by Sara Bushway
While most of the folks seemed awfully nondescript, Honey had the strangest feeling he was being watched. He had spotted a gentleman across the street dressed quite similar to Honey himself. He wore a sharp suit of white with angled lapels over black loafers and a black fedora with silvered spikes piercing the red hatband. He posted up against lamp post with an unlit cigarette dangling out of his mouth. It hadn't stuck out much to Honey until he spotted that same person standing on a street corner, looking around nonchalantly, still not smoking the cigarette in his mouth.
Another assassin? Honey thought. Do I approach or avoid? I can't fault him for anything yet. All he is guilty of right now is being creepy. Best to keep an eye on him, though. Just in case...
The trio slowed and approached a cart sitting empty in front of a shop. Honey turned and spotted the creeper moving closer as he moseyed down the street. He looked like a tall man even at such a distance and big to boot. Honey felt a sharp elbow hit his ribs.
"This is the place," Torq said, glancing at the shop and then the cart. There was no mustang attached, but there weren't any pullers nearby either, which was odd. The adventuring team couldn't guard and pull a cart at the same time, not effectively anyway. Honey caught sight of a person lying in the foot space of the driver's seat, slumped on his arms with his dark leather cowboy hat down over his face.
"Rise and shine, sleepy-head," Honey joked as he stepped up to the driver's seat. He waited a moment and then gently pushed the person's shoulder a bit, hoping to shake them awake. Instead, the man fell over, revealing pale white flesh and cold dead eyes. Honey back peddled and dropped down off of the cart, briefly forgetting his place as the party healer.
"Guys, something's wrong!" he told the others and began searching through the pouches on his belt. Why he even searched was beyond him because he didn't carry anything that could cure death. No one did because it couldn't be done.
Andy pushed past Honey and examined the body. "It’s a Nobody," she said. "According to this I.D. tag, he's been replacing this guy for about three years." Torq joined Honey near the cart watched Andy go through the nobody's pockets. "I get that this is a bad area, but this is not near any of the places Kage usually attacks. Why here and now?"
A loud bang sent the three of them diving to the ground. Judging by the way Andy coughed and curled up, the fall from the cart hadn't been kind to her, but Honey would have to wait until he knew they were safe to tend to her. Someone had shot at them.
Torq grabbed Andy by her vest and dragged her around to the back of the cart. Honey followed, making sure to keep a low profile as he did so.
I knew it! Honey thought. I knew that man was trouble!
Another bullet pierced the quiet and pinged off of a bolt on the front wheel of the cart. Torq drew his weapon and leaned away from the cart to get a look.
"I don't know what we did to piss this guy off, but I ain't having it!" Andy grunted as she stepped into the claw of her crossbow and struggled to load it. Honey drew Cinderella from her holster and shakily loaded his only three marbles into the chambers of the gun.
"Andy," Honey said, checking to make sure his gun was properly locked and loaded. She looked over at him, and he continued. "You were right. I'm not ready for this. What do I do?"
Andy's stare became stiff and steely as her resolve returned. "You do what you've always wanted to do. Be the good guy. Let's get this bastard." Honey wasn't sure what she meant but seeing Torq struggle to get a look at the shooter in the nearby alleyway gave him an idea.
"It's all on a grid," he muttered aloud. "I'm going to sweep him out." Before the others could react, Honey took off down a narrow pass between two shops, perpendicular to the cart. He heard a shot go off and wondered how close the bullet had come. Unfortunately, he hadn't timed his egress very well and found himself nearly barreling over some poor grocer carrying a crate of greens. He turned and waved to the man in acknowledgment but didn't stop to apologize.
I can apologize later.
He turned down the next alley and ran. If I'm right, he should be in the next alley over, he thought as he came to another crossroads. This is it. Honey readied his weapon and rounded the corner. Nothing and no one. He crept forward and peeked. His hat flew off as a bullet pierced the brim. Honey doubled back and took aim.
