City of Daggers (The Iron Teeth Book 2)

by Scott Straughan

  “Shit, it was an accident,” swore the other man. He tried to pick himself off the ground. Blacknail rushed over to assist him. He extended an arm and helped the man get up.

  “Thanks,” the confused man told him as he stood.

  “You dropped this,” Blacknail told him as he pressed an item into the man’s outstretched hand.

  “So it’s a fight you want,” roared the bigger man while he drew a knife.

  “Um, what...” the smaller one replied as he twitched in nervous surprise. He then looked down and noticed what he was brandishing in his hand. He was holding up a dagger of his own, the one Blacknail had put there. He paled slightly and opened his mouth.

  “No, I—”

  His opponent lunged toward him, and the smaller man had to defend himself. Laughter and shouts of excitement soon filled the air as everyone else began to notice a fight had started. A crowd formed.

  By this time, Blacknail had already slipped away and mingled into the crowd that had rapidly formed to watch the fight. The noise and mob quickly grew large enough to attract the attention of the guards, and several rushed over, including the one that had been guarding the door. With a smug smile, Blacknail broke away from the others and walked through the now unguarded entrance while everyone was distracted. He giggled merrily to himself as he moved. It was so easy to fool humans sometimes! Why did they even bother placing sentries?

  The hallway on the other side was dark, and Blacknail happily scurried into the shadows. He stopped for a second to listen for signs of movement. A second later, when he was sure there was no one nearby, he began to follow Galive’s trail.

  After a few seconds, he heard someone approaching, so he slipped into a side room until they had passed by. Blacknail was finding it very easy to stay out of sight. The temple had a lot of dark, unused rooms in it for him to hide in. It was hard to follow Galive’s scent though. The bandit’s trail was mixed up with that of many other humans, and it had been muddled up by how many times Galive had walked these halls. It was hard to figure out which trail was the freshest.

  Thankfully, Blacknail didn’t really need to use his nose. As he moved out of the dark hallway and into better lit areas of the temple, he heard talking up ahead, and thanks to Galive’s rather boring speech from earlier, he knew exactly what the man sounded like. Blacknail couldn’t make out what was being said, but he definitely knew which direction the man lay in. It was only a matter of time until he found his prey. The hobgoblin stalked forward eagerly but soon ran into a rather annoying obstacle. The room up ahead of him was brightly lit, and four of Galive’s cloaked henchmen were playing cards in the middle of it.

  Blacknail couldn’t think of any way to sneak past them or any way to take them all out silently. He hissed in frustration and tried to think of a solution. A few moments later, he heard someone coming from behind him, so he quickly slipped into another side room and out of sight. He waited for several moments until the person had walked past, then Blacknail peeked out from around the door frame. As the hobgoblin took in the sight of another dark cloak, a great idea occurred to him.

  Blacknail quickly took out his coin purse and lunged forward. Before the man could react, the hobgoblin had swung his makeshift weapon and smashed him across the back of the head. The man immediately slumped and started to collapse. Humans were apparently weak to coins in more than one way. Before the thug could hit the floor, Blacknail caught him and dragged him into the side room and then behind a pile of crates. The hobgoblin claimed the defeated warrior’s cloak for his own. It was rather nice looking and much smoother feeling on his skin than his own.

  The grinning hobgoblin pulled the cloak on and walked back out into the hall. When he reached the occupied room up ahead, he simply flipped the hood up and kept walking. None of the men playing the game did more than casually glance his way. Blacknail fingered the dagger and sling he had up his sleeves and ready to go just in case, but he didn’t need them. The humans were engrossed in their game, and Blacknail was soon through the far door and out of their view.

  The hobgoblin stopped to listen again. A few seconds later, he swerved left and headed toward a staircase. The voices sounded like they were coming from above. Once up there, he stepped out into another hallway and quickly darted into an empty-looking room before anyone came. The room was rather large, but it only contained a few chairs and crates. Blacknail had to stifle a sneeze from all the dust in it as well.

