Guards Vestige

by Alexander Adams

  But he wouldn’t have too. The only rule stated at the start of the night was they were to be the first team to ring the bell by any means they could employ. Griffon charged at Jane just as she was about to reach the doorway and shoulder checked her, knocking her into the wall with enough force to make her slump to the ground groggily. Now that Griffon had stopped Jane, he was able to close the gap between them. If he could manage to get around Griffon and get to the ladder before her, his team could still win. The problem with that, however, was that Griffon was now waiting for him. While he was faster than her, she was the better fighter by leagues. He would be forced into one unless he was lucky. He was nearly on her and was preparing to try to dash around her when he saw something that unsettled him. She smiled. Then he knew why. A flash of fire to his right came so quickly that he had no time to dodge.

  Argera had waited until she was within feet of Daniel. Even as he dove to the ground, with a single puff, she sent flames splashing over his shoulder with just enough fire to cause the pouch to react and spew black smoke into the air. When he rose and looked back at the fort doorway, Griffon was already gone. Moments later, he heard the bell ring out across the field. With a sigh, he fell backwards to lie in the grass. He looked up at the dimming stars while he waited for the rest of the trainees to make their way over.

  Argera landed with a heavy shake and a whirlwind next to the fort. “Well, wasn’t that fun!” the dragon said. “Excellent work, Ms. Hart!”

  Jane groaned and stood, bracing herself against the wall. “You got lucky, Hart.”

  “You’re right,” Griffon said. “I was worried I was going to have to hit Daniel. But then I saw you.” Griffon crossed her arms and smirked.

  Jane quickly stepped up to look Griffon in the eye. They were close to the same height, though Griffon was wider in her warden armor. They glared at each other for a moment before Jane huffed and turned away in irritation as the rest of the teams assembled around Argera. The dragon lay on her belly and crossed her forelegs in front of her as the Dragon Guards that had been filling in for missing members bid farewell before starting back to Vigil to attend to their duties.

  Argera raised her head to get a good look at them all. “It seems many of you have forgotten that dragons can see in the dark,” she said. “You did not pick your cover appropriately when moving through the forest. That aside, you have all shown drastic improvement. Should you ever have to run from a hostile dragon, you will probably survive.” She rose to her feet and spread out her wings. “Now, your instructors expect all of you in the library at noon. Return here tomorrow at sunset for our next exercise.”

  With that, she knocked several trainees off their feet with a heavy gust of wind as she leaped off the ground with a single flap of her wings and spiraled upward until she was above the dark clouds and out of sight. Daniel had never been able to see the direction she went but he assumed it was somewhere remote. With chatter rising up throughout the group, they all started back toward Vigil. As they walked, Daniel fingered the pommel of his sword. It was still odd, feeling the orange-etched steel at his side. Ever since Lace and the others had “left,” things at Vigil had been much tenser. All trainees were now required to always carry a weapon and while Dragon Guard steel was lighter than normal, it was still heavy enough to be noticeable.

  Griffon nudged Daniel gently. “I really am glad I didn’t have to take you out,” she said.

  “I am too,” he said with a smile. “It looked like it hurt.”

  “I may have gone a little overboard.”

  Zachery removed the burned smoke pack from his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. “A little?” he said. “I saw it from the tree line after Argera tagged me and even I felt it.”

  Daniel was playing with the frayed edges of his scarf when Aaron tapped him on the shoulder. “You’re doing it again,” Aaron said. “What’s wrong?”

  Daniel looked down at his fingers holding the black cloth and let go before he started talking. “I’m fine. Just thinking about an exercise Austin gave us, trying to figure it out before tonight.”

  “You guys seem to get a lot of puzzle-type exercises.”

  “He says it makes us better strategists. It teaches us to look at things from other angles, find patterns, and how to exploit them when we do.”

  Alan leaned toward him. “Any way we can help?”

  Daniel knew that Alan loved puzzles. As much as he would appreciate the help, he shook his head and smiled. “Pretty sure that would qualify as cheating.”

  Aaron nodded slowly and took off his gloves. “So how’s your swordplay now?’ he asked. “We haven’t had a chance to spar for a while.”

  “About the same, actually,” Daniel said. “Maybe a little better one on one, but I’m still nowhere near your level.”

  “Doesn’t Austin have you guys do any kind of combat training?” Clara asked. “Even scholars still do some with Claudia.”

  Daniel bit his lip as he thought over his answer. Austin did have them go through combat practices, but none of it was the straightforward tactics Obadiah or Claudia would teach. He still didn’t enjoy the darker side to his training. Learning where you could cut someone to make them bleed out in less than a minute. Discovering how to break someone’s arm or leg with minimal effort. Learning the weak points in the armor worn by city guards across Edaren and how to spot and exploit a patrol schedule. Knowing how to make people look as if they died naturally. He hated every bit of it.

  Daniel realized he hadn’t answered the question yet. “Not the kind of training you would think,” he finally said.

