The Burning City (The Guildmaster Thief Book 2)

by Jake Kerr

  After examining what lie between her and the next tree, Maela assessed the steps she would take. There was a single bush, but she could avoid it and get to the tree without making any noise. She had taken a single step when a mighty blow struck her shoulder, throwing her body completely out of the forest and into the the lane.

  Her instincts took over, and she scrambled to her feet. Her right shoulder had dislocated but popped back into place as she landed. What was good, if painful, luck wasn't good enough, as she was right-handed. Grabbing the hunting knife with her left hand, Maela's eyes darted around, but there was nothing.

  A noise from where she had been hiding, barely a rustle, caught her attention. Looking closer, it was the smallest thing that saved her life. A small patch of grass depressed into the ground. Another patch pressed down barely five feet from her.

  Leaping to what she felt was just to the right of what was walking through the grass, Maela swung her knife in a wide circle. She felt resistance and then a glancing blow knocked her to the ground.

  Despite the blow just barely hitting her, it was powerful and threw her several feet. It had at least bruised some ribs, if not broken them. Whatever the guardian was, it moved slowly. With a rapidly weakening and hurt body, Maela grabbed the knife that had fallen from her hand, scrambled to her feet, and sprinted down the lane back to the cabin.

  Stumbling in the front door, she practically fell at Darla's feet, out of breath and her ribs and shoulder screaming in pain.

  "By the gods, Maela, what happened!?" Darla grabbed Maela to lead her to a chair, but her grip was on Maela's hurt shoulder, and she cried out. Letting go, Darla looked on Maela with a look of concern and uncertainty.

  "It's okay," Maela held up a hand as she grabbed Darla's arm for support.

  "What happened?" Darla repeated.

  Maela smiled. "Well, I have two pieces of good news and one of bad. The good news is that I've found the way out. The bad news is that it is guarded by a massive invisible guardian."

  "Why would you do such a foolish thing without me?" Darla's voice was half anger, half desperate concern. Maela couldn't do more than attempt a shrug. Darla shook her head. "I should beat some sense into you."

  "As if you could."

  Darla frowned. "This is not amusing, Maela."

  "You forgot to ask me what the other good news is."

  "You are insufferable. Fine. You can tell me while I walk you to the bed for some rest."

  "It bleeds." Maela held up her hunting knife, the blade of which was tacky with coagulating red blood.

  28

  New Colors

  One of Karch's favorite things to do was to make those that wanted to see him wait. It was a clear illustration of who controlled the power in any relationship, from a low-level guild member to a visiting Deputy. Making them wait told them that Karch was the most powerful non-Guildmaster in Ness.

  So he wasn't surprised when he walked into the Knight Tower and was told to wait. His previous visit was recent, and he had left with Saxe in a rage over Karch's probing questions.

  As he entered the Knight Tower again, he had requested an emergency meeting with Saxe, and, well, he fully expected Saxe to do to Karch what he had done to countless others. It had been two hours, however, and Karch was finding his newfound humility drifting away. Only the lowliest of guild supplicants were made to wait for a meeting longer than the same day, and here he was watching dusk fall on the city.

  At least the room was comfortable. Saxe seemed to have a taste for luxury, and that included his receiving room, which had plush couches and side tables with meats and cheeses. Karch wasn't hungry, but he was appreciative of the soft seating.

  A mid-level Knight Protector walked into the room. "Excuse me, Deputy." Saxe hadn't even sent a Captain.

  "Yes?" Karch stood up, trying to suppress his anger over the lack of respect.

  "Guildmaster Saxe regrets to inform you that he will be unable to see you today. If you like, I can have a coach summoned to return you to the Merchant Tower."

  "I will wait."

  "Excuse me, sir?" The Knight looked confused and uncertain of how to respond.

  "I will await Guildmaster Saxe's summons here." Karch sat back down on the couch. "I've waited longer in less comfortable circumstances." The former wasn't true, but the latter was. Regardless, Karch had made his point.

  "Um. Okay, sir. I will inform the Guildmaster."

