“Right,” he says then hurries off down the street after the man named Orrin.
Things are getting more and more interesting.
The two men leave the room and turn down the hallway away from Jiron and Stig just as the others had. When they leave the hallway where the previous men did, Jiron says to Stig, “Come on.”
Entering the hallway, he runs on silent feet following the path the men took. When he reaches the point where all five of the men turned out of the hallway, he comes to a well lit spiral stairway leading down.
Jiron pauses a moment to listen and can hear their voices from way down below. Nodding for Stig to follow, he takes the stairs as quickly as he can while still remaining silent. When he reaches the point where he’s sure the second floor should be, the stairs continue down. This stairwell must be a straight shot all the way down to the ground floor.
Continuing down, he soon sees where the stairwell ends. Slowing to a crawl, Jiron approaches the opening. The stairs come out at a large room designed for entertaining guests. A large fireplace sits in one wall, dark and cold. Two tables with six chairs each sit at either end of the room. Bookshelves line two of the walls with numerous volumes upon them.
To Jiron’s right, another door stands open and the men’s voices can be heard coming from the other side. Crossing the room quickly, Jiron peers through the door and sees the two men walking down a finely decorated hallway to a door at the end. When the men get there, the one he met at the bridge opens it for the other. The two men shake hands and the man in armor says a few parting words then passes through the doorway and into the street.
Closing the door, the man turns around and begins to head back toward the room in which Jiron and Stig currently occupy. “He’s coming!” Jiron tells Stig.
Stig nods and takes position behind where the door will swing open and Jiron flattens himself against the wall on the other side. With knife in hand, he waits for the man to enter. They can hear his steps approaching.
All of a sudden, a blood curdling scream knifes through the silence of the house. A servant had come from out of the stairwell leading to the third floor and saw them there.
“Get the servant!” Jiron hollers as he throws open the door. With sword drawn, the man from the bridge almost runs into him on his way into the room, so unexpectedly did the door open.
Coming to a stop, the man takes in Jiron in front of him and Stig having his servant girl in hand. Stepping back a foot to give his sword room to maneuver, he finally takes a good look at Jiron. “You!” he exclaims in disbelief. Raising his sword he prepares for attack.
“Wait a minute!” yells Jiron. He lowers his knife and raises his hands. “We’re not here to rob or hurt you.”
“Then what are you here for?” he asks, clearly not believing him.
Pulling forth the necklace, he holds it up for the man to see. “I want to know where you got this!” he demands.
“You broke into my home, scared my servant half to death, just to ask me that?” he asks incredulously.
“I told you at the bridge this was important,” explains Jiron.
The man’s eyes shift from Jiron, to the necklace, then back again.
“I need to know where you got this,” Jiron says again, “and I’m running out of time!”
Azku puts away his sword as there is clearly no immediate danger. “Let her go,” he says.
Jiron never takes his eyes off of him as he says to Stig, “Go ahead.”
Stig releases the woman who runs past Jiron and clasps the man in a tight embrace, her sobs are muffled from where she has her face buried in his shoulder.
Patting her on the head, the man says to her in a soothing voice, “It’s okay. Go on upstairs and I’ll take care of this.” He places his finger under her chin and raises her face so her eyes look into his. “It’ll be okay.”
She gives Jiron and Stig a fearful glance before moving down the hallway away from them. The man watches her as she walks swiftly away and enters a doorway further down. Turning a face red with anger back to his two uninvited guests, he says, “I suppose I won’t get rid of you until I either kill you or talk with you.”
“I would prefer to talk,” replies Jiron.
The man indicates with a nod of his head for them to return to the room at the foot of the winding stairway. Jiron still has his knife in hand as he backs up into the room. “You are Azku, yes?” he asks.
“That’s right,” the man replies.
“The same Azku that gave a young lady this necklace in Inziala?” he asks. When Azku gestures for him to take a seat on one of the chairs, he does. Stig remains standing next to him as Azku sits in the chair facing him.
Sighing, Azku nods. The anger that was so hot when he first encountered them in his house begins to cool.
“Why did you spurn her when you found out about the child?” Stig asks.
Azku glances at him then back to Jiron. “I thought you wanted to know about the necklace?” he asks, completely ignoring Stig’s question.
“I do,” Jiron replies.
“Why?” Azku asks. “Why go to all this trouble?”
Bringing out the necklace, he says, “The last time I saw this was the night my best friend’s fiancee died. This was a gift to her from him shortly before. The following morning, my friend departed and I haven’t seen or heard from him since.”
“He left?” he asks.
Nodding, Jiron says, “I don’t know why he left, maybe he was too overcome with grief. The necklace was in his possession when he took off.”
“I see,” the man says. “So you hope that I can be of some help in finding him?”
“That’s right,” Jiron states.
The man looks at him, the anger he initially felt continues to melt away. Not completely, he’s still upset about being accosted in his own home. “What will you do with the information should I have any you can use?” he finally asks after a moment’s thought.
“I don’t follow,” Jiron tells him.
