“Yes, and now I’ve finally found it.” Nero reached out suddenly and grabbed Sivan’s hand. Sivan jumped at first and then hid his surprise behind a practiced veneer of confidence. Using his other hand, Nero held the palm sized diamond in front of Sivan. “I need you to get your five most trusted guards together to escort me all the way to the Guildmaster.”
Sivan said, “Why don’t you stay here to oversee the final preparations and I will deliver the gem to the Guildmaster personally?”
It didn’t take a genius to see that Sivan was trying to deliver the gem to the Guildmaster in order to take credit for Nero’s hard work. “No, I will deliver it myself, with your guards as my escort.”
Sivan managed to put on a sincere face and say, “Honestly, I’m not sure you can leave. You need to stay here and prepare the prison for when Xander wakes up.”
“No, I don’t. I’m going to tell you exactly what I want done and you’re going to see that it gets done. Delivering the gem won’t take long. I’ll be back long before Xander regains consciousness.”
Sivan shook his head as if what Nero was proposing was ridiculous. “Why take the chance? You are risking your plan to destroy the Philosophers just so you can take credit for recovering the gem.”
Nero stepped forward, quickly went down on one knee, and got right in front of Sivan’s face. “That’s right. I recovered the gem. You and your men tried to find it before I got here, but you couldn’t even do that. It’s my plan that’s going to destroy the Philosophers, not yours. You feel threatened by my success. You can’t stand how fast I’m rising through the ranks of the guild, so you are trying to return the gem to the Guildmaster yourself in order to stay marginally relevant.”
Nero could tell Sivan was stewing in his own juices. Nero felt several guards moving up on him from behind until Sivan held up a finger and motioned them away. To his credit, Sivan did not explode, but remained eerily calm.
“There is no need for this showmanship. You and I are of the Thirteen. We need to set a higher standard. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit, so long as the Guild succeeds.”
Nero sneered. “You just keep telling yourself that, Sivan, and see where it gets you.”
Sivan was fuming. “You know, I worry about where the Guild is going. Used to be we would never have considered making a selfish no-it-all like you one of the Thirteen, but we keep expanding in a larger circle, and soon we will be larger still. This strategy forces us to include young, talented individuals like yourself, but your service comes with a price. You don’t think long term. All you think about is how a situation will benefit you. Me first, Talon Guild second. Don’t you see how this kind of thinking will be the Guild’s downfall in the future?”
Sivan became civil once again. He moved inches closer to Nero’s face to emphasize his point. “You know your plan better than anyone, and you know how best to implement it. You are the best person to stay here and oversee the final preparations, while I, on the other hand, am free to deliver the gem to the Guildmaster.”
Nero stood his ground and shook his head. “You also know this prison better than anyone else. You know what can and cannot be done. Now, I’m taking the gem to the Guildmaster, and he ordered your full cooperation with my plan.”
Sivan smiled, stepped back, and raised his arms as a gesture of peace. “Fine, have it your way. What preparations do you want made?”
Nero stood in front of Sivan with the gem in his hand, supremely confident. “Thank you. If you will follow me, I’ll show you what I would like.”
Nero walked to the end of the cell block, turned left, and walked through the steel door that led to the other cell block on the same floor. He walked about halfway down the row of cells and stopped.
He turned to his right and said, “I would like Xander to be placed in this cell. I would like the priestess of Fortuna placed in the cell directly across from him. The rest of this cell block needs to be empty, so all the other prisoners must be moved to the other cell block, or to another floor altogether. The steel doors leading downstairs as well as to the other row of cells need to be shut and locked tight.”
Sivan said, “Is that all?”
“Oh no. I’ve only just begun. Xander is an absolute expert at palming items off people without the person knowing. Therefore, I want only two guards on duty in this cell block at any one time and I want each of the guards to constantly carry the keys to all the cells in this cell block, but not the keys to the steel doors leading elsewhere in the prison. Each of the guards should carry a dagger and know the combination to the prison entrance lock. I want Xander’s weapons and belongings stored in a closet near the prison entrance.”
