by K V Deal
I looked down at him on the ground. This was the one I had tried to pound into putty. His ankle was still bleeding, and it looked like I had broken quite a bit of him from the chest up. “Is he safe to move?”
“Probably not…” Charlie reached into her bag and pulled out a potion.
“Hey! Wait a minute here!” I grabbed her shoulder trying to be careful not to hurt her. “I don't think healing this guy up is really the best idea!”
“We can’t lose him! Don't ya get it, Dragon! This is a huge opportunity! If he spills, it could be what we need to run the Inquisitors out of town!”
“Alright, that’s a point. But can’t you just send a sparrow?”
“I don't got one. We got more teams out there now, so the sparrows are spread thin. One per team, and Axle has ours.”
Damn it.
“Okay. So, can we at least try to strip the guy first?”
“Might not be able to move him that much.” She leaned forward, holding out the potion. She’d already removed its cork. “If he tries anything, remember, we want him alive, or this was all a waste.”
I still didn't like the idea, but I didn't try to stop her. No need to go that extra step of stupid, though. I grabbed up the man’s weapon, a red, metal mace, and stood ready in case he tried anything.
The first sign that the potion was working was when the man coughed and rolled over onto his side. He continued to cough, hacking up a red paste. It was probably the mess that happened to his lungs.
“Oh, God,” he said, his voice sounding gruffer than before. I glanced down to see that his ankle was now a mess of scar tissue. Well…hopefully, that meant he wouldn't be running anywhere.
Through the slot on his helmet, I could see his eyes start to focus. I was pretty sure that he’d noticed us when they narrowed.
I didn't take my eyes off him as I spoke to Charlie. “So, how are you planning that we get him back?”
There was a moment of silence.
I risked a glance at Charlie.
She was staring at the jackass with a worried look on her face.
“Please tell me you have a plan.”
“You bet I do.” The man on the floor whipped both arms up, flexing his hands. I caught a glimpse of two metal bands, one on each wrist, right before he brought the two together with a clang! There was a blinding flash of light. I heard Charlie cry out in surprise as I tried to blink my eyes back to working order.
The man grunted in pain. It sounded like he was still pretty close to the ground. Probably that ankle slowing him down.
Like hell I was going to let MY prey escape! I lashed out with a kick and whiffed. There was the sound of something tumbling across the floor.
My vision was starting to recover, but it still wasn’t good enough to tell where he was. Instead, I closed my eyes and felt for magic. Those bands, if nothing else, should be somewhat magical.
The first thing I noticed? The soupy field that had been around us was gone. I still didn't know what it was, and that was more than a little bit worrying. Though it did make it much easier to feel the small bit of magic scrambling across the floor.
I charged forward, throwing myself towards the feeling. I crashed into the inquisitor chest first and slammed him to the ground, knocking the air from his lungs.
“Get…” he wheezed. “Get off…me!”
I hadn’t really thought this all the way through. A knife glanced off my back as I fought to pin him down. He was armed.
Not good.
I could see his blurry outline now, a head in my field of view.
Well… I just hoped that this would hurt him more than me. I leaned back as far as I could before gritting my teeth and head butting the inquisitor as hard as I could.
I…may have forgotten my horns.
The inquisitor hung limply in my arms. His eyes were shut as blood ran down from twin impacts at the top of his forehead.
I shook my head, getting rid of the last of the sparks from my vision. The impact had done pretty much nothing to me, but whatever those bracelets had been, they had done one heck of a number on my eyes.
Dropping the inquisitor, I watched as he flopped to the ground.
Yup. Pretty sure conscious people don't fall like that.
I looked around to see Charlie kneeling on the ground, rubbing her eyes, quietly cursing to herself.
“You okay?” I really didn’t want to leave my prey--I mean, the inquisitor. That was a dangerous instinct.
“Just God damn fine,” she gritted out. “Would be better if I could actually see! Did that bastard get away?”
“I got him.”
“Ya did?”
“Yeah…” I was feeling a bit sheepish. Hopefully, I hadn't hit him too hard…
There was a moment of silence, then she looked up at me, blinking rapidly. “Ya know, normally the tone ya just used would make me worried. But if that ass isn’t still alive, I really don't care right now.” She rubbed her eyes as she wobbled her way to her feet. “He is alive right?”
I’d have checked for a pulse, but I’d be the first to admit I have no idea how to do something like that, so I just put my hand on his chest to see if it was moving.
Not sure that really helped…
If this was before the change, I would have just pulled up my smart phone and searched for a way to check, but that wasn't an option anymore. I began to run my fingers along the side of his neck, hoping to feel something.
“Jake?”
She was starting to sound angry. Not good. “I…don't know how to check.”
“Ya can’t find a pulse?”
“I don't know where to look.”
“Ya don't…alright. Ya got a mirror?”
I thought furiously. “Not really…”
“Look, you’re a dragon! Ya telling me you don't have anything shiny enough to see a reflection in?” Charlie said in exasperation. She was squinting now, slowly making her way over to me.
