Port Stone: Dangers of the Swamp (Port Stone Fantasy Book 1)

by Sheri Velarde

  “I don’t know anything. I’ve been stabbed. I am a victim here. I don’t know any Phinelope,” the man mumbled.

  Not liking his answer, Tianna twisted her fingers in his wound again. “I followed your trail of blood directly from Phinelope’s house to you. Stop lying to me, or I can get very nasty.”

  The man screamed, “Alright! I did the elf in. It wasn’t anything personal. I needed the money. All I know is that a lieutenant from the Black Jackets wanted Phinelope dead for butting into Swamp business. If you want to go after someone, go after them. This was just another job to me, and the bloody elf pretty much ended me.”

  “And I should feel bad for an assassin? Did you feel bad for killing Phinelope? For ever killing anyone?” Tianna spat at him. “Tell me more about these Black Jackets. Who are they? Why target someone trying to better the community?”

  “The Black Jackets run the Swamp. They are the law here where there is no law. That elf butted in where she didn’t belong. They asked me to take care of her. End of story,” the man said.

  “Where can I find the Black Jackets?” But even as Tianna asked, she knew she had already seen three of them. And passed more in the streets on her way to the pub. They were everywhere, and she would not have any problem finding one. “Who is the leader of these people? Where can I find him?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve heard the name Alenon spoken before with some sort of reverence or fear, but I can’t be sure. Do I look like I rub elbows with their leaders? I am paid to get my hands dirty when it suits them.”

  Tianna glanced back towards Kara. “Is there a sheriff nearby that we can take this man to? I can heal him enough that he can face charges for the murder he committed.”

  To her shock, the man laughed. “I’d rather die here. The sheriff is on the other side of the wall, and we can’t get out until morning. Even if you manage to get me there, I will never see a trial. The Black Jackets will get to me long before anyone else. I have taken too many jobs for them. I know a little too much. Just kill me now and let it be done. I can tell I won’t be the first life you have taken. A murderer always knows the eyes of another.”

  Tianna, slightly troubled that this man could read her secret, pulled out her dagger. “As you wish.” With that, she slit the man’s throat, and he bled out within seconds. She turned towards Kara as if she had not just killed a man and said, “It’s not much to go on, but at least we have a lead, the Black Jackets.”

  “Please do not take offense to this, but you are like no Druid I have ever met, especially considering that you are a sage.” Kara said, a little awe mixed with fear evident in her voice.

  “I have always been a little odd for my kind and for my Order. I do not venture out from my books much, it is true, but let’s just say that my Order knows that I can get results when we need it,” Tianna said, standing up and wiping the blood off her dagger. She bent down once more, taking the assassin’s extra blade and searching him for anything of use. She pocketed some gold and found a letter verifying what he had said, instructions to murder Phinelope and directions on where to find her. “We need to get out of here before the body is found. Plus, it’s late. You need sleep, and I need rest as well. Is there a decent inn on this side of the wall? Someplace where we will at least be safe until morning, and we decide what to do from here?”

  “Yes, it will be the bare necessities, but I think that I know of a place that is safe enough. Follow me.” Kara started back towards the part of the Swamp closest to the wall that separated the slums from the rest of Port Stone.

  As they navigated the twists and turns that were called streets here, Tianna got the sense that they were not alone. Someone followed behind them, despite the lateness of the hour. Still staring straight ahead and not slowing her step at all, she whispered to Kara, “We are being followed. At the next crossroads, we need to split up. Then one of us can double back and catch the bastard. I have a feeling that it is one of the Black Jackets from the pub, which means they may know that I eased the passing of their assassin. We must catch him and quiet him if necessary.”

  Kara barely nodded, “You take right, and I will take left up here in a two blocks. Keep turning right, and I will double back and follow you. I feel that you are who our pursuer will want, not me.”