  Karch had to hand it to Saxe. He didn't care at all about annoying the Deputy Guildmaster of the most powerful guild in Ness, as Karch had waited all night. Clearly Saxe felt his role was so important that he as untouchable. Karch agreed with that assessment, and that was why he had waited almost a full day to meet with him.

  A different Knight walked in. It was Captain Gilmore, who Karch knew as the Captain of the Knight Tower. He had replaced the previous Captain, who was demoted when Ralan and Alard had escaped. "Deputy, we appreciate your patience." He walked over with his hand outstretched.

  Karch stood up and held out his hand. "Some things are worth waiting for."

  "Indeed. These are trying times." Gilmore's firm handshake and respectful demeanor seemed to indicate that the power games were over. "Saxe will see you momentarily. Is there anything you require before?"

  Another attempt at a delay. If I say anything, this meeting will get pushed to tomorrow. "Thank you for your concern, Captain, but I am of need of nothing."

  It was presumably a final test, as Gilmore nodded, turned, and said, "Follow me, sir."

  Karch was reminded of how much he loathed Saxe's drunkenness and excesses. His previous visit had ended with wine spilled on a centuries old rug of intricate design, and there was Saxe, once again sitting on his throne, a goblet in his hand.

  "Karch! I just knew you would be here today."

  "I was here yesterday." Karch bowed, and then added, "Guildmaster."

  "Ha ha ha! Yes, you were. But what I meant was that the circumstances demanded you visit me sooner or later."

  The comment was wiser than Karch had expected from Saxe. Did he truly understand that Larsen's plans would require a desperate plea to Karch, in one form or another? Perhaps he was like Orion, hiding his savvy designs behind a facade, Saxe's facade being irrational violence and too much wine. That would certainly have explained Karch's previous visit.

  A cold, calculating, and formidable Saxe was exactly what Karch was hoping for, so he spoke with at least some optimism in his voice. "Yes. I fear that circumstances are changed and desperate." Saxe nodded, his eyes practically twinkling in anticipation of Karch's next words, as if he was knew them already. "What I am about to say may put my life in danger, but I fear I must." Karch lowered his head. "I wish to change my guild loyalty to the Knights."

  Karch looked up, but Saxe just sat on his throne smiling. His lack of response made Karch uncharacteristically nervous, and he added, "I understand that this is frowned on, and once you remove the brown of the guildless you have made a commitment to your guild, but I also know it has been done before." Karch's words departed his mouth faster and jumbled together. "My skills are well-known and the respect I have in the Upper Triangle is great where I believe I can be a real asset for you and I would like to add that I make this request with no expectation of a senior position I just wish to help."

  "Whoa! Slow down, Karch." Saxe held up both hands, his wine sloshing out of his cup. "This is not at all a surprise. No one in their right mind would want to be a deputy to that sad excuse of a Guildmaster." Saxe's face turned serious. "Although I'm surprised you didn't make a go at taking on the Guildmaster position yourself."

  Karch was confused. He found it odd that Saxe would openly call Larsen a sad excuse for a guildmaster, and he was doubly confused that Saxe would expect Karch to take Larsen on in a power struggle. Certainly he knew that was suicide. If nothing else Larsen's Blade would kill him.

  "While I am confident of my abilities, I'm afraid I don't have the resources to overthrow Larsen
, as unpopular as he may be today."

  Saxe stared at Karch for a moment and then burst out in laughter. "I had forgotten I had you cooped up for the past twenty-four hours! By the gods, Karch, you better approach and have a drink!" Saxe reached over for a bottle, and Karch knew that some invitations were not wise to decline. So he walked up and took the bottle from Saxe. "Drink it from the bottle. If you're going to be a Knight, you may as well drink like your brethren."

  Karch felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. Saxe had basically just given him admission into the Knight Guild. He was free of Larsen and his insane plans. Karch took a long drink, and as he brought the bottle down, Saxe took a long drink from his own cup.

  "Thank you for the welcome, Guildmaster."

