by Jon Bender
“Go, I will deal with him,” he said, reaching for his own sword. If she decided to stay and fight, he would have to aid her. Having no skill with a blade, he would have no choice but to defend himself with magic.
Elitha looked at him and back again before giving a reluctant nod and turning. As she rounded the corner out of sight, Keller released the hilt and turned to face the guard. The pounding of booted heels preceded two others who charged down the hall with swords in hand, their arrival complicating the situation further.
He had to be careful when he employed his magic; destroying their bodies with the void or snapping their bones with Or’Keer’s finger would let those who found them know magic had been used and news of that sort would assuredly get back to the guild. He had no wish to kill the men, but saw no other option. They weren’t likely to let him go if he asked politely. From their point of view, they were only performing the job they were paid to do. He could not allow them to interfere in things of far greater importance, but neither did it feel right to kill them for doing their duty. He had to give them a chance at life.
“I don’t want to harm any of you,” he said, keeping his voice low in case Elitha was still nearby. However, it was not lost on him that it came out in a threatening almost melodramatic tone. “If you turn around now and inform your employer that you never saw me, we can all just walk away from this.”
The guard with the thick beard smirked behind the mass of curls. “You don’t stand a chance against us, vermin. If you surrender now, I promise to put in a good word for you and your bitch when we catch up to her. Perhaps you will only spend some years in a dungeon instead of having one of your hands removed.”
Keller released a long sigh and raised his hand. Recognition flashed through two of the three men’s eyes. The bearded guard was already charging forward as the second ducked to the side. Keller pulled the shadows into himself, sending the surge of energy to his palm where it formed into a small, back dagger. The magical blade leapt forward, quickly followed by three more. The first flew over the bearded guard as he dove forward at the last second. The move surprised Keller, and he had a fleeting thought that the man had faced casters before. The second guard was less lucky as a dagger clipped his shoulder, his leather armor no match for the magic as it ripped through to slice flesh beneath. He let out only a grunt in acknowledgement of the injury before rushing forward as well. The final guard, who had been caught unawares, received the final two daggers in his chest and neck. The man fell to his knees gripping his neck in a futile attempt to stem the flow of his life. Paying no attention to his dying comrade, the bearded guard rushed forward to close the remaining few feet.
Keller shifted his hand slightly to readjust his aim on the charging man. He could not risk using the daggers again with no guarantee that they would kill the attacker outright. Focusing his mind, shadows quickly coalesced around his arm, the darkness enveloping it fully to create a clawed gauntlet just as the guard’s sword came slashing out. Confident in his abilities, Keller reached to catch the blade before sharpened steel buried itself in his ribs. The impact was jarring as pain shot up to his shoulder, but his magic held firm to stop the sword. Standing mere inches from the guard’s face, Keller allowed himself to grin contemptuously at the man for thinking he could kill a mage with a blade alone. The bearded guard’s free hand came flashing upward to connect with Keller’s jaw. The punch stunned him momentarily and nearly cost him his grip. He had not expected the attack, but had no time to berate himself for the mistake of thinking the man inferior. The guard knew he was in a fight for his life, and he would not simply fall over for Keller’s convenience. As his fist cocked back for another hit, Keller tightened his grip on the sword and pulled it closer to him. His other hand coming up as a second gauntlet formed.
There was no satisfaction in feeling the shadows pierce the bearded man’s neck and sink deeper. With a strong jerk, he ripped away the man’s throat in a shower of hot, sticky fluid that coated his face and new clothes. He cringed slightly at the mess, but did not allow it to distract him. Throwing the dying man to the ground as blood soaked into his beard, Keller looked up to find that the last guard had not advanced during the struggle. Instead, he gripped at his shoulder and stared.
“Forgive me, holiness,” the final man said through a shaky voice. “I didn’t know who you were.”
Keller sighed and stepped over the sound of sucking and bubbling liquid toward the survivor. “Put your sword away,” he said.
The guard obeyed instantly, sliding the sword into its sheath. “I beg you to forgive me, holiness. I would never have intended harm had I known.”
Keller nodded with understanding and appreciated the man’s predicament. He was there to protect the house. It was not his fault a servant of Or’Keer had come to rob his employer. “You are forgiven,” Keller said.
Standing directly in front of the guard, he could see the relief on his young face. He couldn’t have been more than twenty years old. “Thank you, holiness.”
Keller pulled slowly on the shadows around him, loath to do what he must. The young man did not deserve death, but Keller could not risk his speaking to anyone about what he had seen. The claws on his hand morphed into a single blade and the guard jerked as the swirling shadows slipped easily under his ribs and up into his heart. Relief turned to shock, and then emptiness as life left his eyes.
Keller lowered the body gently to the ground and allowed the shadows engulfing his hand to dissipate. Running his bloody fingers over the guard’s face to close his eyes, Keller stood and moved down the hall toward the cellar. If not for the need to fulfill his duty to Or’Keer, guilt would have surely crushed him in that moment. Only faith in the Dark God and that he was following his path made that weight bearable.
