by Jon F. Merz
“Can’t this stuff ever wait? I’m exhausted.”
Felix nodded. “Which is exactly the perfect moment to test you: when you are so tired you can barely think and focus on anything. If you can still keep your awareness about you during those times, then you will be that much harder to kill. And rest assured, Wolfric, people will definitely try to kill you. What we do, our job? There are many who resent us and what we stand for. They will do whatever they can to see that we fail at our duty.”
“Very well,” said Wolfric. “Can we eat now?”
Felix clapped him on the shoulder. “Yes, we can eat now. Come.” He led them into the tavern.
As soon as they entered, the din hushed and people looked up to examine them. Felix made a big show out of brushing his cloak off and swearing loudly. Wolfric noticed that his voice had deepened and become more gruff, less refined than when he had spoken to the innkeeper.
“Two draughts for me and my friend,” proclaimed Felix with a shout. “And by the smell of that stew, it’s barely fit to eat, but we’ll have two bowls of it anyway!”
Several people chuckled and the rest went back to their conversations. The barkeep nodded to a table in the back of the tavern that sat alone from the others. It was perfect for what they required. Felix sat with his back to the wall and motioned for Wolfric to sit across from him.
A serving wench emerged from somewhere in back and brought the tankards of ale to the table. Felix smiled at her and said thanks. She nodded and disappeared just as fast. As she turned, Felix made a show of slapping her on the bottom. She squealed and rushed away.
“Why did you do that?” asked Wolfric. It seemed like something Felix would never do.
His teacher leaned forward over his tankard and said quietly. “All for the curious. Now drink.”
Wolfric brought his tankard up and tasted the ale flowing down his throat. He swallowed several gulps before putting it back down.
The stew came next and they both tucked into the meal. Felix was making an awful lot of noise as he ate, slurping and chewing with his mouth open. Once or twice, Wolfric caught a few of the people in the tavern give them a quick glance, but none ever lingered in their appraisal. Felix called for several more tankards of ale in the meantime.
Wolfric tore into his stew and ate two bowls of the stuff at the urging of his teacher.
“You need your energy.”
Wolfric didn’t need to be told twice. He knew the food would help him endure the training and continued to eat after Felix was already done and seemingly contented. His teacher continued to survey the room without seeming to. And it was only after Wolfric had finished his meal that Felix took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Finished are you?”
Wolfric wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I knew I was hungry, but I didn’t think I was that hungry.”
“You’re being subjected to things you aren’t used to,” said Felix. “Your body will adjust accordingly but you must fuel it properly or risk always being tired. Food is necessary.” He glanced around. The crowd in the tavern had thinned considerably. “Shall we get going?”
Wolfric nodded. “Sleep will be most welcome.”
“Sleep will have to wait for a bit yet,” said Felix quietly. “We have an appointment that must be kept.”
Chapter 10
“An appointment? Here?” Wolfric glanced around but by now there were perhaps only a half dozen people left in the tavern. “Surely, you cannot be serious.”
Felix continued to sit still and survey the scene. “Just be still. If you look too anxious, then people will grow suspicious. Remember that the majority of the population prefers routine. They work, eat, sleep, and go to the tavern for a drink with friends. If nothing distracts them from that mundanity, then they are less likely to become any sort of threat. They see what they expect to see, hear what they expect to hear, and live how they expect to live. Anything that upsets that rhythm within their narrow scope of existence creates friction for us as we attempt to do our job. We must at all times be smooth. Do you understand? Smooth. We seek to cruise through the lives of the people we must interact with in such a way that we do not create friction. We are there, and then we are not. We do not occupy a memory within their minds; we do not give them cause to pay special attention to us; we look and act as they would expect us to look and act. Anything that deviates from that can bring us a lot of trouble.”
Wolfric nodded. “Very well.”
Felix sipped at his tankard and eventually, seemed content with what he was seeing at the tavern. He wiped his mouth and nodded at Wolfric. “Time to leave.”
He drew his cloak about him, which he had never removed when they’d entered, and stood with a loud belch. As Wolfric watched, Felix seemed to change then. The alertness vanished, replaced by someone who stumbled a bit against the table.
“Are you all right?”
Felix leaned into him then heavily and Wolfric was forced to support his teacher. “Might have had a bit too much of the drink.” He pointed at the door. “Now, come on then.”
Wolfric helped him toward the door. Felix tossed a few coins on to the bar top and the bartender scooped them up.
“Many thanks my good man. The ale was excellent.” Felix burped again and started singing softly.
The action caused Wolfric to feel flush again as the remaining eyes in the tavern focused on them. What in the world was Felix doing and why? As the tavern patrons turned back to their drinks, Wolfric got Felix to the door and then outside where the cool night air embraced them.
“That-a-way,” said Felix slurring his words. He pointed them back down the main road toward the inn.
Wolfric did his best to help his teacher walk, but as they drew abreast of a narrow alley, Felix suddenly used his bodyweight to shove them both deep into the shadows.