  They made good time through the forest. When they approached the northern gates of Vigil, the sun had barely crested the horizon. The guards at the manway nodded to them politely and let them pass without question. They walked the stone path through the killing field and through the second gate, where the rest of the group quickly split in every direction while Daniel and his friends paused. They had just under an hour before they were meant to be at the library.

  “Well, what should we do now?” Alan said with a yawn.

  Zachery stretched his arms above his head. “I don’t know about you guys,” he said, “but Jonathan should be making breakfast soon and I don’t like missing one of his meals.”

  Griffon shrugged. “I could eat.”

  They all agreed that getting some food after their long night would be the best idea and started up the street toward the keep. The city was still quiet in the early morning, with only a few people walking the streets, while merchants and shopkeepers began opening their doors. It was a calm and cheerful atmosphere, with the newly risen sun casting a golden hue over the city and its walls. Daniel liked the city during the morning and night, but it was far too crowded for him at any other time. Too many people in too tight of a space.

  He felt especially claustrophobic during midday, when the majority of people were walking the city. It was even worse during the Autumn’s End Festival. He preferred the woods where it was quiet. That was where he felt at home the most. It made him feel like he was back at Sapella with the Arrow just through the trees, waiting for him to dip his feet in the cool water during the summer. He sighed and glanced around. He watched a woman and what he could only assume was her daughter walking down an alleyway. The daughter had vibrant pink flowers stuck in her hair and a small, cloth doll she held by the arm.

  He glanced to the other side of the street and watched a man stumble out of the local bar, clearly still drunk from the night before. The man shielded his eyes from the rising sun with a look of confusion on his face. The man stumbled up the street and before falling to his knees and getting up again. Daniel shook his head and shifted his gaze back to the other side of street. He stopped walking and stared at the alleyway. Sitting on the ground was the doll that had been held by the girl. He looked up and down the length of the street. When he didn’t see the girl or
the woman, he started toward the doll.

  “Daniel? What’s wrong?” Alan said, stopping while the others continued on.

  Daniel knelt and picked up the doll. Again he looked around, thinking he might have missed them, but when he still didn’t see anyone his mind started going through possibilities. The closest intersecting street was too far away for them to have made it and gone out of sight in the short time he’d looked away. Even if they had, there would be no reason for the young girl to leave the doll behind. He studied the alley. It was barely wide enough for three people to walk side by side. It didn’t go straight through to another street and the turn ahead was still too far off for them to have gone around it at the pace they had been walking. He felt foolish, but at the same time he had a sinking feeling in his gut.

  Alan appeared next to him. “What’s that?” he said.

  Daniel handed the doll to him. “Alan,” he said, “can you wait here for a minute?”

  Alan looked awkwardly at the doll. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not sure yet. Just wait here for me.”

  Daniel stepped into the alley while Alan leaned against the wall, watching him curiously. He really wasn’t sure what was wrong, but something felt off. He instinctively pulled his hood up as he rounded the corner. The alley turned a second time and then a third until it opened up into a slightly wider space with two more branch-offs. Daniel would have thought the space was perfectly normal if not for the single man standing at the far end next to a wooden door. He was dressed plainly in a simple tunic and trousers and was flipping a coin, which he dropped several times.

  Daniel had gone through enough training to know a guard when he saw one. The man looked to be unarmed, but Daniel knew better than to assume he had no weapons on him or within easy access. He would have once again assumed nothing was wrong here, that maybe the man was guarding a gambling den, which was frowned upon to be sure but not illegal—except for the small, pink flower half buried in the dirt of the alley halfway between Daniel, and the door.

  Austin had taught them that following your instincts in situations like this was always the right way to go. Even if your suspicions turned out to be false, it was always better to be wrong about something than to ignore the possibility of something terrible happening that could be stopped. At the moment, Daniel’s instincts told him he had to find a way through that door. He doubled back and found Alan still waiting for him at the entrance.

  “Alan,” he said, “I need you to do something for me.”

  The younger trainee raised a single eyebrow. “What is it?”

  Daniel motioned for him to follow as he started down the street and turned onto a connecting road. He knew the area well enough to know there was a small store here that sold cheap clothing. He purchased a tunic that would fit Alan, as well as a small pack, before continuing down the street. They found the entrance to another alley. After making his way down and back to ensure it led to the same area as the previous alley, Daniel handed Alan the tunic and pack.

  “There’s a man just through this alley,” Daniel said. “I need you to take off your armor and put this shirt on over your black.”

  Alan raised an eyebrow. “Why do I need to do that?”

  “I need you to get his attention and find a way to make him follow you. If he sees you in armor or in solid black, he’ll know you’re a Dragon Guard trainee and won’t follow you.”

  “Why wouldn’t he follow me?”

  “He wouldn’t. Just trust me, I can tell.”

  Alan shrugged. He removed his leather armor, stuffing it into the pack, before pulling the tunic over his own. “So how do I get him to follow me?”

  Daniel patted him on the shoulder, “You’ll figure something out,” he said. “Just give me a minute to get ready.”