"Come out, come out, little boy," a raspy voice sang out. "Come here! I've got something for you!" Honey could feel his hands shaking. He had never been more terrified in his life, but in this moment, he knew he had to pull himself together. This is why Andy had been training him. This was the cost of being one of the good guys. Then he saw him. Honey spotted the tall man in the white suit crossing his line of sight.
It's not him. I was wrong.
He shook his head and returned to the problem at hand. "Sir, place your weapon on the ground and your hands on your head! You are under arrest under the authority of The Adventurer's Guild!" A horrible cackle erupted from the man.
"Ha! We'll just see about that! Come on, boy! Let me see that pretty little face!" Honey waited, contemplating his next move carefully. He was just coming around to the idea of pretending to give in and using a sneak attack when he heard the others make their move. In a single moment, there was all at once a roar, a shriek, and a bang. Honey quickly made his way back to the other corner, grabbing his hat along the way. He put it on and leaned out to peek down the alley again. The shock came over him. He wasn't sure exactly how it had happened, but somehow Torq had been overtaken by the shooter. A man in a long, black coat was kneeling in front of him, the executioner's kneel. The dark man leered at Honey as he pressed the barrel of his magnum into the back of Torq's head. Andy was near the entry of the alleyway, mere feet from the front of the cart they were supposed to escort. She, too, had a magnum trained on her as she pointed her crossbow at the back of the man.
"I can kill dem both, right here." He spat. "Don't matter much to me. One way or another, I'm fillin' dis order." Honey thought for a moment and decided that if he could keep the man talking, maybe he could find a way out of this situation wherein no one would have to die, including himself.
"May I ask who has put a bounty on my head and why?" The dark man chuckled.
"You kin ask, but I ain't tellin' Client confidentiality and all that. I'm sure you remember some of that where you come from. You do remember it, don't you, boy? These good folks know you came from? I bet they'd be real interested in knowin' and knowin' that you skipped out on your new owner. Like dog a runaway from its owner cause it don't know no better."
Beaumont must have hired him. Honey thought. He couldn't picture any instance in which Anastasia would have anything to do with the likes of this crude mess of a man.
Honey grinned and replied, "So, Byron Beaumont sent you to renege on his deal? Bring me back and work me to death? Maybe sell me again and again for more profit? How strangely comforting it is to know some things just don't change." The man chuckled again, but it devolved into harsh, wet coughs at the end.
"You're a little smarter than he said you'd be. I like that. I like a challenge. Come on out, then. If you make it easy on me, I'll shoot you in your chest and not ruin that pretty face. Let you die with your honor intact." Honey had to think fast. His teammates were in danger. This man was hired to kill him. Andy and Torq didn't deserve to pay for his mistakes. He looked down at Cinderella in his hand and checked again to make sure the marbles were in their chambers. They were loaded and ready, right where he left them. His lack of training chipped away at his confidence, and the safety of his friends sent fire through his veins.
I have to do something.
Honey steeled his nerves and gripped the gun. In a moment of pure instinct, he rounded the corner, took aim, and fired. The marble flew through the air and struck the dark man's hand. It broke against his thumb, and the spell took its effect. The dark man stumbled and wailed as his hand began to freeze. The skin on his thumb and fingers quickly took on a pale grey hue, and the tips of his fingers began t
o blacken. He shook his hand and strained against the ice to free the gun from his grip, but he could not let go.
"Son of a bitch!" He cried. "You ruddy son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" He turned and aimed his other magnum at Honey. Honey froze in amazement at the spell going off. The intense moment of fear that followed didn't help. A loud bang thawed Honey from the freeze and sent him dashing back to the wall. The dark man fell to the ground in a wet thud. Honey, Andy, and Torq all shared a look of confusion. Then Honey turned and spotted him, the man in white, still aiming his gun at the corpse on the ground. In the blink of an eye, they were alone in the alley once more.
"He's getting away," Honey said, holstering Cinderella.
"Let him go," Andy said. "If he wanted us dead, we would be dead."
"How do you know?" Honey asked.