Instantly, the drunk tavern-goer was gone, replaced again by Felix who looked and sounded as keen as ever. He pulled Wolfric close to him. “Keep quiet and do nothing unless I say to.”
Wolfric watched his teacher’s eyes as they scanned the darkness outside of the alley. Wolfric had no idea what his teacher was expecting to see, but after several minutes of complete stillness, Felix seemed to relax some as he leaned against the wall and put a finger to his lips. He motioned for Wolfric to follow him down the alley where they exited onto a narrower side street.
Before he moved, Felix pointed out where he would go to and then indicated that Wolfric should do the same. Felix moved smoothly from shadow to shadow, crisscrossing the street only when necessary. At every stop, he would pause for roughly thirty seconds before continuing his trek.
Wolfric did his best to imitate his teacher, restraining himself from ever getting too anxious. He kept his movement light and sure-footed, always scanning the area for anything that he might trip over or otherwise make noise. In this way, they moved down the street toward the back of a grim gray building that smelled of blood.
But not human blood, decided Wolfric. Animal blood.
Felix motioned for Wolfric to join him near the back of the building. When he’d come over, Felix cupped his hand over Wolfric’s ear and spoke softly.
“Keep watch. I’ll be back in a few moments.”
Wolfric pointed himself back in the direction they’d come from and felt Felix’s presence vanish.
The village at night seemed lonely and deserted. Wolfric knew there were still people about, both at the tavern and presumably elsewhere. But the noises of the night seemed to betray none of their presence. He wondered what might happen if they were discovered lurking about in the dark. He assumed Felix would be able to talk his way out of it, but that was no guarantee of success. And he suspected that Felix would hate for it to happen at all as it would mean they had attracted unnecessary attention.
A breeze blew and the trees that hemmed the hamlet in on all sides swayed as their branches shifted and scraped against eaves and roof tops. Wolfric took a breath, already accustomed to
the smell of the animal blood coming from the building behind him. What could it have been? Some type of slaughter house for pigs? Perhaps. Although he was surprised that a local farm didn’t do that instead. Then again, who knew how the townspeople ran things here?
He felt a presence behind him and then felt himself nudged. He turned only slightly so he could still observe the street and saw Felix holding a small sack. Felix nodded and pointed back up the street the way they’d come down. And this time, he wanted Wolfric to take the lead.
Wolfric took a breath and moved when the next breeze blew, using the noise to cover up any noise that he might make as he skirted the building to the first spot of shadow that would conceal him. He waited for about thirty seconds, still always scanning the area for any sign that he’d been seen or that people were coming. He saw none and then moved again.
A line of sweat broke out along his forehead and he realized how much more exhausting it was doing this type of furtive movement - especially knowing that Felix would be eyeing his every move for later critique. Still, there was nothing to it, but to do it, and Wolfric felt fairly confident that his teacher would be pleased with how he’d absorbed the teachings and put them into use.
At least, he hoped that would be the case.
They finally made it back to the alley and paused there while Felix went to the other end to check for any activity along the main street. He came back to Wolfric and nodded, urging them to move out into the street.
Wolfric noticed that the sack Felix had been carrying seemed to have disappeared, but he couldn’t tell if it was simply stowed underneath the huge cloak Felix wore or not. If it was important, Wolfric knew his teacher would have a means to conceal it until it could later be examined.
Without thinking about it, Wolfric slid one of Felix’s arms across his shoulders and allowed Felix to rest his weight upon him as they eased out of the alley again. Felix resumed his quiet humming and an occasional laugh would bubble up from deep in his gut as they swerved down the street back toward the hotel.
At the door, Wolfric banged on it and the innkeeper opened it a moment later.
“You two are late. I was almost going to lock it up for the night.”
Wolfric nodded at Felix. “Someone had a bit too much of the drink tonight. Took me forever to get him back here from the tavern.”
“It’s just down the street,” said the innkeeper.
“Aye,” said Wolfric. “And that distance gets magnified when you’re trying to walk for two. Not to mention the couple of breaks someone had to take to empty their stomach.”
The innkeeper frowned and nodded at the stairs. “Best get him to bed then. I’ll have coffee on in the morning.”
“Thank you,” said Wolfric. He helped Felix up the stairs as his teacher continued to hum some rambling melody to himself. As they crested the steps, Wolfric risked a look behind them, but the innkeeper no longer stood there. He’d gone about his business without thinking Felix’s condition was anything other than a bit of inebriation, something Wolfric was certain he’d seen many times before.
At the door to Felix’s room, his teacher reappeared and clapped Wolfric on the shoulder, drawing him close enough so he could whisper. “Good work. Prepare yourself for an early departure tomorrow. We’ll be on the road before dawn. Rest accordingly.” He turned to enter his room but Wolfric stopped him.
“Wait - what was in the sack?”
“I’ll explain all of it tomorrow. For now, get some rest. You’re going to need it.”
And with that, he entered his room and shut the door, leaving Wolfric alone in the corridor until at last he entered his own room and feel fast asleep.