  The hobgoblin could feel the floorboards tremor slightly as a group of people approached, so he moved out of sight. He hid up against the wall, behind a table that had been flipped on its side. The pack of humans quickly passed, but Blacknail didn’t move. He was now close enough to Galive that he could make out the chieftain’s words. In fact, the man sounded like he was in the very next room.

  “Listen, I appreciate the sentiment, but you can’t stay in here,” Galive told someone with obvious frustration.

  “Zelena sent me to protect you, and that’s what I plan on doing. Need I remind you what happened to Fang? He also thought he was safe in his hideout, but Herad’s assassin got to him,” the other voice explained.

  “I’ve done everything else you asked; I switched rooms, I doubled the guards, and I’ve let you tag along, but this is my home and you’re staying out of my bedroom! This is not a debate,” Galive responded.

  “You’re putting yourself at risk,” the other man told him.

  “Maybe, but how would anyone even get in here? This is the second floor, there are guards outside, and the window is too small for a man to slip through. I’m far from helpless as well; I’m a Vessel you know,” Galive told him.

  “A good assassin can get into anywhere.”

  “I guess you would know. You’re the most expensive knifeman in Daggerpoint after all, Malthus,” Galive said.

  “I am the best, and that’s why you should listen to me,” Malthus replied.

  The bandit chieftain grunted disdainfully before responding. “I thought Zelena had bought out the entire assassin’s guild anyway. If that’s true, where did Herad’s knifeman come from?”

  “Zelena has entered into such an agreement with us, but we only have a monopoly on knifemen in Daggerpoint. Herad seems to have picked her killer up from outside,” the assassin explained.

  “Huh, I heard she’s been wandering around the countryside down south. What, did she randomly come across him in the middle of the forest?” Galive laughed.

  “I don’t know. I’ve tried to find out, but I haven’t had much luck. Herad is keeping him hidden, even from most of her own men. Normally that wouldn’t stop me, but I suspect someone else is covering for him as well. Some of the guild informants have gone silent recently,” Malthus admitted with obvious frustration.

  “Seems like Zelena is paying you guys way too much then,” Galive pointed out.

  “That’s not your concern. You just need to worry about yourself. This mysterious assassin doesn’t even need to enter your room to kill you; he could poison your food or drink,” the assassin-turned-bodyguard explained.

  While crouched in his hiding spot, Blacknail smiled to himself. That was a great idea. He wondered if he could do that right now…

  “All my food is checked anyway. Herad is far from my only enemy. You’re welcome to test it yourself though,” the chieftain replied.

  The hobgoblin hissed in annoyance. Apparently, he couldn’t poison the man after all. Oh well, he would remember the idea for later. He was sure it would come in handy eventually.

  “He could also use some sort of magical device or throw a firebomb into the room,” Maltheus added. Blacknail didn’t have either of those, but they sure sounded cool! He was definitely going to ask for some of those when he got back.

  “That’s enough of this, I gave you an order. You can stay here or guard the window from outside, it’s up to you. Now, I’m going to go tell the girls to join me and you won’t be there to watch, got it?” Galive commanded the assassin sternly.<
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  “As you wish, I’ll stay here and guard the door.”

  Galive then huffed, and Blacknail heard him walk away. Blacknail didn’t worry though, he knew his target would be back. The hobgoblin made himself comfortable and prepared himself to wait for the right moment to strike.

  A few minutes later, he heard the sound of Galive returning, and he wasn’t alone.

  “I’m going to show you ladies a great time,” the chieftain bragged as he approached his room. This was quickly followed by quiet chuckling and excited murmurs from the females accompanying him.

  “So, you think you’re a great lover, eh?” one of them asked.

  “Of course I am. Cor-Dius is the god of things done in darkness, so as his head priest, I’m obviously the greatest lover in the city, if not the world,” Galive bragged as the door opened.

  There was more murmuring before the door shut and blocked the noise. The assassin snorted in disgust as soon as Galive was safely out of earshot. He apparently didn’t agree with the chieftain’s high opinion of himself.

