Escana

by J. R. Karlsson

  Dyson's face grew hard. 'You gave me assurances that if I found any talent in this shithole I was free to employ it. Has there been a mistake somewhere or have you reneged on your word?'

  It was the Praetor's turn to scowl at Dyson. 'I have seen Greyhawk humiliated year after year since your establishment as Corporal with its piss-poor portrayals of the war. You know as well as I do that there is nobody out here worthy of the arenas that isn't already fighting on the front. The idea that you'd send for me to enter this thing as a contestant instead is both ludicrous and insulting.'

  Dyson shrugged, the gloves of diplomacy were coming off now. 'Seeing as how you boys are getting pasted in your desert conflict and everyone knows it I figured I'd borrow some of the local talent to see if it couldn't do the same to the best and richest held in reserve.' He pointed down the wall and the Praetor took an involuntary step back at the lizard peering up on its haunches. 'See Praetor? Even now it inspects us. Observe the eyes and tell me that there's nothing more than beast in there.'

  He knew the Praetor could see the intelligence behind that gaze. That he had seen the calculated efficiency behind its attempt to escape instead of going for fresh meat first in spite of being half starved.

  'Are we truly safe up here, Corporal?'

  Dyson laughed at that. 'You can't even look at it, can you Praetor? All you see is the cause of all your woes embodied in one scaly hide. Even though you're as far from the action as can be these things will still be your downfall.'

  He could see the Praetor was bristling at that and knew he had overstepped a line in deflating this windbag. Dyson tried his hand at the unfamiliar game of placation. 'There is no shame in fearing such a creature, or struggling to maintain face in this terrible slaughter that you call a conflict. Let the thing come down from Sah'kel and show the people of Levanin what monsters your men really face.'

  The Praetor's eyes narrowed, as if considering it for a moment. 'Your leanings are as crude as they are obvious. The sight of such a creature devouring hardy warriors would spread panic amongst the capital. All our work in minimizing the Sah'kel situation would be undone.'

  Dyson nodded at this, he had expected such a response from a staunch supporter of the cover up. 'The people know, Praetor. You know that they know and damage limitation can only do so much. Did you know I was once a smith before I got carted off here? They threw me out of my own home for not helping your damned cover up. Everyone that works on beating your metal back into shape knows. Their profession means they understand that armour can't get like that unless something monstrous is eating at it. There's too much of it coming back for there to be any victory at Sah'kel. And too much knowledge of that for the propaganda you spread to ever stick.'

  The Praetor sighed. 'You're never getting out of this hell, are you Dyson?'

  He shook his head firmly. 'I'm stuck here the rest of my life, they'd hunt me down even if I could escape.'

  'Then allow me to be honest with you, since it doesn't matter at this point.'

  Dyson arched his eyebrows, this was unexpected.

  'I know Sah'kel is a disaster, yet perhaps if we show the people what they've already suspected we could save face. There would be lots of spin of course, but the idea that we were fighting the Negroids and stumbled upon these monstrosities is a believable one.'

  Dyson couldn't help but stifle a chuckle. 'The senate in Lower Levanin aren't going to buy that, what's so different about what you're saying than the things people like me have already told you?'

  The Praetor waved a flustered hand at him as if he was missing the point. Perhaps this wasn't all an act then. 'The difference is that you make these lizard creatures out to be an unbeatable other. In an ideal world we could expose that myth and find the resources to employ one of our own to do so.'

  Dyson's hand swept over the arena floor to the corpses baking in the sun. 'You witnessed the death this thing can meter out even when half-starved, they are an unbeatable other. Never have I seen anyone or anything that could stand toe to toe with that monster for a minute, let alone defeat it for the masses in some political stunt.'

  It was the Praetor's turn to smile. 'You have lived a very limited life Corporal, if these beasts of yours are the pinnacle of fighting prowess. You have not been to the great arena of Levanin I take it?'

  Dyson shook his head incredulously, he had not. Only those that made it through the regional circuit joined the finest in the capital. 'You're talking shit Praetor. Have you something in your precious pampered Levanin that can take out one of these lizards? Not even a fully grown Bull Urkata would last against such a predator. That is a beast I have seen on numerous occasions.'