  Alan nodded as Daniel darted off down the street and into the original alley. He reached the annex and crouched low in the shadows, just out of the man’s line of sight. Alan took longer than Daniel would have liked, but after a few minutes he appeared, trailed by two other boys slightly younger than he was.

  Daniel hadn’t expected this. He wondered how Alan had managed to enlist their help. A smile crossed his face as he watched the three of them dart into the alley, holding sticks like swords. They were in the middle of a mock fight with one another. It was a decent cover. Not one Daniel would have thought of, but it fit their age well enough.

  The guard at the door started shouting at them: “Hey! Go somewhere else. You aren’t supposed to be back here!”

  They paid no attention to him. Alan ran from one of the boys, then reeled back with his stick back as if he was about to swing at the boy. At the last moment, he pivoted and struck the man hard in the shoulder. The man quickly attempted to grab Alan by the tunic, but he missed and stumbled before one of the other boys hit him across the back, while the other jabbed him in the ribs. The man went to his knees. His face flushed with anger as he rose and started to chase after them.

  They led him out of the alley, Alan turning and taking occasional swings at the man as they ran. Daniel tried his best to keep from laughing. He would have to be sure to thank Alan, but for now he had to hurry before the man lost interest in them and returned. He ran to the door and tried the handle. Thankfully, it was unlocked. He stepped inside, then quietly closed the door behind him. He found himself in a long, empty hallway that dead ended with only two doors on the left wall. He kept low and took slow, soft steps toward the first door. Daniel placed his ear against the wood and listened carefully. Hearing no sounds, he carefully tried the handle and found this too was unlocked.

  Daniel gently pushed it open and was disappointed to see a storage room with boxes and barrels stacked along the walls. A quick inspection determined there was nothing out of the ordinary. He moved on to the second door and found it was the same as the first. He frowned and looked around the hall. There were no other doors in sight. After a moment, an idea popped into his head. It was a longshot, but he still had the feeling that something was wrong. He had to at least try.

  Methodically, he started lightly rapping his fist against the wall opposite the doors. He made it halfway down the hallway when the sound suddenly changed from a solid thud to a hollow echo. He smiled and traced out the general shape of a doorway by the sound of his knocks. It was a false wall. He stepped back and leaned against the opposite wall. These types of doors were commonly released by a single lever or button that, when pushed, would move a series of iron rods and gears to release the lock, allowing it to swing or slide open.

  The problem was finding the trigger. He felt around the area of the door, looking for a section of wood that seemed loose or out of place. With no luck near the door, he decided to try further down. He walked toward the dead end, running his hand over the rest of the wall as he went. Again he had no luck. With an irritated sigh, he stepped back to the false wall to start over. But he paused when his second step caused a board beneath his foot to creak lightly. He took his full weight off of it, then tapped his foot a few times as an idea formed.

  Daniel knelt down and started pulling at the floorboards. He tried nearly every one until finally, when feeling along the gaps of one near the first storage door, he felt a small gap just large enough for his fingers. He slipped them in and felt resistance when he lifted. He continued to lift until he heard a light, metallic click beneath him, followed by a series of louder clicks accompanied by grinding in the wall. He smiled to himself as he stood. Austin had told him many times before that investigations like this were one part skill and three parts luck. He counted this as the first part of luck.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  13th of Landring, 28th year of the Fourth Age.

  Daniel pushed the panel open and carefully peered inside. In front of him was a long, spiral staircase that was poorly lit and smelled like rot. He put a hand on his sword before he started to climb down,
carefully placing his feet to ensure he made little to no noise. He counted every step to try to judge how far down he was actually going, but he lost count when he heard voices below him. He froze. Were they coming closer or moving away? After a few seconds, the voices faded. He decided it was safe to proceed. When Daniel reached the bottom, he found himself in a long, stone tunnel lit with lanterns. Several side passages along its length were either closed off with a gate or simply caved in.

  He carefully made his way forward and stopped just before the first open side passage. He pressed himself against the wall and peered low around the corner. It opened up into a room that had at least a dozen beds lining the walls and nothing else in sight. The other three rooms he checked were identical. Curious. Perhaps it was a smuggling den? Though this number of beds in such a place seemed unnecessary. With the puzzle no closer to being solved, he moved further into the tunnel. There were no more side rooms or passages. After a few minutes, the tunnel opened out onto a balcony. Daniel made his way to the edge, taking cover behind a pillar. What he saw was equally confusing and terrifying.

  The balcony overlooked an open room that to him, resembled a church hall. It was lit with braziers in the corners and a chandelier hanging in the center. A white, stone altar sat near the far wall. The woman that had been walking with her child was atop it. She seemed to be unconscious and was tied to the corners of the altar by her wrists and ankles. Her forehead was marked with a rune carved into her skin. At least two dozen figures dressed in white robes with hoods pulled over their heads faced the altar, their hands clasped in front of them. Behind the altar stood another figure dressed in a similar robe. An oversized Black Hand print surrounded by strange symbols stretched across the figure’s heart.