“Very well. I will see to all of that. Is there anything else?”
“Yes. Can you arrange to have the ice house and the prison encased in an anti-magic bubble?”
“It can be done, but it will be difficult. Normally we infuse a magic-user’s cell with anti-magic, not the entire prison.”
“But it can be done?”
“Yes, it can be done,” Sivan affirmed, irritably.
“Good. That will make their actions more predictable. I don’t want any guards in the ice cellar, and I want the shopkeeper upstairs to go about his business as usual.”
“Done. Is there anything else?”
“No, that will do very nicely. Now, if you could have your men escort me to the Guildmaster, I will be back shortly.”
“Very well. As you wish.”
Sivan snapped his fingers again and the nearest guard came out of the darkness to hear Sivan’s orders. No doubt Sivan thought this show of power would impress Nero, but with his sixth sense, Nero found the technique old and tired.
Sivan said, “Nathan, get four other guards beside yourself and escort Nero directly to the Guildmaster.”
“Yes sir. Circle member Nero, if you will follow me please.”
Chapter 96: Reclaiming the Gem
Nero put the gem in a pocket next to his left breast before following Nathan and the four other guards out of the prison, out of the ice cellar, past the front desk, and onto the streets of Locus. Dawn had come and gone, and the streets were filled with activity. Nero froze in place for a moment as he remembered what the people of Locus had done to the Krone elf just the day before, and then he quickly remembered that for the moment he looked human to everyone else.
Nero hurried down the streets and alleyways, surrounded by his entourage. All of the guards seemed perfectly relaxed – at ease in their element. All, that is, except for Nathan. He did not outwardly show it, but Nathan was nervous about something. Nero had his suspicions about why, but he just continued walking, waiting for the anvil to fall.
The guards eventually turned onto a narrow alleyway with no one else in view. Nero kept walking, knowing this was the perfect opportunity for Nathan to make his move. With his sixth sense, Nero felt him close to within a few feet. Nero turned around in an instant, snapped his hand out, and grabbed the arm holding a dagger. He took a step toward the guard, yanked his arm to the side, and planted his foot directly in front of Nathan’s path. Using his free arm, he pushed Nathan from behind so that he fell forward over Nero’s leg and came crashing to the cobblestone street like a load of bricks. Nathan was face down in the alleyway with Nero holding his shoulder and his sword arm at the wrist. The sudden fall made Nathan lose concentration, and the dagger clattered across the cobblestone a few feet away. Nero picked up the dagger in his hand and plunged it deep into Nathan’s shoulder. Nathan screamed out in pain, and the other four guards drew their weapons.
Nero said, “Stay where you are. This man is a traitor to the Guild. He was about to kill me with this dagger.” The four guards froze in place, paralyzed with indecision against one of the Thirteen. Nero grabbed Nathan by the hair and snapped his neck back. “Who ordered you to kill me?”
Nathan screamed out, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a loyal member of the Guild.”
“I’m
only going to give you this last chance. Who wanted me dead? Were they trying to steal the gem?”
“Let me go. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Nero was virtually certain he knew who was behind the attack, but he didn’t have time for a full interrogation. Therefore, he didn’t need Nathan anymore. Nero pulled the dagger out of Nathan’s shoulder and buried it in his back, piercing the heart. He got up and stepped away from the body.
The other four guards weren’t certain what to do next, so Nero told them what to do next. “You two, move this body over by those crates and hide it as best you can.” No one moved. Nero pointed at the dead body and said, “He was going to kill me. You all saw the dagger. As one of the Thirteen, I am authorized to kill all of you if I wish, but I’m not going to do that. If you move the body and carry out your orders to escort me to the Guildmaster, then no harm will come to you. You have my word. Now move!”