Reaching the door, he moved silently down the stairs searching for any sign of the thieves or more guards. Without the torchlight to guide his way, he relied on his magic to guide his progress back to the hole. He could see flickering light from the other side of the tunnel and moved in. Passing the pillar, a rope had been tied around its center with Elitha holding the other end and looking at him from outside. He saw tension in her eyes, and could see her wring the rope in her hands. In that moment, he felt extremely vulnerable. With one strong tug, she could bury him alive.
“Where are Caldin and Serg?” she called out.
Keller shrugged and moved forward, his step a little quicker than it had been. “I haven’t seen them.”
As he exited the tunnel, Elitha’s grip on the rope loosened. Off to the side, Hailey stood with back straight and shoulders tense. “What happened to the guards?” she asked.
“They’re gone,” he said. It had taken effort to keep his tone level and cold, otherwise anger at himself for killing loyal servants of Or’Keer would have seeped through.
Hailey shook her head. “I wish that hadn’t been necessary.”
“But it was,” he said, regret flaring again.
“I suppose it was. I guess you are more dangerous than I thought.”
“Will Tiny be upset at what happened?” he asked. She looked at him with annoyance but otherwise did not answer.
“Hurry,” Elitha hissed, drawing his attention back to the tunnel.
Looking past the pillar, he saw Serg and Caldin hurrying toward them with only the former carrying a sack of their acquisitions. Keller heard shouting coming from behind which was quickly followed by approaching torchlight. Just as the men cleared the opening, Elitha pulled hard on the rope. There was a momentary pause before everything began to shake and the tunnel ceiling collapsed. Dust and debris came rushing out in a wave, leaving Keller in a hazy cloud blocking his vision. Covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, he waited for the dust to settle. After several coughing fits, Hailey picked up the sack Keller and Elitha had filled and began moving away from the sealed entrance.
“What happened in there?” Hailey demanded of the other woman once they were safely away. “Why did
you leave him behind?”
“We were spotted by a guard. He said he could handle it,” Elitha snapped back angrily.
Her tone and demeanor seemed out of character to Keller. She had been calm during their time in the house, but now she seemed agitated as they were getting away.
“It’s true,” he cut in. “I didn’t want to risk losing our haul, so I told her to go.” He thought that his confirming Elitha’s story would help to sooth her, but it seemed to have the opposite affect when she looked over her shoulder to glare at him.
“Fine,” Hailey sighed. “So, we know he can fight, but how did he perform before that?”
“Adequately,” was all Elitha said, looking ahead again.
Hailey nodded and pressed on with them following as Serg and Caldin brought up the rear. They continued that way for a quarter of an hour in silence, the quiet giving Keller time to consider what he had done in service to Or’Keer. The only consolation he could find was in thinking of the final guard he had killed as a soldier in their struggle for prosperity. Soldiers gave their lives willingly to serve a higher cause, and Keller tried hard to convince himself that a faithful servant would have been satisfied to know his death had not been in vain. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling if that was so, he would have given the guard the choice instead of making it for him. He would have dwelled on the troublesome thought longer if not for the feeling that someone was watching them. When he channeled magic to investigate, there was nothing to be found. Deciding that a criminal life was making him paranoid, he ignored the feeling. It was likely just his mind playing tricks on him.
The path they took was not the same as the one that had brought them, but from the length of time and the increasing moisture in the air, they were perhaps ten minutes away from the river. Entering an uneven, circular chamber with multiple connecting tunnels, Caldin called out that he wanted to rest. Agreeing, Hailey leaned her torch against a wall and set the sack down next to it. As the others settled on the ground, Elitha moved toward the two men.
“So, have I passed your test?” Keller asked, sitting down next to Hailey.
“It was the guild’s test,” she said.
Keller could not hold back the grunt of amusement. Since he had first met her, Hailey held an air of authority that only came with knowing that you were in charge. “We both know that you lead the guild. Why play this game any further?”
“Elitha has not spoken against you, so you will likely get to trade your goods with us,” she said, ignoring his question.
“She hasn’t really spoken for me either,” he said, letting the matter go.
Hailey nodded slowly as she looked across the room to the other woman. “What really happened in there? What did you do that would put her on edge?”
“Nothing. It happened just as we said.”
“Something must have, or she would not…” she jerked her head to the right, the sound of a rock skipping off stone drawing her attention away.
Drawing the power of darkness into him, Keller could see the shapes of three people coming from that direction, but they weren’t the only interlopers. From another tunnel on the other side of the room, four more were hidden just out of the light. He didn’t know how they had been able to sneak up on them without a torch or lantern. Perhaps they had been waiting for the group of thieves to come to them. The question soon became irrelevant when one of the forms raised a hand in his and Hailey’s direction. Reflex alone saved his life when he formed a nearly impenetrable wall of shadow to shield them both from the column of flame, the flaring red light blinding his darkness-adjusted eyes and forcing him to release the cast. In addition to the intense flames, he felt several heavy impacts against the shadow wall.