One thing did jump into my mind, and I quickly pulled a gold coin out of my ring. It took three tries before I found one that was really shiny. I held it up in front of the man just as Charlie finally reached us.
“Yes!” There was a slight misting on the coin!
“Ya know, it’s probably not a good thing to be that excited about not killing a man.”
I shot her a look and then began to strip him.
“Dragon, I just about got my eyesight back, and I really don't want my first sight to be a naked inquisitor,” she said as I unceremoniously removed the inquisitor’s armor piece by piece and stored it in my ring.
“And I really don't want this guy to pull another fast one while we try to get him to Gloria.” I grunted as I unlatched the last bit of armor. “You do have a plan for that, right? Rather than just having me carry a naked guy down the street?”
“Um. Just give me a minute.” She glanced around the room before heading deeper into the building.
By the time I was done, the inquisitor was wearing only his…undergarment? Couldn't really call it boxers but something a step or two back from that invention. I’d discovered two other obviously magical items on him. One being a blue ring that had been under his leather gauntlet. There was something about it… I checked the list after I had stored it. ‘Ring of Flarebane.’
Yup. Sounds like a fire protection item and probably one of the stolen ones.
Now that he was fully stripped, though, I was in a bit of a pickle.
I really wanted to get to the other two inquisitors. I probably didn't have time to strip them like I had this one, but if they also had some of the stolen items…
There was something about that theft that really rubbed me the wrong way. If I drilled down, I think the reason I felt that way was two separate things. One was, of course, my instinct. The thought that they might try to do something like this to my hoard, yes, I was starting to call it that, set me off. The second reason…really? It came down to something simple. They stole both the items and t
he lives of the people who held them. I couldn't do anything about the dead. I didn't even know them enough to mourn them, but I could at least get those items back.
Still, I didn't exactly want to leave this guy alone. Well, there was a simple solution, as long as I really didn't care what happened to him. A minute or so later, I’d dragged him all over the room as I gathered the other two together. After tearing off their armor, I piled up everything that felt even a little bit magical into a bag I’d had in my storage. After some thought, I ripped off one of the dead inquisitor’s shirt, the guys one, and used it to bind my captive’s arms and legs.
I looked back into the building. Charlie should have been back by now… Hell, I shouldn’t have had time to search even the first of the corpses.
I took a moment store the sack and then, hefting the captive over my shoulder, I turned to head into the building only to hear something strange. It was almost like something was dragging its way down the hall. And whatever it was, it sounded big. I dropped the captive and pulled my dagger free as I walked forward, ready for whatever was coming.
Charlie backed into view, grunting and straining as she dragged a large roll of what looked like carpet around the corner.
She glanced over her shoulder at me. “Ya know, gawking doesn't help me a bit!” she snapped. “Come over here and give me a hand!”
I hurried forward. Between the two of us, we managed to maneuver the carpet into the front room.
Charlie dropped down to sit on the floor with an exhausted expression. “Found that on the fourth floor, and it was one hell of a job to get it down here.”
Honestly, it hadn’t seemed that heavy… The thought must have shown on my face.
“Not all of us are…” She cut herself off and took a deep breath. “I'm still just human. I don't got your muscles. Nice to know ya don't think it’s that bad though.”
“Why?” The way she’d said that had me a little worried.
“Oh, no reason.” She smiled at me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Chapter 8
“No reason my ass,” I grumbled as we hurried down the street back towards Gloria.
“Aw, suck it up, Dragon. Ya said it was light.”
“I never said that!”
I had that large roll of carpet balanced, but bouncing slightly up and down, on my shoulder as we walked. I gripped it with both arms and gave it a heave to try and settle it a bit better.
“Well ya asked for a plan and here it is. Ya just gotta deal with it.”
I had a retort in mind, but I clamped my mouth shut and kept on walking. It had been a good one, but when you have a man tied up in the middle of your carpet roll, you generally don't want to say something that might bring attention to that fact. I just continued to sulk as we worked together to make sure I didn't run into anybody on the now crowded street.
What with all the traffic, it took us half an hour longer than it should have to get back to the Mayor’s office, or the Gray House as people had started calling it. Charlie opened the door to a room I hadnt been in before as I maneuvered the carpet roll inside.
It was a large room, with several rows of chairs in front of a large desk. What looked like an intricately sculpted stone man was sitting behind it. He was methodically working his way through a handful of papers, sorting them into carefully stacked piles. As he turned, I could see the word ‘Emet’ going across his forehead, seeming to be just a discoloration in the stone. He and the few people sitting in the chairs looked up as we approached.
“Charlie. Jake.” He nodded at us, speaking in a low tone with a pace that made it feel like he was thinking through every syllable. “New business venture?” It was the closest I’d ever heard the man come to making a joke. He continued to work as we approached.
Charlie waited till we reached the desk before responding. “Nope. Sorry Cyrus, but this is probably going to mean more work for you.”
“Isn't everything?” he intoned. “What is it?”
“Inquisitor. Live one.” She said quietly.
The man stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. “They struck again?”
“Well yeah, but that isn't what I mean. We caught one. Alive.”
“Are you joking?”