This time two of the guards snapped quickly to attention and picked up the body. The other two guards stood nearby as Nero’s protection. The guards moved the body so it was out of the way and not easily discoverable, then the five of them continued on to Guild headquarters. As they moved through the streets in the early morning light, Nero thought to himself that rank did indeed have its privileges.
The four remaining guards took him as far as the stairs leading down to the Guildmaster’s private quarters. Nero thanked each of them for their loyal service and even went so far as to give each of them a gold piece. He was a new member of the Thirteen, and he wanted to be known as generous to those who worked for him. A little money at the right time went a long way toward solidifying that reputation.
Nero told the guards, “Wait here until I return, and we will walk back to the prison together.” The four guards nodded their heads and seemed more than willing to follow his instructions.
Nero took a moment to prepare mentally for what he hoped would be a hero’s welcome before he headed confidently down the stairs to the fourth floor of Guild headquarters. Silence greeted him as he came to the bottom of the stairs and continued unbroken as the Guildmaster’s butler walked toward him.
“Good morning, Nero. I hear you have very good news for the Guildmaster.”
“Cam, how could you possibly know what I am here to talk to the Guildmaster about? And how do you know whether it is morning outside? You never go above ground, do you?”
“There are many mysteries in this life, wouldn’t you agree?” Cam smiled in a benevolent way and did not offer any further explanation. “The Guildmaster is in a meeting that should be over very shortly. May I offer you a glass of port while you wait?”
“Yes, that would be outstanding.”
Nero took a seat in the waiting area as Cam left the room and came back quickly with a bottle of port on a tray with an empty glass. He brought the tray over and set it down. Then he picked up the bottle, poured a small amount in the glass, and held the bottle up for Nero’s inspection. Nero looked at the bottle for a moment and recognized that the wine came from an old manufacturer who had long since gone out of business. If the label was to be believed, the port was more than three hundred years old. Nero picked up the glass and took a brief sip. It was easily the best wine Nero had ever tasted in his life.
Nero said, “Thank you, Cam, this will do nicely.”
“You have earned it, Inner Circle member Nero, and I’m sure the Guildmaster will agree.” Despite his better judgment, Nero couldn’t help but appreciate the compliment put forth by one of the Guild’s patriarchs.
As Cam moved respectfully away, the door to the Guildmaster’s chambers opened and Lidea and Keth immerged. Lidea was as gorgeous as ever, but this time Nero focused his attention on Keth. The half-orc warrior was three times his size, and judging from the bulging muscles on his torso, ten times as strong. Half-orcs were a rare cross breed between humans and orcs. The resulting child was usually dumb as a post and twice as ugly, but their size and brawn made them well suited to be warriors, where smarts were not generally a prerequisite. Keth certainly had the ugly part going for him, but if the rumors were true, Keth exceeded expectations with an intellect that went well beyond his parentage. This rumor almost certainly had to be true, for the Guildmaster would never elevate a simple warrior to the Thirteen if he was not intelligent.
Nero stood up with his glass of port in one hand and watched as Keth and Lidea crossed the room. Both of them glanced at him briefly to see if he was a threat and that was when Lidea recognized him from the night before. She gently nudged Keth’s arm and the big warrior headed over to where Nero was standing.
As they approached, Lidea said, “Keth, I’m sure you remember Nero from the Inner Circle meeting. He’s actually an elf of Armena, but right now he is disguised as a human.”
Keth looked him up and down and said, “Don’t look like much.”
Nero nodded his head in an agreeable manner and said, “That’s part of my disguise. I lull my enemies into a false sense of security with my size before I stab them in the back.”
Keth and Nero stood absolutely still as they stared each other down. Lidea looked back and forth between the two like she expected a confrontation at any moment. Keth eventually tilted his head back and laughed louder than Nero thought possible. Nero and Lidea broke out into laughter as well. Keth looked at Nero again with nothing but humor. He brought up his right hand and slapped Nero playfully on the shoulder. The playful hit was enough to rattle Nero’s body and move him a foot to the side.