The combined attack was enough to cause his hold over the cast to weaken and a rush of thoughts ran through his head as he struggled to maintain the barrier. Who were these mages? He doubted they served Lord Prasil. Even if the lord of the city was a traitor, he had no way of knowing what Keller was doing or where he would be. The only people who knew that information was the thieves’ guild. He glanced over to Hailey, her expression one of shock at what she was seeing, her eyes darting from him and the shadow wall, to the flames that were pouring around the edges. He didn’t think she was faking – the fact that she had not yet reached for her dagger to attack him meant she had not been prepared.
The assault on his wall ended and just as he began to wonder what would come next, Caldin came running around the side, dagger in hand and anger in his eyes. Serg was only a step behind. Not willing to release the shadow wall with the enemy mages still on the other side, he concentrated power into his free hand forming the clawed gauntlet. Reaching out, he stopped Caldin’s blade just as it drove down for him, the coalesced shadows not only gripping the blade, but closing around the man’s hand. Caldin screamed in pain as claws tore through muscle and tendon. Serg moved around to the side wielding his own blade, readying to finish what his partner had started. Keller stared at the charging thief, knowing that it was already too late. He would never be able to stop the second man or release the wall to cast in time. Readying himself to turn at the last second and take the dagger in a less vital spot, Hailey leapt from the ground and slammed bodily into Serg.
With the unexpected reprieve, Keller turned his attention back to Caldin who struggled to free himself. Keller jerked his shadow-gauntlet away, ripping a scream of agony from the man with it. Caldin grabbed his ruined hand and stumbled back. Not willing to let him escape and possibly attack again, Keller released the gauntlet and willed the shadows to form daggers. With a thought, the small blades flicked forward to embed in Caldin’s chest. The thief fell backwards to the ground.
With the immediate threat over, Keller looked back to Hailey. Serg had slumped forward over her shoulder, his hate-filled eyes continuing to stare at Keller. As the man fell away, Keller saw the dark stain forming on his shirt.
Hailey turned to face him, her own blade slick with blood. He did not know why she had killed her own man, but he was not about to question her decision when facing such daunting odds. Meeting her eyes, Hailey nodded and crouched next to him behind the wall. Readying himself, he released the shadow wall. No sooner had the wall begun to dissipate than the magical attack resumed. A bout of flame came rushing for them, and he concentrated his will letting loose the void. The black beam shot out to intercept the flame draining away most of its energy. Small flames still licked at his sleeve, but did no more than singe the fabric. Several chunks of stone came flying out, forcing him to roll to the side or be crushed. The flames roared past to billow out against the wall, the heat so intense he was sure his back would blister. During the exchange, he had thought that Hailey would have charged to his aid. Instead, the woman had taken the opportunity to race off into in an empty tunnel. On his own, he began flinging shadow daggers with every step as he too retreated into a nearby passage. Dropping low in the shadows, several more stones flew just inches overhead. A scream of pain echoed out, making it hard to establish where it had originated from.
“Don’t fight us, Hailey,” Elitha called from some unseen space. He thought to enhance his vision once more to find the leader of his would-be assassins, but if the fire mage chose to attack again he would be blinded and vulnerable. “You saw what he is. If we ever want to be free of the dark god we must destroy all who serve him.”
“You know the guild doesn’t give a damn what god or lord claims ownership over Karadin. We do not involve ourselves in their concerns,” Hailey shouted back, her voice echoing off tunnels walls and making it impossible for him to discern which direction she was in. “You have given me no choice in the matter if the guild is to survive your choosing sides.”
“I know what the guild means to you, but this is bigger than a bunch of thieves. Don’t you see that?” Elitha pleaded.
“And look what your bigger things have brought us. The temples have seen into our world, and because of you we are now at risk,” Hailey replied.<
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“Enough,” a male voice said. “She has made her choice. We kill them both.”
Keller considered trying to slip away. He had no problem finding his way without light, but he was in unfamiliar territory. There was no guarantee he would be able to find his way out of the undercity before they caught up with him at a dead end. As he quickly ran through the options in his head, the soft sound of boot leather scraping on stone caused him to jerk around. Peering into the gloom of the tunnel behind him, he searched the space as best he could and found no sign of other attackers. When no one presented themselves as a foe, he turned back. If there were more people behind him, they were not a threat at the moment, while those in the chamber were. Seeing no other choice, he pulled as deeply on the shadows as his body would allow. The power coursing through his veins came close to causing him pain. When he could hold no more, he stood and rushed boldly back into the room. With hands held before him, the void rushed forth from both. Thick, inky beams aimed at the nearest mage and a sword-wielding man. The swordsman was struck just above the heart, the cast burrowing through his body and throwing him back into another attacker. The mage was quicker to react; meeting Keller’s cast with one of his own. Absolute darkness poured against angry, red flame that lit every corner of the room and spilled into the surrounding passage, the intense heat of the flame burning away any trace of moisture in the air.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hailey locked in combat with two others just outside of the room. He had no time to help her as new problems of his own were beginning to develop. The second mage was not standing idle while his comrade struggled against Keller. Within the span of time it took to blink, the earth mage had ripped four chunks of stone from the walls before hurling them in Keller’s direction. At the same time, the remaining two men and Elitha were busy trying to circle to his flank, a difficult task while avoiding the magical battle happening in the center of the room. He would have to take down one of the mages quickly if he was to avoid being stabbed from the side.