“I’m not stupid,” he says. “If a necklace of such emotional importance is not with your friend, I would suspect it wouldn’t have been relinquished willingly.” He pauses a moment to see if his words have any effect. When Jiron fails to react he knows that Jiron has come to the same conclusion.
“Can you help me?” Jiron asks.
“Perhaps,” he replies. “I acquired the necklace through a business associate some time ago for the woman I loved. That was before I realized the woman was…soiled.” His eyes tighten with remembered pain from the night when he had to spurn her.
Coming to sit on the edge of the chair, Jiron asks, “Who?”
“It would be problematic should anything befall this man,” Azku states as he sees the burning intensity behind Jiron’s eyes. “Would giving you his name be a death sentence should you find that your friend is already dead?”
Jiron shakes his head. “No,” he replies. “All I want to do is find out what happened to him.”
Azku studies him for a full minute before asking, “Would you be willing to give your solemn word to leave him as you find him?”
“Yes,” replies Jiron. “I give my word that I and those with me shall cause no harm to the person you name.”
“As strange as it sounds, I believe you,” he says. “But before I tell you his name, I must warn you.”
“I assure you,” Jiron tells him, “I and my friends are more than capable of handling ourselves.”
Azku gives him a sardonic grin, “I’m sure you are. However, you may wish to know that due to your earlier visit to the Cracked Ladle, you and those with whom you travel may have drawn the attention of an Eye.”
“An Eye?” asks Jiron. “As in an Eye of the Empire?”
“The same,” he nods. “You see the Order of the Scarlet Sword counts many who are not of the Empire among its members. This gives the Eyes of the Empire cause for concern, they think we’re a bunch of spies and such. Nothing however could be further f
rom the truth.”
“I would think they would move against such an organization,” Jiron says. “From what I’ve heard of them, they tend to be fairly ruthless when they feel something is not right.”
“Ordinarily that is true,” nods Azku. “But keep in mind, some of the highest commanders in the Empire’s forces are members. It’s also rumored that the Emperor himself is one too, but I have yet to see creditable evidence to support it. Those in high places keep the Eyes from moving against our members.” He pauses for a moment before adding, “Members from the Empire that is. Anyone who’s from outside the Empire is fair game.”
“So they keep our Houses under observation and anyone who enters is immediately suspect,” he says. “Those they’ve never seen before are doubly so.”
“Very well,” says Jiron. “We may be targeted by an Eye. It won’t be the first time.”
Azku’s eyes widen at that. “Really?” he asks.
“Oh yes,” Jiron replies without expanding any further upon it. “Now, can you tell me who you received the necklace from?”
“In the city of Cyst to the south, you will find the person in question in the large compound on the eastern edge of town,” he explains. “When you arrive, ask for Buka.”
“Is Buka the one from whom you received the necklace?” Jiron asks.
Nodding, he adds, “Though I doubt if he’ll be willing to help you.”
“Why?”
“For one thing he hates those from the north,” he explains. “For another, he’s a slaver. Being from the north as you are, he’s just as likely to make you a slave as look at you.”
From behind him, Jiron hears Stig snort. “I’d like to see him try,” he says.
“A slaver huh?” he muses.
“I know how those of you from the north view slavery,” Azku states. “Are you still going to be able to hold to your word and cause him no harm?”
Jiron nods. “Yes.”
“Good. If you break your oath to me, no power on this world will protect you from my wrath,” he warns. “I’ll find you no matter where you go.”
“Your threats are unwarranted,” Jiron assures him. “I do not break my oath.”
“Good enough then,” Azku states. Standing up, he says, “Now that I’ve answered your questions, would you be kind enough to take your leave?”
Coming to his feet, Jiron offers his hand. Hesitantly, Azku shakes it. “I thank you,” he says.
Azku nods and steps aside so he and Stig can leave. Moving past him, Jiron and Stig walk through the door and into the hallway then down to the door. Azku does not accompany them.
“That went better than I thought it would,” Jiron states. Opening the door he glances back down to the room and sees Azku still standing there, his eyes upon them. Then he passes through to the street outside.
Stig follows him out. “What if he lied to us?” he asks.
“Then I’ll come back and kill him,” Jiron replies matter-of-factly.
Outside, they check to make sure the street is quiet. Then Jiron has Stig go around back to get Scar and Potbelly and meet him across the street with the others. As Stig moves to do as requested, Jiron hurries across the street.
Before he completely crosses the street, James leaves the shadows. “Everything go alright?” he asks.
Jiron nods his head. “Yes. I found out what I wanted to know.”
“Good,” states James.
They wait there a few moments before Stig arrives with Scar and Potbelly. While they wait, James fills him in on seeing Orrin from Cardri leave Azku’s house and informs him that he sent Shorty to follow.
“There’s an Eye in the city too,” Jiron says and gives him the gist of what Azku told him.
“That may complicate things,” he says.
“Not if we leave town as soon as possible,” states Jiron.
When Stig and the other two are seen crossing the street, Jiron suddenly notices that they are one person short. “Where’s Aleya?” he asks.
“What?” replies James. “She’s right…” he trials off when he realizes she is not among them. “Aleya?” he calls out in a hushed voice.