“Nope. Where do ya want him?”
“Want him.” Cyrus paused. His eyes flicked up to the carpet roll and then back down to the two of us. “You can’t really be serious.”
“Ya think? Well he’s in there. How do ya want to do this?”
There was a moment of silence and then he stood up from the desk, picking up the papers and putting a small carved sign labeled ‘be back soon’ on the desk.
“Excuse me!” A woman in one of the chairs stood up. She put all four arms on her hips. “I've been waiting for an hour, and they get to go right in?!”
Cyrus turned and regarded the woman solemnly. “Ms. Lopo. You are here to see the mayor about the state of the roads in the silver district. Correct?”
“I am! What does that have to do with this?” She snapped.
“These people are not here to see the mayor.” And with that, Cyrus turned and headed to a door behind the desk. “Your place in line is unchanged.”
Charlie glanced at the woman. “Sorry.”
I didn't say anything. Instead, I just headed after the other two, leaving the woman to stand awkwardly as we filed out of the room.
Once the door was shut, I couldn't help but ask, “Condition of the roads? Really?”
“It is a concern for the silver district,” Cyrus shrugged. “They were rich and care about appearances.”
“Were rich?”
“The change seems to have considered debts versus credits. Once a subtraction was made, the balance represented the amount of money with which they awoke. The people of silver district tended to live from paycheck to paycheck. Now that their high paying jobs are gone, their situation is drastically different. They have yet to understand this. Current information says they woke with an average of four to five gold per family group. This is above the norm but they are living on those savings and are quickly burning through them.” Cyrus delivered the information as if he were giving a report as he led us down the hall. “They are currently fighting to retain their current status quo. Thus, they have sent Jessica Lopo to lobby for them. She is persistent.”
“Huh…” I really hadn't expected that much of an answer.
“That’s human nature for ya.” Charlie sighed.
“Correct.” Cyrus said as he stopped in front of a door.
He pulled out an intricate key. I couldn't help but notice that this was a very intimidating door—heavy-looking wood reinforced with a crosshatch of steel banding and a very heavy-duty lock with a small complicated-looking keyhole. The door opened with a click revealing a gray stone room. Chains were attached to heavy bolts in the far wall.
“Our cell,” Cyrus stated. “It appeared after the change. I had never thought we would need it, but this seems a perfect situation for its use.” He gestured for me to head in. I stepped inside and began to unroll the carpet.
My passenger had been awake for a while now. I could tell by the attempts to thrash about I’d felt on the way here. Luckily, tied and wrapped like he was, the movements weren't really noticeable unless you were touching the carpet. The minute he hit the ground, he struggled to free himself, anger clearly showing in his eyes.
Charlie stayed by the door holding Cyrus’ stack of papers. Cyrus stepped into the room behind me. The two of us forced the inquisitor into the chains.
He was shouting something at us as we worked, but honestly, I didn't listen. Cyrus, on the other hand, was talking over the man giving him a list of his rights as we worked. I stepped back to the doorway when we finished. When he finished, Cyrus waved us out into the hall. He shut the door behind him as he joined us.
“You won’t fucking get away!” the inquisitor could still be barely heard shouting from behind the door. “We’ll get you! The Sent
inel will fucking get you!”
“Guy’s got a mouth on him,” Charlie muttered.
“I expect such from reprobates like him. Usually, though, they limit themselves to speech, and thus, can be ignored. Sadly, this one took the step to action. That brooks action in response.” Cyrus turned to look at us. “Thank you. You will be informed of the results of his integration. Be safe. And please take your carpet.”
Cyrus didn't even wait to see us off. Instead, he took his papers from Charlie and headed back to his desk.
Charlie shook her head and then looked over at me, ignoring the continued screams of rage from the cell. “Ya know what? I just wanna go home.” She looked tired.
Oh, shoot!
“I have one more thing I need to do! It shouldn't take long!” I raised my hands as I got one heck of a glare. “We can even do it on the way!”
“What?”
“I just gotta drop off the inquisitor’s stuff with Cyrus!” I had a feeling that I was in some serious trouble right now.
“Fine.”
It only took a minute to get back to Cyrus. As we approached, he glanced up from his papers and raised a single eyebrow.
“I forgot something.” Without waiting for a response, I held my hand out over the desk and released the sack onto it. The sack landed with a thud that made the people in the chairs look up. Cyrus looked down at the bag, and then back up at me.
“It’s the inquisitor’s stuff. Figured I should turn it in.” And with a wave, I headed out of the room.
“Inquisitors! Those beasts are still…!” I could hear Ms. Lopo shouting as we left the building.
“Ya know, I'm not sure that was supposed to be widely known.”
Oops…
“You think so?”
I’m pretty sure no one said anything about that.
“Well, I can’t imagine that they would just announce that the Inquisitors were back in force. That would be asking for a panic, don't ya think?”
“Charlie, why would anyone be surprised? They never left.” The only answer I got was silence. “People did know that, right?”
“Look, Gloria is the expert on this kind of thing. She thought that letting people know they were still around was just gonna hurt more than it helped.”