"Because," Torq replied, putting his arm around Andy to steady her stance, "that is one of Kage's personal bodyguards, one of his biggest henchmen."
Honey turned and looked down the alley again.
Why would they help us?
*****
Honey spent the rest of the night thinking about the two men he had encountered the day before—the man who murdered the Nobody and the man who murdered the murderer.
The man in white, Honey thought as he stared into the slats of the wooden ceiling above his bed. Kage's man. Why would Kage's man save us? What would he have to gain from that? As anti-everything as he seems to be, is he pro-adventuring guild? And, if so, why?
The next morning, Honey was ready and raring to go on the next mission. Andy and Torq each shuffled out of their rooms half-awake to the sight of Honey placing a tower of eggy toast next to a large serving-bowl of scrambled eggs on the communal table. He was fully dressed and geared, excluding his duster and hat, which occupied one of the chairs.
"Good morning. " Andy managed through a yawn. Honey washed his hands and approached the table.
"Good morning Andy, Torq."
It seemed Torq hadn't slept well enough to manage speech and grunted in reply. Honey laughed and sat at the table across from them. Andy went over her report with the boys, making sure she had every last detail about what had gone down the day before. Honey agreed with everything she had written but left out the fact the man in white had been following them before everything went down. He figured it wouldn't help to know they were being watched. In fact, it could hurt if the guild sent someone to stop him from following.
He saved our lives, Honey thought. He can follow me all he wants if his goal is to keep us safe. A blessing in disguise if there ever was one.
As they were finishing up their breakfast, Andy told them about a mission she had pulled from the board the day before. It was a simple task, barely even a mission. Someone needed an extra pair of hands in their kitchen who could double as a bodyguard.
"I figure I'll take point in this one," Andy said, "because, no offense, but it's an all-female staff, and you guys would stick out like--like a couple of buff guys in a kitchen run by women."
"Buff?" Honey asked and peered down into his button-up shirt. "I guess I have put on a bit of muscle, huh?"
"Not as buff as me." Torq laughed, finally awake enough to contribute to the conversation. Honey shot him a glance and performed Andy's classic eye-roll. Though, he spared him the elbow in the ribs.
Andy rolled her eyes at the two of them and added, "There's a tavern near the kitchen I'll be working in. I figured you guys could go see if there's any local work to be had. If not, you guys can just hang out and socialize until I'm done."
"There's usually a band or something playing," Torq said. "At least there will be music and beer."
Honey chuckled and began cleaning up while the others returned to their rooms to gear up for adventuring.
*****
Getting to Woodriver would have been arduous if there hadn't been a delivery cart passing by on the road. It was another one of those fancy, mechanical mustangs attached to a simple, wooden cart carrying vinegar, oils, and other manufactured goods to a local market. The man agreed to take the team into town for free if they provided guard service for him on the way. Andy was not pleased with the arrangement but agreed because it meant they didn't have to spend any money to travel, and she wouldn't get to her destination already worn out.
The cart came to a stop on the corner of an intersection in the bad part of town. The driver thanked the team again and again as they rounded the vehicle and rejoined on the sidewalk in front of the soup kitchen. When the carriage moved on, Honey turned and took in the scene happening around him. A line of people trailed out of the door of the kitchen and curved around the corner of the building. Dozens of dirty, homeless people shifted in their over-sized sweaters and jackets in the heat. Honey wondered why he had even worn his duster until he remembered he wanted those extra pockets for pain-relieving herbs and extra wraps, just in case there should be a second person who thinks he needs another hole in his body. Andy looked at the boys and smiled.
"This is my stop. I'll be in here if you need me. There's the tavern." She pointed across the street to The Gilded Lilly. "I expect to find you there when I'm done. If not, I'll head to the nearest outpost." She pointed down the street to the not-so-subtle marble structure among the dilapidated buildings. "There's also a bank and a Church and State building down that way. You might look for security or escort work there." The boys nodded in unison and watched her speed off into the soup kitchen.
Honey and Torq shared a glance and a shrug before crossing the street and entering the tavern.