  The Praetor leaned back with his head resting on a second bench, eyes closed as if in reminiscence. 'One of these lizards? You misunderstand me Dyson, we have one in our number who could take out all of these lizards.'

  Dyson bristled with rage at the comment. 'You mean to tell me you're fighting a bloody war and sending good men off to die when one juiced-up superhuman would do the entire job?'

  He heard the Praetor sigh, as if he was a foolish child that had asked an irritating and naïve question.

  'Tell me Dyson, if you had the power to dispatch an entire race by yourself but had no inclination to do so, who could force you?'

  He got up from the bench now, looking him straight in the eye. 'I have tried to convince the few I could find that are capable of such a thing, none of them show any interest. I have pleaded and I have begged until my throat is hoarse because it's my life at stake, not some fucking farm boy covered in shit that's been dumped off into the heat to die. I don't give a fuck about your innocents and your casualties, all I want are results and so long as those lizard bastards are out there this whole nightmare is going to continue until we have no farm boys left to send. Then it's my head on a pike.' He took a deep breath, allowing Dyson to recover somewhat from this unexpected tirade. 'I can't send any of them to war so now I have to deal in damage control. I need to convince the senate that the people have heard the rumours, that they know something terrible is happening in Sah'kel and no amount of cover up is going to prevent it.' He looked out at the lizard now as it stared at them, almost as if listening to their discourse. 'What I need is a spectacle, something to show them just how dangerous Sah'kel is, without making a lie of what the senate have implanted with the propaganda.'

  He smiled down at the lizard, as if making his mind up. 'None of the most powerful bother with the arena any more, they may as well not exist for all that it matters to me. Dyson, I need you to find me a man that can kill this monster.'

  Dyson chuckled for a moment at the absurd request, then the laughter died in his throat when the grief-striken face of the Praetor looked back at him. The man was being absolutely serious about this impossible task.

  46

  Thom

  Thom was growing more than a little impatient at the latest summoning, yet he also noted with some sense of satisfaction that they hadn't sent the same messenger after his terrorising of the last one.

  He knew the gibbering idiot he left behind prior to entering the grand chamber was a scapegoat for his frustrations. Then again he also knew that bottling them up prior to yet another meeting with the infuriatingly smug Kelgrimm was asking for trouble.

  He flung the doors wide open himself this time, there was no need for announcements or proclamations of intent, the attendants all knew why he was here and steered well clear of him.

  'Ah, Thom!' Kelgrimm greeted him, rising from his chair as if an old friend were paying him an unexpected visit. 'I'm most gratified that you could join us, we have a new participant in our agreement.' He gestured to the wine rack at a rugged looking man with a patch over his eye who seemed to be approaching him with yet more cups of wine.

  'This is Gadtor, formerly of the Black Quail. He has long been a thorn in our side but the hypocrisy of his more recent insubordinate behaviour has been exposed to him.'

  Gadtor offered T
hom the cup with a deferential nod, Thom glared at him, he had no time for all this formal crap. 'We've met. Does he speak or is he just your new butler?'

  He watched a flicker of irritation pass plainly across the man's face, Gadtor clearly didn't care for Thom's words and either wasn't afraid to show it or had little grace when it came to diplomacy.

  'I am no butler and I can speak for myself,' the man responded in a controlled baritone. 'So you're the latest owner of Skullcleaver, the one that fought The Hermit. How in the blue hells are you still standing?'

  Thom didn't smile. 'I won't discuss that.'

  The one-eyed man shrugged as if it were of no consequence. 'Seems the three of you know who The Hermit is and I don't in spite of having worked alongside him all these years. Now you come to me telling me he was conspiring with that bastard Falarus and it seems very believable.'He crossed over to the table and let his finger run gently on the pommel of the dagger that pinned the map of Urial to the surface. 'I know all the old Black Quail haunts, I can take you through each but I'm telling you there's a reason I've never seen anyone take down The Hermit, it sounds like you didn't either.'