  "Oh, you poor fool. That wasn't a welcome. That was to prepare you for the news." Saxe leaned forward, as if he was deliciously waiting to hand over a gift to a child and wanted the moment to linger. "Larsen is dead! Orion's idiot nephew is the new Guildmaster. Presumably Larsen was looking out at the charred remains of the Flats and tossed himself through his office window." Saxe shrugged, not looking particularly upset. "At least that was Keres' story. Orion obviously vouched for it right away, so there was fear of contradicting the boy. And, well, he was Assistant Guildmaster, so now he's Guildmaster."

  Karch was glad he didn't have wine in his mouth or he would have spat it out in surprise. "But Assistant Guildmaster isn't even an official guild position."

  "Ha! You could perhaps have made that argument yesterday while you were in the Tower, but it is too late today. Besides, I'm guessing you'd be dead, too, if you were there. That Orion is a slippery one."

  Karch nodded. "He is." Regaining his composure, Karch spoke directly to Saxe, who looked on him with a bemused smile. "So may I pledge fealty to the Knight Guild and your leadership?"

  For a moment, Karch thought Saxe would say no, but his booming voice rang out with an, "Of course! We'll find something for you to do." Karch took another drink from the bottle, which received an approving nod from Saxe.

  "I don't know what this means, Guildmaster. Orion effectively controls two guilds now. How does that change the plans in the Lower Quarter? Will Polo see this as an opportunity? And how do you see your alliance play out?"

  "You amuse me, Karch. Already with your thinking. Who cares?" Saxe waved a hand in some vague direction. "More chaos just means more fun! We are the Knights, Karch, don't forget that. Nothing happens in Ness without my approval. Remember that. So let's enjoy how the other guilds make a mess of things. We are above all of that."

  Karch didn't quite agree with Saxe, but he nodded anyway. "Indeed, sir."

  "Let me tell you the important thing to do right now."

  "What's that, sir?"

  "Drink!" And Saxe laughed as he drank from his goblet. Karch took another drink from the bottle, wondering if there existed a guildmaster in Ness that was worth anything.

  29

  The Deputy and the Blade

  Vesper was almost to the Great Bridge when he overheard two Merchant Guards chatting as they absent-mindedly kicked at slow Harvest Guild members making their way toward the Old Quarter.

  "It was a Ranger. I hear tell he was seven feet tall. Scared the piss out of everyone as he walked by. The Harvesters thought he was there to strike them down for not following the directions of the Knights more closely, and the Knights thought that Quinto had joined up with Polo and the Ranger was going to kill them all."

  "Yeah," the second guard said. "Quinto spends more time with Polo than Saxe."

  Casually walking toward the two guards, Vesper bowed his head as they noticed him. "I also heard of this Ranger, but did not see him. Do you think it is but a legend?"

  They both shook their heads. "I do not," said the first one. "There are too many reports. Last I heard he was seen walking along the Green Belt, and no good can come of that in these times."

  Without even saying thank you, Vesper turned away from his destination and began a brisk walk to the Green Belt.

  A Blade had two weapons, and Vesper was a master of both--death and information. While the history of the Blades of the Guildmasters focused on dark and sometimes heroic violent acts, Vesper knew that the best Blades succeeded more with information than force.

  In this case, knowing what a Ranger was doing in the Lower Quarter was a valuable piece of information, for both Ralan and Orion. But what Vesper really wanted to know was the Ranger's mission. Like the unnamed guard, Vesper felt that Quinto may have sided with Polo. The Rangers lived and worked outside the Wall, and the only other guild that could say that was the Harvest Guild, which worked the Outer Fields.

  But that was only one possibility. Quinto also hated Saxe and perhaps could use his men as leverage to force Larsen to make some crazy promise to have him replace the Guildmaster Knight. In these crazy times, who knew what anyone would do? And that meant that information was more important than anything.

  So Vesper went looking for the Ranger.

  It was not a difficult task. Everyone talked of the large (some said giant) Ranger. He was apparently heading to the Craft Tower of all places. This struck Vesper as both amusing and odd. Is Quinto aiming to negotiate with Orion? That would make him more insightful than practically anyone in Ness.