When no answer is forthcoming, Jiron hollers very loudly “Aleya!” Again, no reply. “Fan out and find her,” he says and moves toward the area where she had stalked off just before he and Stig went to talk to Azku. Worried and fearful, Jiron’s pace quickens. About to call her name again, his eyes catch sight of something on the ground. Stopping fast, his heart skips a beat when he sees her bow and quiver of arrows lying on the ground. Two of the arrows have spilled out of the quiver and lie next to it on the ground.
“Oh no,” he says as he reaches down to pick them up. “Aleya!” he hollers again. Turning to the others he says in a voice filled with anguish, “He’s got her.”
“Who?” asks Miko.
“The Eye!” he exclaims.
Chapter Twenty
“We have to find her!” Jiron exclaims as he turns to James.
“Maybe she took off on her own,” Potbelly suggests. “She was pretty mad.”
“Are you insane?” asks Jiron as he rounds on him. “All alone in a hostile city where she doesn’t speak the language? I don’t think so.”
James pulls forth his cloth, not for the first time he wishes for something better with which to work with, and says “Okay, let’s find her.” Sending out the magic, they watch the cloth rise and point the way.
Moving out quickly, they walk as fast as they can without drawing unwanted attention. It doesn’t take them long to figure out where the cloth is indicating. On the south side of town sits one of the largest buildings in Morac.
Easily five stories tall and built like a fortress, the place is massive. No windows on the first two floors, only a very sturdy wooden door in front for an entrance. Two heavily armed men stand watch outside the door and several windows hold men with crossbows. Everyone is looking outward and scanning the area.
“Think they’re expecting someone?” asks Scar.
“Yes,” replies Jiron. “Us. Wait here,” he tells them. Then he stays in the shadows as he makes a circuit around the building to see about another way in. He finds what could be another door, there’s a large square wooden section in the rear stone wall. It could be a door but there’s no handle or anything else that might be used to open it from the outside. Men are stationed at windows on the other sides as well, making it impossible for anyone to sneak up to the building without being seen.
Returning to the others, he tells them what he’s discovered. “If we storm the place,” Stig says after he’s done, “they will probably kill her.”
Jiron nods, pain in his eyes. “Then how are we to get in there?”
James gazes at the building and shakes his head. “I don’t know,” he admits.
“Maybe this Orrin fellow you saw leaving Azku’s house might know?” suggests Potbelly. “From what you’ve told us, it sounds like they have their fingers in many different pots.”
“Could be there’s no love lost between the Order of the Scarlet Sword and the Eyes of the Empire,” adds Scar. “Might be worth a shot to go see what he can do.”
“If we do, it’s got to be quick,” states Jiron. “No telling what they could be doing to her in there.”
“Very well,” James says. Then to Scar and Potbelly he says, “You two stay here and keep an eye on the place. See if you can figure out a way we can breach its defenses.”
“You got it,” affirms Scar.
“Shorty was to meet us back at the inn once he found out where Orrin is staying,” James says to the others. “Be best if we try there first.”
“Okay, but let’s hurry,” urges Jiron.
Leaving Scar and Potbelly there to keep an eye on Aleya’s captors, the rest hurry back through the streets to the inn. When the inn finally comes into sight, they find soldiers of the Empire in and around the place. They come to a quick halt and Jiron has them duck into the shadows of a nearby alley. Then j
ust as they reach the mouth of the alley, a squad of six guards exits the inn with Shorty in their midst. Hands tied behind his back and blood running down the side of his face, it’s easy to see he didn’t go quietly.
The leader of the squad hollers something back into the inn and is answered by someone inside. As the squad leaves the inn, the leader of the squad directs several other soldiers to move into position around the building, blending into the shadows. Once the men are positioned such that they can see the inn yet remain out of sight, the leader has the squad move out. They turn down the street and begin moving in the direction of the building where Aleya is being held.
“If we had been any later we would have fallen into their trap,” Miko says.
Jiron nods and watches as the squad comes closer.
They remain quiet and still in the shadows as the squad passes by. “We can’t let them reach that building,” James says once the soldiers have moved further down the street from their hiding place.
“Ambush?” questions Stig.
“You better believe it,” replies Jiron. “I’ll take Stig and get ahead of them. James, you and the rest follow close behind.”
“Okay,” James replies.
Jiron and Stig move into the alley and run to the other end where it opens onto the next street over. It runs parallel to the one the guards are taking and will allow them to get ahead of the squad without being seen. James takes the lead and enters the street behind the departing squad with Miko, Brother Willim, and Reilin right behind. A slug from his slug belt rests in his hand.
“Are you going to kill these men?” asks Brother Willim.
James glances to him and nods. “Afraid so. Our friends are in mortal danger, we don’t have time to play it safe.”
Brother Willim sighs and nods understanding. The death of any man is hard on the Priests of Asran.
James maintains a discreet distance and they follow the guards for a couple blocks. Then they notice that the street ahead of the squad is darker than it was when they passed through earlier. The streetlights are out. James grins and thinks, Smart thinking Jiron.
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