  Skullcleaver came to rest gently at the man's throat, who seemed unphased by the action. Thom felt the cool steel of a sword that wasn't Gadtor's pressed up to his back in response.

  'Gentlemen.' Kelgrimm said, as if wearied by an inappropriate anecdote. 'We are not here to bruise egos or carve each other to pieces. El-Vador, remove your blade and I assure you our good friend Thom will do the same.'

  Thom should have known the second he unleashed Skullcleaver that the thing would have crept up from behind. He felt the light pressure on his back ease and was thankful it hadn't drawn any blood. He withdrew Skullcleaver and sheathed it with some reluctance, bowing temporarily to the power of Kelgrimm's diplomacy.

  Gadtor had an amused smile on his face, Thom grinned back at him fiercely as if sharing some kind of private joke. He liked a man who could smile in such tight quarters, he clearly had guts and Thom knew that Kelgrimm wouldn't hire an idiot.

  The Justice interrupted his musings by smoothing things over in his own inimitable fashion. Thom barely heard the words as they were clearly meant to placate the beast behind him.

  '… best course of action is for us to reconcile our differences and work together. Gadtor will lead Thom to the various holes that this Hermit could have crawled into and root him out, you will then enter the ensuing fray and apprehend both him and his companions should he still have any.'

  'Ah my Lord, you simply don't know who you're dealing with this time,' El-Vador said, the response sending chills up Thom's spine. He stifled the urge to spin round and slice the thing to ribbons. There was something in the way he said the man's title that somehow suggested both deference and mockery.

  'Long have I avoided an encounter with one such as he. The notion that you would choose to snare him within your walls and flush him out like some sort of rodent with these two apes is both insulting and dangerous.' He left them both and glided in silence toward Kelgrimm, almost beseeching the man. 'My Lord, you wish to capture the renegade murderers from Escana yet seem to ignore that they have one of The Six willingly guarding them. This portends a much deeper entanglement of fate than your own jurisdiction can hope to unravel. There are genuine dangers in attempting to force this man's hand that even you cannot foresee.'

  Much like before, if Kelgrimm was surprised he refused to show it. He extended his arm toward Thom and Gadtor and beckoned them forward. 'If you believe there are inherent dangers involved in apprehending this man that we are not aware of, why not share them with the group?'

  Thom knew this wasn't likely, El-Vador would be reluctant to share such secretive information with mere apes.

  'Lord Kelgrimm, your lack of reticence is perturbing given the history of the men before you. Whilst this Hermit of yours did indeed play a part in the unravelled charade that was the Black Quail, his role was not prominent enough to merit the attempt of capturing him.' It narrowed its eyes at them as it threw a cold glance over its shoulder, Thom's bones felt like ice. 'The established company may well root out The Hermit, but the efforts required to constrain such a man would result in death and destruction on a scale beyond any disorder caused by his previous employers.'

  Thom snorted in mirth, building into a solitary laugh that echoed across the chamber and grew in volume as he witnessed the irritation it caused El-Vador. He wiped a mock tear from his eye even as he knew he was putting his life in Kelgrimm's hands by taunting this creature. 'Why not cut to the chase with your admission? We both know why you're trying to dissuade him from sending us out there. It's not out of any worry for our sorry hides, you don't give a fuck about us.' He took a step closer to the creature in defiance. 'You fear The Hermit. You actually fear him, a mere man. You want nothing to do with him.'

  El-Vador sighed. 'You know of The Six, you know what is capable, why must you persist in continually defying me?'

  The succinctness of the question momentarily pierced through Thom's hate of the thing. 'You would rather unveil yourself to me than attempt to waylay this man?'

  Kelgrimm was looking on intently as El-Vador nodded back at Thom, clearly this was a breakthrough of much import.

  'My Lord,' El-Vador finally said, looking to him as if the previous discussion had never happened. 'Would you have me execute these men for their knowledge of The Six? No man has known as much as they and lived.'

  Kelgrimm frowned. 'My friend, death is not the only solution in this matter.'