  He was closing in when he asked a young boy about the Ranger. "Oh, he went to the Pit!" Vesper knew of the Pit. Everyone had. It was a dirt poor corner of the Flats that was run by a couple of Harvest Guild families that were known more for drinking and violence than actually contributing anything to the guild. Still, the families were old, and the neighborhood was out-of-the-way and blocked from the rest of the Flats by some kind of wall, so no one much bothered with it.

  Why would he be going to the Pit? This was finally a movement by the Ranger that made no sense to Vesper. He followed where the boy pointed and rushed to see if he could find this giant Ranger. What he found was a chaotic mix of Knights, moving house to house and looking for Harvest Guild members. There was even calvary in the street, looking around for something to do.

  The Knights were heading right into the Pit, and Vesper finally realized what they were doing. They are going to clear out this last neighborhood in the Flats. It made sense to Vesper that the last neighborhood putting up a defense would be the Pit. But now he was curious why the Ranger was heading there. That part made no sense.

  Vesper was skillful enough in his job that skirting the blunt force of the Knights was easy enough. He went from yard-to-yard and made his way quickly along the lane, easily outpacing the Knights. At the end he finally saw his quarry--the Ranger was standing straight, a huge broadsword in his hand, the tip resting on the ground. His Brown guild robe included a hood that covered his face and left his features in shadow. Behind him was a pile of dead bodies, and the entire tableau would have been frightening if it weren't for one thing: Vesper knew exactly who it was.

  Alard. It was the sword. It was seared into his brain. The mighty weapon that Alard said would remove his hands was not something Vesper could easily forget. He was going to approach Alard and compare notes, but just then the sound of galloping hooves filled the lane. Ah, the idiot Knights have found a use for their cavalry.

  Vesper snuck into an entry way of a nearby house, which gave him a perfect view of the impending clash and put any conversation within his earshot. As the horses approach, Alard stood like a statue.

  The horses stopped. There were four of them, and the Knights remained mounted. "Ranger, we have no issue with you. Please return to your duty beyond the Wall."

  "You are clearing the Harvest Guild from the Flats." It was a statement, not a question. "There are Rangers who also live in this neighborhood. I do not trust your methods to treat them differently than the Harvest guild members." Alard motioned behind him. "The smell of death is thick. Some of my guildmembers lay behind me. Merchant Guild members killed them. The price for this misdeed was their lives. I know that your might is greater than the Merchant
s, but some of your men will still die. Is that a price you are willing to pay for hurting the Rangers while removing a bunch of drunken Harvest Guild members?"

  Vesper nodded appreciatively. It was a compelling speech. The Knights would consider the death of Rangers a major breach by the Merchant guards, and it would be entirely reasonable for them to retreat and report this back to their Captain, leaving the Pit spared for the time being.

  "If the Rangers died, it is because they didn't follow directions. The Pit should be empty." The reply rather shocked Vesper. He fully expected them to retreat. Saxe must be more closely aligned with Larsen than I thought. He filed away the information.

  The Knight motioned over his shoulder. "The clearing force approaches. You have moments to help your guild members leave or you can wait and die with them."

  For the first time, the point of Alard's mighty sword left the ground. Vesper had heard of Alard's abilities as a fighter, but he had no hope against four mounted Knights. He fully expected Alard to sheathe the sword and retreat. It was shocking, then, to watch as Alard took two long strides forward, swinging his broadsword.

  The Knights were well-trained, and quickly formed a tight line with their steeds blocking Alard's ability to attack them. Alard didn't even hesitate. He followed through with a mighty swing, and the head of the horse on the far right fell to the ground, as the body fell to its side, sending the Knight sprawling to the ground.

  The other horses acted as battle horses act, and held their ground, but that worked to Alard's advantage. He leapt forward and buried his sword into the chest of the Knight that had fallen. The Knight closest to Alard couldn't reach him due to the body of the fallen horse, and he couldn't turn either, due to the horses to his right maintaining their formation.

  While the two Knights away from Alard pushed their horses to re-engage from different directions, the one closest to Alard unsheathed his sword and prepared to attack Alard. He was skilled at fighting from horseback, but the advantage of height included the disadvantage of lacking mobility, and being surprised and attacked from the side made it worse.