  “I think you’re right. I’m the one who is different here and who sticks out. Not to mention that I’m the one who just killed someone, and if we are being followed, then they know it,” Tianna said as the crossroads came upon them. She and Kara quietly went their separate ways, and sure enough, she still had the sense of being followed. Slowing her pace and acting like she was trying to get her bearings, she hoped she gave Kara enough time to double back and catch whomever lurked behind. As she listened, she soon heard Kara’s gait coming up behind her, but from the lack of change in steps of the person following her, they did not. That meant a human followed her for sure. Anything else would have been able to hear Kara as well. With Kara as backup, Tianna quickly turned around and rushed her pursuer. A boy no older than fifteen in a black jacket startled at her attack, he turned to run and ran right into Kara’s broad chest. “You have nowhere to go, so now you are going to give us some answers. For starters, why are you following us? Following me? Who sent you? You are one of the Black Jackets right? What do you want with us?”

  “You’re wasting your time. I will never tell you anything. If I did, they would kill me anyways, so do your worst,” the boy said, trying to sound brave, but the tremor in his voice and wide and shifting eyes belied just how scared he truly was.

  “Oh I don’t think that you want me to do my worst. You’ve been following us for a while. You saw how I took care of your hired assassin. Would you like some of the same treatment? I can start with a stab wound in the stomach and go from there, but make no mistake that I will keep you alive and in pain for a very long time. It’s something of a specialty of mine. Now tell me what the Black Jackets want with us,” Tianna threatened, pulling out her dagger and waving it slowly in the boy’s face.

  “You were asking about that busybody elf Phinelope,” the boy blurted out. “The Black Jackets don’t want anyone asking questions about her. We want her to disappear and be forgotten. They sent me after you to make sure you left the Swamp. That’s all I know. Please, don’t kill me. I’m barely a member of the Black Jackets, but it’s better to be with them than against them here. I needed the money for my family.” The boy began to cry a little.

  “Okay, okay, no need to get so upset. Tell me where I can find the leaders of the Black Jackets and where I can find someone named Alenon, and I will let you go.”

  “I don’t know. I am only contacted by some of the lower lieutenants for small jobs. I have not made it far enough up in the ranks to be taken to headquarters, and I have only heard Alenon’s name. I wouldn’t even recognize him if I passed him on the street. I swear all I know is that a Black Jacket overheard you asking about that elf in a pub and sent me to follow the two of you until you left the Swamp for the other side of the wall. That is all I know.”

  “I believe you. Run off and say that you lost us near the wall, which should keep you safe. But if I find out that you have spoken of our little talk, well, I will not stop until I track you down and make you pay,” Tianna said, standing up and pulling the boy up with her.

  “I won’t tell anyone. If I did, the Black Jackets would kill me for betraying them before you ever got a chance to find me. I’m poor, not stupid. According to them, I should have let you kill me rather than tell you anything. I lost you near the wall. As far as I know, you managed to get the guards to let you out before the dawn. I’ll never say anything different.”

  “Good. Now go,” Tianna said. The boy didn’t need to be told twice. He took off at a run back the way he had come. “Do you think he will keep his word?” she asked the silent Kara.

  “Yes, he seemed as scared of the Black Jackets as he did of us. He will stick to the story to save his own hide. We really shoul
d get off the streets, though. The inn I am leading us to is close. We can rest until we can cross to the other side of the wall, or whatever we decide to do.”

  The rest of the night remained uneventful. They easily procured a room at the inn, and within moments, Kara had taken off her armor and fallen into an instant sleep. Double checking the door and looking out the window to make sure no one new followed them, Tianna made herself comfortable and began her healing and resting meditation. She needed to be at her best to decide how to proceed the next day.

  Chapter Two

  More than Meets the Eye

  The next morning, after letting Kara get enough rest, Tianna awoke her happenstance companion and apparent ally. “We should discuss what to do. We both came here for Phinelope, but she’s dead. Still, it doesn’t seem right to just head home as if nothing happened. Our respective Orders would not have sent us here if it weren’t important. We need to find out what Phinelope did that got her killed, and maybe then we will know why we were sent here in the first place.”