  Just as Blacknail was settling back down to wait, noises began to erupt from the other side of the wall he was leaning on. He heard the creaking of a bed, followed by high-pitched human squeals, and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. The hobgoblin groaned quietly to himself. He really didn’t want to sit there and listen to humans mating. Hopefully it would be over soon. However, the noises actually soon grew louder, and groans of pleasure were added to the mix. Blacknail stuck his tongue out in disgust as he plugged his fingers into his ears. The noises were giving him a huge headache.

  “Stupid pink-ss humans,” he quietly hissed as his imagination started supplying images to go along with the noises. The hobgoblin now had another reason to kill Galive.

  After what seemed like hours, but was probably actually much less time, the noises finally stopped and the room grew quiet. Blacknail heard a groan of relief from the man guarding Galive’s door and nodded in agreement. He was also glad they had finally stopped. When enough time had passed that the hobgoblin was sure his target and his company were asleep, he put his plan into motion. On the outside wall of the room, there was a small cross-shaped window. Blacknail was pretty sure it was exactly the same as the one in his target’s room. It was too small for all but the smallest humans to fit through, but Blacknail thought he could slip through. Hobgoblins were very skinny, that was part of the reason they were so attractive.

  Silently, he crept over to the window and looked outside. There was a guard holding a lantern down in the yard below. The man seemed to be patrolling the perimeter of the temple. He was doing a terrible job of it though, which was typical for a human. Blacknail took a second to take off his new cloak and put it away. It was comfy, and he’d decided to keep it. He then looked out the window and observed the below guard's routine for a few minutes. When the hobgoblin was satisfied that the man was unlikely to look up and spot him, he squeezed through the outside window. It was a tight squeeze, and getting his head through was uncomfortable—because his brain was so big—but Blacknail managed it. There was a small ridge on the wall outside, so the hobgoblin grabbed it and began to shimmy carefully along it toward the window to the next room. His claws dug into the wood and gave him nice firm handholds.

  After a few minutes of climbing and clambering along the wall, Blacknail managed to make it across the outside wall without alerting the guard below. The hobgoblin let out a small sigh of relief when he reached his destination and saw it was indeed the same type of window he had just come through. It would have been really awkward if it hadn’t been. Blacknail carefully reached up to get a solid hold on the windowsill and hauled himself over to it. As he hung there, and the light of the guard’s lamp passed below him, he carefully pulled himself up to the window opening. There was a heavy blue curtain in the way, so he gently pushed it aside.

  The hobgoblin grinned wickedly and shivered with anticipation. His prey was right there and sleeping defenselessly. Soon the hunt would be complete, and the sweet taste of victory would be his! The clouds above shifted, and for a second, the moon shone brightly in the sky. Blacknail's thin, clawed shadow stretched out and into the room. Seeing this, the hobgoblin giggled and moved eagerly in for the kill.

  Chapter 21

  There was a lamp on a dresser against one of the walls, and it lit the room that lay on the other side of the window. From where he was hanging outside, Blacknail could see the room’s occupants just fine. All five of the humans within were lying next to each other on the big bed that dominated the room. The sleepers’ relaxed breathing made soft sighing sounds as they slept. The hobgoblin’s skin tingled in anticipation as he gazed upon his helpless prey. Excitedly, he started to slip through the window.

  Unfortunately, he’d misjudged the size of the opening slightly, and his head got momentarily stuck. After a second or two of trying to painfully squeeze his skull through the tight frame, he succeeded and popped through. A soft thud echoed forth as Blacknail lost his balance and landed on the floor at the base of the window. He froze for a moment to make sure he hadn’t spooked anyone, but the only sound he heard was the gentle breathing of slumbering humans. With renewed confidence, the hobgoblin got up and crept up to the bed. It wasn’t that fancy of a bed, but it certainly was huge. Blacknail thought it could easily fit a dozen humans lying side by side. Why did this man need such a huge bed? Maybe it was some sort of human status symbol?