  El-Vador ran a hand over its eyes, clearly frustrated. 'I have warned you my Lord, not to involve yourself with the apprehension of any this man has chosen to protect. I am bound to service in this matter and if I cannot dissuade you then let us at least ruminate on this until a conclusion is reached that will not result in the destruction of Urial.'

  Kelgrimm seemed to smile at the thought of Urial going up in flames, Thom couldn't shake how much that unnerved him.

  47

  Jimmy

  The sun glowed dimly as it sunk behind the city walls. It had been a long day.

  Jimmy struggled from the start to keep up with the long-legged gait of The Hermit as he strode purposefully from door to door, it was with great relief to his aching legs when the streets that seemed so alike to him had finally wound their way to the familiar door of their hideout.

  The Hermit rapped on the door in his trademark fashion and it swung open to reveal an unfamiliar and withered old face. Jimmy recoiled and turned to flee when a firm hand and a shake of the head from The Hermit held him in place.

  'You must be Jimmy,' the crone croaked. 'Do come in, we've been expecting you for some time.'

  She opened the door wider to reveal Ella sitting by Jakob, she gave him a faint nod as he was ushered in by The Hermit's arm.

  'My apologies if my appearance startled you young one, I have little care for looks these days and we must cut straight to the chase.' She seated herself stiffly on the floor and beckoned him closer. 'I am Mildred and my time here is very short. I know that you have spent yours being ushered about the city as the voice of The Hermit to negotiate with numerous wealthy and influential individuals. What I ask is that you impart to me as much as you can about their reactions to your news and proposal.'

  Jimmy looked up at The Hermit and he nodded at him, urging him to continue. Clearing his throat, he tried his best to look into the old woman's eyes without stuttering.

  He recalled to her of the pomposity of the first gentleman upon hearing the news, describing both his mannerisms and as much visual minutiae as he could remember. The old woman held up her hand to stop him prior to his describing the next one, who he had discovered was a council member. 'Yes, yes. I'm well aware of what the old windbags are like, it's their words I'm interested in.'

  It was as if her displeasure and impatience had unlocked a key to Jimmy's mind and he was a silent bystander to its report. His memory a crystal clarity, he found hi
mself repeating the words of the numerous men verbatim, even affecting the accent of each as he spoke.

  He was finally brought back to himself when he heard a clicking noise that must have been laughter from the woman opposite him. 'Thank you my child, that was most informative.'

  She nodded at The Hermit, holding his gaze for a while before he nodded back at her. Whatever they had exchanged, Jimmy was firmly excluded and entirely oblivious to it.

  She turned her attentions to the prone form of Jakob now, muttering faintly to herself and shaking her head. 'Dark spirits possess this one, his sickness must be driven out before the riots commence.'

  Ella shot a questioning glance at her. 'Riots?'

  'Yes dear, the impending riots. I'm aware that your silent friend and I have been keeping you entirely out of the loop. It's for your own good, I assure you.'

  The Hermit frowned at her and she met his displeasure with a wry smile. 'He's most perturbed about my not telling you about them. Odd that the many other matters he conceals behind those mute lips don't concern him in the same manner.' She gave him a knowing look, clearly frustrating the man in spite of his silence. 'The work your young friend did today as The Hermit's mouthpiece was to drum up support for an emergency council session to discuss the apprehension of Falarus. That old trickster may surround himself with poverty but his influence is unparalleled, many powerful men owe him a great many favours.'

  She rose ponderously from the floor and hobbled toward Jakob's body, forcing words out as she did, Ella started to move toward her in protest but The Hermit barred her way.

  'The men you met today Jimmy are entirely aware of what they owe Falarus, they also know the consequences of denying such a thing. They will form together tonight in some high place to discuss the matter amongst themselves. There will be much chin wagging and bluster but eventually they will be forced into taking it to the council, who in turn will take it to Kelgrimm.' She spat out the name with some distaste as her wrinkled hands settled upon Jakob. 'Yes, he will be an issue. He knows that there will be civil unrest should he remove someone like Falarus permanently, yet I can't quite fathom why he would choose to do so at this time. Perhaps if...'