensing her distrust of the 'food' before her.
Victoria shrugged. The girl approached and leaned toward her in a conspiratorial manner.
“The sandwiches are a safer bet.” she said in a hushed whisper, casting the plate of what appeared to be corned beef in front of Victoria an embarrassed nod. “I make them. If you want?”
If only the food was the only problem I had right now.
“Why not,” sighed Victoria, leaning back to allow the girl to collect the plate.
“Back in a sec.” the girl assured her.
Victoria watched her go. She reminded her of Alyssa.
Short, young, beautiful, and potentially hiding any number of secrets.
Wonder if you're a vampire too?
She chuckled to herself. What a mess we are about to unleash on this city.
She didn't notice Malak approaching.
“There you are.” he said, taking a seat in front of her and setting his crossbow to one side.
“Aye,” she replied. “here I am, and please don't forget that thing again.” she added, nodding toward the crossbow.
“I take it you don't like where things are going?”
She nodded, sighing, her face wearing an expression of both resignation and disgust.
“All he's going to succeed in doing,” she said, casting Malak a look. “is either getting a lot of people killed or at the very least, giving the Council of Peace a very un-peaceful image.”
She leant back in her chair, crossing her arms and staring at the tavern ceiling.
“A raid.” she mused. “A bloody Darnhun raid.”
She looked at him again.
“Subtle.” she concluded without conviction.
“I know.” agreed Malak. “They always leave a mess.”
He flashed a grin. “Now, a Tornar raid...”
She actually smiled at that, very slightly.
“They'd do it right,” he continued, smile growing. “in and out quick, proper slick. Dead or alive, we'd have it done no worries. And best of all...” He began crossing his arms in a superior sort of way. “...no civilian casualties. Now that, that is professionalism.”
Victoria nodded.
“If only,” she acknowledged “pity it's only the internal investigation department that use your lads.”
They sat, silent for a moment.
“If even half the stories from the archives are right.” Victoria said presently. “There will be civilian casualties tonight.”
Malak nodded. “I still can't believe it though. I mean that little girl. A vampire? She just didn't seem the type, you know?”
Victoria shrugged her shoulders. “They're known to be deceptive creatures. Besides, once turned, they don't age. She could be a few years old or centuries old. We'd not know either way.”
“Suppose” lamented Malak. He looked at Victoria.
“You really think it's going to be bad tonight?”
Victoria nodded solemnly.
“What's our plan then?”
Victoria looked over at him.
“We do our job.”
At that moment, the sandwiches arrived, the young girl setting down a wooden plate of brown bread, packed with what appeared to be proper corned beef, lettuce and a sweet smelling sauce.
“Thank you” said Victoria.
The girl curtsied.
“And for the gentlemen?” she queried next, smiling over at Malak.
Victoria answered for both of them.
“Two Jamies Black Water. Straight.”
The girl blinked.
“We'll need the courage.”
* * * * *
Chapter Eight:
Enter The Darnhun
* * * * *
“Thank you for walking me to work.”
James and Alyssa were at the kitchen entrance to the Elk’s Horn. James had indeed walked her to work, meeting as arranged outside her house just an hour and a half beforehand. It didn't take an hour and half to walk to the Elk’s Horn from Alyssa's house, but they made it take an hour and a half.
“Working late again?” she asked next. It was a pity that both of them where ham-strung by their working commitments; kind of. Even if she wasn't a night shift maid it wasn't like she could go out in the daytime now was it?
“Yes,” he said, sadness in his voice. “but I was thinking.”
Uh oh.
“Maybe I should take some time off. Meet with you during the day sometime?”
She'd known that was coming, and prepared herself for the disappointment her answer would bring.
“I'll have to see what Gretna says. We are pretty busy.”
That wasn't a lie, not really. She would have to check with Gretna, and they were busy, although they did now have extra staff in the form of Katy. Alyssa's good deed of getting Katy onto the Tavern team was overshadowed by the unfortunate issue of there now being something of a staff surplus.
“We'll sort something.” she reassured him, flashing that particular smile that she had found melted him each and every time. She was not disappointed.
“Yeh” he said, grinning, then seeming to recover.
“Yeh” he repeated, trying to pretend he hadn't just completely fallen for her.
You really are a first timer at this aren't you?
“When you two are quite finished?” said a voice.
The couple turned in unison to find Katy with her hands on her hips, her headed cocked to one side and a slight smile on her face.
“Some of us have work to do tonight.” she said next, her tone slightly teasing.