  “I agree. We need to find out more about these Black Jackets as well. And we should see what else we can find at Phinelope’s. I didn’t see much last night, but it was dark, and I wasn’t really searching properly,” Kara said.

  Tianna nodded, agreeing that they needed more information before they could choose a clear path to pursue. They went down and had a light breakfast before they stepped outside of the inn, hoping to find some clues back at Phinelope’s. Before they had taken a few steps, a young girl of no more than seven ran up to them and handed them a note before dashing away before they could ask any questions. Kara opened the note, “How can this be? It’s addressed to us by name. Someone knows that we are here. Someone named Dalmar wants to meet us in the merchant district in a store called Marlin’s.”

  “Who the hell is Dalmar, and how would he know that we are here unless he knows someone from our Orders?” Tianna wondered out loud.

  “It must be. Or somehow the Black Jackets discovered our names, but they rarely operate on the other side of the wall. Do you think we should go? I find it really odd that he not only knew our names, but he knew where we were staying.” Kara answered, clearly deep in thought.

  “Well as I noticed yesterday, elves are not very common here in Port Stone. And you are a six foot tall, redheaded, female warrior carrying around a war hammer. We don’t exactly blend in. If you have a network of people, we are not hard to find,” Tianna reasoned.

  “True. Of course that also means that the Black Jackets can easily find us should they wish,” Kara said.

  “How true. Perhaps it is not the worse idea to leave the Swamp for a time and at least see what this Delmar has to say. He must have contact with our Orders to know we are here, and that might mean that we can trust him. I, for one, don’t have any other contacts here in the city. Hell, I don’t even know my way around. What choice do we really have?”

  “You’re right. I know Marlin’s by name. It should be no problem to find. Shall we head there instead of Phinelope’s?” Kara asked, already moving towards the wall.

  “I think it best. We might draw too much unwanted attention here in the Swamp after last night, and this Delmar might have more information from our Orders, or at least more of an idea as to why we were asked to come here in the first place. Lead the way, my friend.” As she said the last word, Tianna realized she spoke the truth. She had made a friend, someone she thought that she could trust, and trust was not something that she gave away very often.

  As they passed through the gate leading away from the Swamp and into Port Stone proper, Tianna kept an eye out for black jackets in the crowds passing through. She didn’t see anything, but that did not mean someone wasn’t watching their every move. She had felt eyes on her ever since she entered the city, and now she wondered how many of them were just because she was a lone wood elf in the city. Her coppery skin and pointed ears did stand out. Or maybe someone had been informed she would be arriving and had been having her followed since the very beginning. Something felt suspicious. She didn’t really know who she could trust in this town, other than Kara. Something about this warrior woman just made Tianna trust her. She had an honest face and no lies in her eyes. Yes, she could trust Kara, but no one else. Port Stone reeked of betrayal and lies. It felt good to have someone have her back at least.

  It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the merchant district. Other than a few curious stares, she didn’t get the same feeling of being watched on this side of the wall. A few glances at seeing an elf, but nothing else. Soon, they were entering Marlin’s, a small but upscale store that sold small goods like preserved foods for traveling, blankets, tents, and more. Tianna also took notice of a back wall covered in weapons. Many of the highest craftsmanship. After asking the shop keep up front, they were directed through a hidden door and down a back hallway, stopping to knock on the only door at the end.

  “Come in,” came a deep voice from within. As they opened the door and walked in, a tall human man stood and greeted them. “Tianna. Kara. How good to meet you at last. I have heard much about both of you. Please, come in. We have much to discuss. I am Delmar. I sent for you.”

  “How have you heard of us? We just arrived in town yesterday,” Tianna said, watching the man very closely as she and Kara sat down.

  “Why, Shea speaks very highly of you, Tianna. She specifically requested you to come help Phinelope for a reason. She said you have a unique set of skills amongst your Order. And Kara, well, Priest Annor says that you are the best warrior that he has trained in his entire life. You two are the best of the best,” Delmar said, his eyes darting between the two women.