  Blacknail loomed over Galive’s slumbering face and smiled smugly. The bandit chieftain didn’t seem so tough now! He was just prey. In fact, it would be so easy to toy with him a little before finishing him off… The hobgoblin reached over until his hand hung over the sleeping man’s face. His claws were a hair’s breadth from the man’s eyes when he froze. No, fooling around now would be a bad idea. It would be really messy and would probably make a lot of noise. Blacknail frowned in regret and pulled his hand back and drew his dagger. It was best to do this quickly.

  Suddenly, Galive stirred slightly and started murmuring something. Blacknail panicked for a second and jumped slightly in surprise before he realized the man was still unconscious. He was talking in his sleep. Feeling curious, the hobgoblin leaned over to listen.

  “Oh ya, that’s the way. Spread that honey around,” Galive whispered.

  Blacknail blinked in confusion. What was this now? What could this weird human possibly be talking about? Well, whatever. He was here to kill Galive, not try to understand him.

  Blacknail stopped wasting time. He quickly grabbed Galive’s long dark hair and pulled it down as he dragged his dagger against the man’s exposed throat. Blood poured from the long, jagged wound and onto the sheets as the knife bit deep into Galive’s flesh.

  Galive’s dark eyes shot open and fluttered briefly before going dead. Blacknail smirked as he stared intently into their confused depths. When he was sure the man was dead, he stepped quietly away. That was one less bandit chief that would be trying to take his and Herad’s territory, and it hadn’t even been hard to get rid of him.

  Blacknail was about to make his exit, when the woman to the right of Galive’s bloody corpse stirred in her sleep. The movement caused Blacknail to instantly focus on her. Some of Galive’s blood was pooling beneath the woman’s bare shoulders and was staining her long blonde hair. It was also clearly disturbing her slumber. She stirred again, and Blacknail realized he had to do something before she woke up and raised the alarm. He stalked back over to her, trying to come up with a solution. He couldn’t remove the blood; there was too much of it, and he wasn’t that thirsty. He also couldn’t move woman without waking her… With an annoyed sigh, Blacknail leaned over her and cut her throat too. When he was sure she was dead, and no one else was about to wake up, he tiptoed over to the window and made his exit. He managed to make it through without getting his head stuck this time.

  As Blacknail crouched on the windowsill, he observed the yard below him. The guard from earlier was still out there, but h
e was walking away from the hobgoblin. The man was about to turn the corner of the building and disappear out of sight.

  With his mission accomplished, Blacknail was beginning to feel impatient, so he climbed down the exterior wall as far as he could and then simply dropped the rest of the way. He landed unharmed on all four limbs and dashed for the stone fence that encircled the temple. He hit it at full speed and vaulted over it onto the street on the other side. With that done, he’d successfully escaped from Galive’s lair unharmed.

  As he raced through the dark and dirty streets of Daggerpoint, toward safety and his rendezvous with Saeter, the hobgoblin giggled happily to himself. That had been too easy. The bandit chieftain had been supposed to be so tough, but he hadn’t been a problem for Blacknail! That other assassin guy, Malthus, had been useless and impotent. Blacknail giggled again as he turned into an alley. The fool had just stood outside the door as Blacknail slit the throat of the man he was supposed to be protecting! It was hilarious how bad the man was at his job, or maybe Blacknail was just that good. Obviously, Blacknail was an amazing assassin, probably the best ever! He was like Herad’s fearsome, unstoppable shadow-killer guy! When he returned with news of Galive’s death, there was no way Herad would beat him up ever again. In fact, she would probably tell everyone how amazing he was and then give him some pie.

  Blacknail reached the corner right before his destination, so he slowed down and looked for any sign of Saeter. A brief inspection didn’t reveal any traces of him, and the hobgoblin grew slightly concerned. Had something happened to him?

  “Where are you, master?” he muttered to himself.

  Blacknail began to creep around stealthily as he searched. He moved from shadow to shadow as he wandered around the area near the meeting place. He didn’t find anything until he stumbled upon a faint scent trail. It led into a nearby building, so Blacknail followed it in. All the structures in this part of the city were small and tightly packed, and this one didn’t stand out. It did appear to be abandoned though; the missing front door was a subtle clue.