Alyssa and James moved to one side of the door, having only just realised that they were blocking the entrance.
“I'd best get started.” Alyssa said to him. She leaned in, giving him a peck on the lips. Then another, just to be sure and another for good luck. Then one more, longer this time.
And then...
Alyssa became aware of Katy shaking her head at them, pink ribbons flickerin
g in the moonlight. Alyssa broke off the kiss but extremely reluctantly.
“Bye. See you tomorrow.” she said.
“Yes.” James agreed, still a little dazed from the barrage of kisses. Indeed the two girls left him swaying slightly as they entered together.
“He really is new to this isn't he?” Said Katy as she and Alyssa hung up their cloaks.
“Oh yeah.” agreed Alyssa, checking her apron and feeling particularly relieved that tonight, she wasn't wearing a corset.
“But I'm teaching him.” she added with a smile.
Katy, again, shook her head.
“Remind me which of us is older again?”
Alyssa started her shift. Only now did Vlad put in his opinion.
EXCELLENT!
Ok. That was unexpected.
YOUR POWERS OF SEDUCTION HAVE IMPROVED CHILD! SOON HE WILL BE UNDER YOUR SWAY!
You never change do you?
* * * * *
Victoria peered round the corner. Down the street lay the Elk’s Horn; business was, as usual, in full flow. Its lights were bright, the tavern busy with customers.
I'm right she concluded. This is going to be a disaster.
Why Horna and his Darnhun minions had decided that hitting the tavern well before closing time was a good idea was, quite frankly, beyond her. There would be a lot of people. A lot of potential hostages, a lot of potential casualties and a lot of potential repercussions for the Council of Peace.
This is not a good idea.
“Place is bloody busy.” muttered Malak. For a change, their opinions on this particular situation were the same.
They were both standing down the street from the tavern, awaiting the arrival of the Darnhun mercenaries and Horna. Their coach was parked up nearby, out of sight like them. They had been ordered to keep an eye on the tavern until 'his' men arrived. The night wasn't all that cold, snow was expected but not yet falling, so Victoria had dispensed with her usual cloak and was just in her tunic and leggings. Complete with weapons obviously. Malak had his usual weapons with him and was his usual armour festooned self, his K-12 locked and loaded on a sling over his shoulder.
They heard them, a low rumble in the distance, long before they saw them. The noise made by heavily laden horse-drawn carts.
“Here they come.” warned Malak, taking a step into the relatively safety of the nearby wall.
Victoria did the same; the Darnhun after all, liked to make an entrance.
Two huge horses rounded the corner of the street entrance, both in full plate armour, the metal jet black in the moonlit night. Behind them, four more horses appeared in the same armour plate. They pulled a huge armour plated war carriage, jet black like the horses and of a spiked, evil appearance. An identical horse drawn carriage pulled up beside the first, its horses snorting in the moonlight, their breath misting. The thundering hooves came to a halt near to where Victoria and Malak stood.
Just as both carriages halted, the Darnhun emerged from the doors.
They were tall, heavily armoured warriors, clad in jagged looking scale mail and thick rounded shoulder pads of boiled leather. Their armour was jet black like the carriages that bore them. Their belts and chest harnesses were festooned with small cubes, known as thunderboxes, as well as crossbow bolts and daggers. Each man had a short sword secured in a sheath hanging from one hip and a flintlock pistol on the other.
Their helms though, were by far the most distinctive feature of these formidable looking fighters. Short nosed pointed things, with two small red eye lenses that glowed inwardly and mouth grills that gave a menacing air to an already frightening appearance. They were almost insect-like in appearance. That was the point, Victoria assumed.
Each man brandished as his main weapon a uniquely Darnhun invention. They were known as Bolt spitters, ugly spiked repeater crossbows. They were short, no longer than a man's outstretched arm, with fat boxes of bolts slung underneath them and short daggers attached to the fore grips. Unlike Malak's more ranged K-12, these things were built for close up fighting; able to shred apart anyone they fought.
Amongst the Darnhun was Horna Gladwell himself. He was clad in layers of thick fur over his council robes, despite the relative warmth of the night. He looked at ease amongst the formidable warriors around him. He peered over at Victoria and Malak in surprise, but his expression quickly changed, as if remembering why they were there.
“Ha” he said, nodding curtly as he approached the two of them. “There you are. Anything to report?”
“Nothing.” said Victoria, deliberately shifting her gaze from Horna to the Darnhun troops behind him. “What's your plan?”
“Simple.” he said, as if the question was indeed a simple one. “We will enter the tavern, and arrest her.”