"You ever been to one of these before?"
Honey shook his head. "No, but I have read about the goings-on of taverns in fantasy books I have read. Sometimes adventuring parties gather there to food and drink or to stay in the inn." Torq laughed and opened the door, stepping aside so the sounds and smells could hit him first. Honey was taken aback by how much was going on inside. He heard music and people chattering within the amalgamation of smoke, barbecue, and strong perfumes. Torq watched Honey's reaction and grinned.
"You ready, cowboy?" Honey nodded. "This is what real adventuring is about." The two laughed and walked in, scanning the place for two empty seats. The chairs all looked well-used, with a few of them looking like they were little more than splinters of a chair that had been crudely nailed back together.
The walls were busy with stuffed animal heads, some of which belonged to fictitious beasts from folklore, and wanted posters Honey suspected were also more for show than function. Near the door was a small stage where a group of three musicians were twanging out a lively tune, and people were dancing in circles to the quick pace of it all. The bar at the back reminded Honey of a dancing stage in a lounge. From the front door, it appeared to be in the shape of a capital T that jutted out in the middle of the room. It was crewed by a man who Honey had guessed also doubled as a bouncer and two hardy women who could carry four enormous tankards in each hand without spilling if they didn't want to expertly slide drinks to each of their patrons. In the crooks of the T were large wooden tables, then another line of three below it near the stage for a total of five. Each table looked to serve about eight people, give or take a few based on the randomness of the chairs scattered about and accounting for the men who had a woman pinned to their lap. The bar itself had a total of fourteen people packing around it, like the edges of a stage and catwalk. It seemed to be the place to be if you were a regular, so Honey made quick work of taking an open seat at a table near the stage. Torq, unable to talk over the music, pointed over to a corkboard on the wall where notes were haphazardly pinned. Some looked relatively new, while others had begun to yellow and look tattered. Honey nodded to him and waited for a waitress to come by for their drink order.
Torq returned to the table and sat down next to Honey. "Ain't nothing worth doing unless you'd like to be paid in kisses for gettin' rid of a black widow's rat problem." Honey cocked an eyebrow at him. "It means a lady wants a guy to kill off her husband and ta
ke over as the new one. Wealthy ladies in arranged marriages tend to post jobs about a 'rat problem' when they've had all they can take of it." Honey had never heard of this type of service before and wondered how common it was for women to use this method to trade up.
A young, dark beauty spun into view from seemingly nowhere and set a tankard in front of each of them. Honey wasn't sure how she had come to know what they wanted or that had even wanted drinks at all but thanked her just the same.
"To adventuring!" Torq toasted and held his tankard out to Honey with a broad smile on his face. Honey was a little uncomfortable about the idea of drinking while carrying a firearm but decided a sip would be harmless. A sip is all it would be, after all. The swig he took of the pale beer tasted the way the pantry of the mansion had smelled after the roof had been leaking onto the old, untreated wood and the rot had started to set in. Honey started to push the drink away but decided to hold onto it, lest someone think to buy him something else, something viler than the mossy beer. Torq, however, guzzled it down quite happily.
Chapter Twenty-Five
About four tankards into the afternoon, the band finished their set with a lively tune and put their instruments away in their cases. The violinist was a pale, wiry man who was very skilled with his bow. He was also the only one who only played one instrument. A blonde-haired beauty in a lace-up top and long skirt that split on the side packed her tambourine, clarinet, and finger cymbals into a plush-lined chest while the other band-mate, a man with skin the color of creamed coffee, packed away his drum and a horn so long he had to prop the end of it on the ground to play it. Honey had never heard anything quite like it before. The low notes were so powerful it made his chest feel like it was vibrating, and he wondered if people would hear it from miles away if it was played on a hillside somewhere.
Honey clapped heartily as they passed. He was a lively man with long pale hair, not so different from Danes, but he didn't have Dane's muscular frame or the charisma he used to ward off people who would stare. He followed him to the bar, leaving Torq to his own devices, and tapped him on the shoulder. The man turned and smiled at him.