Chapter 11
By the time the first streaks of real sunlight fell upon the earth, Felix and Wolfric had already put five miles between them and the hamlet. When it was still dark, Wolfric had awakened to the slight sound of someone tapping at his door with the tip of a finger. It wasn’t loud, nor was it sharp, just gentle and insistent.
He’d dressed before going to sleep, prepared to roll out of bed and go. So when he eased open his door, Felix didn’t see someone who still needed time to dress and pack, he saw Wolfric ready to go. Felix grunted with satisfaction and nodded for them to head downstairs.
They roused the innkeeper who gave them coffee and little more before Felix settled the bill and they mounted their horses, riding away in the darkness.
Now, five miles away, Felix led them off the main road and into the trees again. They dismounted and hunkered down behind a huge oak.
“First things, first,” said Felix. He reached into his bag and drew out the sack that Wolfric had briefly seen last night. Felix drew out four flasks, handing two to Wolfric and keeping two for himself. He nodded to Wolfric. “Drink only a small amount until we have time to replenish our stores.”
Wolfric took the stopper off and smelled them scent of human blood. He took a quick sip and felt almost immediately rejuvenated as the life force energy hit him. He replaced the stopper and stowed the two flasks in his traveling bags. “I thought it might be pig blood.”
Felix smiled. “It’s not, obviously, but it makes for a good cover for hiding our real supplies there. If anyone finds it, it will just be assumed to be pig’s blood by common folk. The slaughter house makes a fantastic place to cache supplies.” He winked. “Or messages.”
“Do we have a message?”
Felix nodded and reached back into the bag, pulling out a roll of parchment. It looked plain and unremarkable. Felix unfurled it slowly and Wolfric could see the bizarre assortment of letters, numbers, and sigils as well as some other script he couldn’t even recognize.
“What in the world does that say?”
Felix chuckled. “We have to take steps to ensure that our messages are not found, and if they are, that they are deemed the ramblings of a mad man or the like. That way, our race is never discovered.”
“Yes, but how do you…decipher it?”
Felix nodded. “Deciphering it is exactly what it takes to read the message. But even then, an imposter won’t be able to understand it. And that is because rather than simply writing the coded dispatch in Taluk - our language - it is written in a series of different languages which when decoded, they are Taluk words written in one main human language. So you see, even if someone knew how to decode it, the end result would make no sense unless they also knew Taluk. For example, our word for ‘duty,’ is fyar. So imagine decoding this parchment and seeing ‘fyar’ in front of you. You wouldn’t know what it meant.”
“Unless you were also one of us,” said Wolfric.
“Indeed,” said Felix. “And we must always be careful of that as well.”
“Well, what does it say? I assume you’ve already decoded it?”
Felix nodded. “Of course.” He eyed Wolfric. “It seems as though our training is going to take on a more real world perspective.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning we are being directed to head for Transylvania. We are to investigate the reports of humans being attacked and bled out, left for dead, in a remote town called Malancrav. I’ve never heard of the place before, but that means little. We will find it, of course.”
“And what happens when we arrive?”
Felix smiled. “We will investigate. And if we find that one of our kind is the culprit, we are authorized to execute them.”
“How has word of what happens in a tiny town in Transylvania reached the Council already? How is that possible?”
Felix smiled. “Do not believe the world is as large as you may think it is. Despite the challenges of distance, word travels fast among our people. There are rules, set forth as they are by the Council, and the most serious of those laws dictate how we may hunt for our blood. Any infraction of those rules is deemed illegal and the consequences must be absolute. The same goes for anyone not reporting such an infraction. Both cases are guilty of treason against our people.”
“But the people wh
o didn’t report it didn’t commit the act itself.”
“True,” said Felix. “But they chose not to report it and therefore allowed it to continue. The continuance of those actions threatens the security of our people and must therefore be punished as if it were the crime itself. We need to be able to rely on our kind to help and support us.”
Wolfric frowned. “I suppose that makes sense.”
“It’s only natural to feel that it’s a bit unjust, but when you look at it from the perspective of self-preservation, namely the preservation of our people, then it becomes easier to justify.” He clapped a hand on Wolfric’s shoulder. “But don’t worry, in this case, we are only going after the culprit of the crimes and not someone who did not report it.” He winked. “At least I hope that is the case. We’ll have to wait and see when we get there.”
“How far is it?”
“Far,” said Felix. “I was hoping to get you into Vienna for a taste of city life before we headed further east, but now I am not so sure we can afford to take the time away from this case. Obviously, the fewer human deaths, the better. Too many and the government will get involved and the entire situation could potentially escalate into something that exposes us all. That would be catastrophic.”
“Well, we’re not covering any miles sitting here,” said Wolfric.
“Indeed,” said Felix. “Let’s get going. We will need to make a few stops along the way to get you better outfitted for the coming journey and assignment, however.”
“Outfitted?”
Felix pointed at him. “You look like a squire. That needs to change. While you are not yet anywhere close to being a Fixer, you must already begin to assume the manner of one. And that means you need to look as though you have a certain degree of wealth and world experience about you. Your clothes need to change. You need a better traveling cloak.” He smiled. “And you need weapons.”
“Weapons.”