“A lot of people about,” said Victoria. “might make things difficult.”
“I doubt it.” he replied with a touch of malice. “Anyone stupid enough to get in their way...” he nodded back at the assembled Darnhun. “...will regret it.”
“What of our reputation sir?” said Victoria next, now casting her boss a very suspicious look.
“Have no fear.” he assured them. “They may not look it, but they can be discreet.”
Balls to that.
“Now,” he said next in a distinct tone of arrogant authority. “you two are no longer required. You are dismissed for the night.”
Victoria and Malak exchanged perplexed looks.
“No backup?” queried Malak
“We won't need it.” he assured them. “I have more than enough men.”
“Sir.” put in Victoria. “We don't know what this girl is fully capable of.”
“Yes we do. It was in your report.”
“We've only observed her for a day,” Victoria countered, her frown and suspicions deepening, “only the Gods know what else she can do.”
He raised his hand in an uninterested, nonchalant way. “It matters not. By the end of tonight, she will be in custody and this will all be concluded.”
“Now.” he said, interrupting Victoria before she could speak again. “You may go.”
“With respect sir,” Victoria said, not really displaying any kind of respect in her voice. “I think we'll stick around. See this through.”
Horna frowned, but only briefly.
“Very well. You may watch. Silently I might add. Do not get involved. Understood?”
Malak and Victoria nodded, and Horna turned on his heel, walking back over to the prepared Darnhun. Victoria stalked back to the coach, angry at Horna's lack of respect, and swung herself up with a visible degree of aggression. Malak, sensible man that he was, kept a respectable distance.
“Harcan!” Victoria barked once they were both aboard. “Move this crate round so we have a good look at the back door.”
“You think she'll do a runner?” asked Malak as he sat opposite her.
Victoria gave him that uniquely sarcastic look she had mastered.
“That,” she said “or we'll get to watch a few of those idiots fly through the wall.”
This is not going to be a good night she concluded.
* * * * *
Tonight's going really well thought Alyssa.
The Tavern business was good, with just the right amount of customers not to overwhelm the bar staff but at the same time, not leaving them looking for stuff to do. Vlad, thankfully, was quieter than usual, keeping his comments to a minimum and relieving Alyssa of the need to put him in his box again. She still got the occasional 'THEY WOULD MAKE A GOOD THRALL' from time to time, but at least he wasn't pushing his luck. She was out on the floor, where she had the most fun and Katy was alongside her, learning some of the ropes.
“That's Christopher.” Alyssa was saying, nodding over to a blonde-haired young man seated in the corner. “Single, he's training to be an actor. One of our regulars.”
Katy raised an accusing eyebrow. “Are you trying to set me up?”
Alyssa's eyes betrayed her. “No...no
just...introducing regulars.”
“Who happen to be the same age as me? And single?”
Alyssa fumbled her words, not yet used to Katy's rather sharp wits “Ah, well.”
“Enough mouthing you two.” grunted Gretna, coming upon the two girls by the bar. “Double order for table three. Medium steak with extra greens. Looks like someone got a raise down the docklands.”
Katy and Alyssa took the trays handed to them.
They turned toward the tables, just in time to see the front door explode.
The door disintegrated with a thunderous boom, raining sawdust and chipped wood over those nearby and blowing a couple of the other barmaids off their feet. Many patrons, particularly the ex-military ones, dived to the floor.
Through the debris, the perpetrators of this act entered at speed.
“Everyone on the floor now!” bellowed the first tall heavily armoured man to enter, in a loud demanding voice, chipped with a foreign accent. He wore jagged leather armour and brandished a wicked looking crossbow, the lenses in his pointed helmet glinting a daemonic red in the candlelight. Everyone with any sense did exactly as told, those not already on the floor diving for it, spilling drinks and screaming as a total of six warriors entered, all dressed identically to the first and carrying the same ugly weapons.
Darnhun!
Alyssa knew the stories. Of men-things such as these who showed no pity, no mercy and no remorse; men with reputations as ugly as their weapons.
Katy, Alyssa and Gretna were the only ones who remained standing. Alyssa and Katy due to the fact that diving to the floor when you're carrying huge trays of food was kind of difficult, and Gretna because she was just plain stubborn.
“On whose bloody authority?” bellowed the dwarf, marching across the tavern toward the unwelcome arrivals. Six crossbows very quickly swung to point at her. Gretna, whilst stubborn, wasn't stupid and stopped at the centre of the tavern, raising her hands.