  “You know Shea?” Tianna asked.

  “Yes, she stops by whenever she is in Port Stone. She and Phinelope were good friends, and Phinelope was a very special friend of mine. It is only natural that Shea and I became close. And I have known Annor since we were boys. He used to live here in Port Stone you know, before being called away. Trust me when I say, I have heard much about both of you.”

  “You said you and Phinelope were special friends, why were?” Tianna said, wondering how this strange man could already know of the elf’s death.

  “Phinelope was found stabbed to death this morning by an associate of ours. That is why I have asked the two of you here. You two were called here to help Phinelope, but now I want you to help avenge her instead. You may have already learned that she tried to clean up the Swamp. She had sent word last night that she had found out something terrible happening there. Now she is dead. The only suspects have to be the local criminal gang, the Black Jackets. They have the most to lose if the Swamp were to be improved.”

  “What do you want us to do? How would you like us to avenge Phinelope? What were we originally called here for?” Kara asked.

  “No one makes a move in the Black Jackets without permission from their leader, Alenon. He is responsible for what happened to Phinelope, even if he is not the one who held the dagger. I want you to capture him, or kill him. Either way, I want him to pay for what he did to the gentlest soul I have ever known. I can supply you with gold, weapons, whatever it takes to get vengeance. I would do it myself, but I am not much of a warrior.” Delmar threw a heavy bag on the desk, “Here is 100 gold pieces to help with this endeavor. There is more of that when the deed is done.”

  “We are not mercenaries for hire. Do your own dirty work. And you still have not answered why we were called here in the first place. I don’t take money to kill, and I don’t waste my time with people who dodge giving answers,” Tianna said in disgust, preparing to get up and leave.

  “I already told you, I have no skills when it comes to combat. And I am not asking this just for myself. You have to know how important Phinelope was if Shea asked you to come here yourself. You would be doing this for her, for Phinelope, to avenge the brutal murder of a member of your order. I only offer the money as that is all I have to give. I am a well off merchant, but that does not
lend itself to revenge since the Black Jackets don’t do much legitimate business. As for why you were called, well let’s say that it became apparent that Phinelope was in danger. You two were to help protect her as she continued her campaign to help the less fortunate in the Swamp section of this city. Sadly, your orders didn’t call in time, and Phinelope paid with her life for trying to do some good in the world.”

  Hearing Shea’s name and the fact that Phinelope had indeed been a member of her Order, calmed Tianna, and she sat down. She looked to Kara who gave the smallest nod, before agreeing. “We have heard some things about these Black Jackets and agree with all your assessments. We will agree to do this for Phinelope and for our orders, but we will do this our own way. I do not guarantee a cold blooded murder. I will search for proof before I do anything so harsh, but those responsible for Phinelope’s death will pay.”

  “That is completely understandable. Do you require weapons or goods before you start? Anything in this shop is yours, I am here to help as I can. I mean it when I say that Phinelope meant a lot to me and to others. She tried to do some good in this world, even in a place as corrupt as Port Stone and the Swamp. Her work was true, and so were her friends. If you need anything else from me, do not hesitate to come back and ask.”

  With that, Delmar led him back out into the store, where they took him up on his offer, gathering supplies and each picking a new weapon from the wall. Kara chose a long sword, befitting her size and strength. Tianna, on the other hand, chose a new long bow, one stronger and tougher than the one she had brought on the trip. She could be deadly with a bow, and with a weapon as fine as this, well, she would be even more lethal, which she might need in this city.

  The quiet by nature Kara waited until they were outside the store, with promises to return when they had more news or when Alenon had been dealt with. “Now what? We can’t just wander around the Swamp asking questions in broad daylight. Plus, I am not sure that Delmar told us the whole truth. I think he does know members of our Orders, but he held something back, something important. I just don’t know what.”