Keth said, “I like Nero. I hope we get to work together.”
Nero said, “As do I.”
Lidea came forward with a big smile and gave Nero a flirtatious hug. She kissed Nero on both cheeks before stepping back and saying, “It’s good to see you again, Nero. Unfortunately, we have pressing business to attend to.”
“I understand. Good luck.” Lidea and Keth quickly disappeared up the stairs.
Cam ushered Nero into the Guildmaster’s chambers where he found the Guildmaster already sitting at the meeting table near the door, waiting for him.
Nero took a seat across from the Guildmaster and said, “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Guildmaster.”
“Nonsense. I wasn’t waiting; I was evaluating.”
“Evaluating what?”
“You. I was evaluating you, Nero. How you interact with your peers and how you think on your feet is critical to your success in the Guild. Keth is very selective about whom he chooses to like.”
“Well, I hope I am exceeding your expectations.”
Rather than answer Nero’s implied question, the Guildmaster said, “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon. Do you have news worthy of this intrusion?”
“I wanted to let you know that so far our plan is on schedule, but more important than that, I wanted to deliver the good news myself.”
The Guildmaster looked on with expectation. “Did Xander have the gem with him?”
Nero dug his hand into the breast pocket and pulled out the fist-sized diamond and placed it in the center of the table. “Indeed he did. It was hidden in a magically concealed pocket, but I eventually found it.”
The Guildmaster did not pick up the gem, but he did sit up in his chair with interest to examine it. “I can see that the magical barriers keeping the wizard trapped in the gem are nearly gone.” He looked at Nero and said, “Will you excuse me a moment?”
Nero nodded.
The Guildmaster unceremoniously yelled, “Cam!”
Cam came bursting through the door as if expecting trouble.
The Guildmaster said, “Cam, the wizard is nearly free of the gem. Would you run and bring back two Guild wizards as quickly as possible?”
“Yes, master.” With that, Cam disappeared behind the closed door.
The Guildmaster turned to Nero and conversationally said, “I’m sorry for yelling, but time is of the essence. If the wizard escapes, he won’t be able to kill us, but he would cause some inconvenience.”
>
“Of course, Guildmaster.”
“Not that this little distraction should take away from your achievement. You have done the Guild a great service by recovering the gem, and I promise I won’t forget it.”
Nero nodded his head in appreciation of the Guildmaster’s compliment. On the inside he was turning cartwheels, but on the outside his face remained passively neutral. Nero sat in silence with the Guildmaster for some time. Eventually Nero got somewhat used to the tension in the room as his mind began to consider other obstacles that were in his way.
He said, “Can you tell me more about the spell that Gram is working on?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Well, the entire Inner Circle is working toward establishing your new kingdom, and I know the spell is a large component of your plan. I just think I would be better able to help you accomplish that mission if I knew more of the nuances of the plan.”
The Guildmaster had mastered his emotions centuries ago. Nonetheless, Nero felt, rather than saw, the Guildmaster hesitate for a moment before answering.
“I don’t have to tell you how strong Armena is. They are, in fact, much stronger than Kentar. We have to hit them from multiple angles from multiple points of weakness. Killing the King and dismantling the Philosophers may not be enough to pacify Armena when we announce we will be taking over half their kingdom. Even starting a war between Armena and Kentar while they simultaneously battle the Krone may not be enough to pacify Armena.”
Nero pressed on, needing to know the truth. “So how will Gram’s spell help the situation?”
“By killing the entire royal family and anyone in the royal family’s bloodline.”
“And you think that is absolutely necessary?”
“Yes, it is an insurance policy that will ensure success as our kingdom is established.”
Nero was partially satisfied with the answer the Guildmaster gave, but he still had many more questions that would have to wait for another time. Cam knocked on the door and opened it a moment later. The butler walked in with two middle-aged men dressed in long robes in tow.
Do the Gods Give Us Hope? Page 21