by Jamie Davis
After guiding the horse around a line of row houses, she went down an alley behind the homes and stopped in the cover provided by some high wooden fences on either side. In the shadows here, Cari changed back into her own clothes, praising heaven above to be able to put on her normal, comfortable clothing again, including her spandex sports bra. She wished she had more of those with her than just the one. It was worth its weight in gold.
Back in the outfit she’d worn when first arriving in Fantasma, Cari let the horse loose to roam and find its own way home. She decided she was never putting on another dress again, at least not if it was part of a plan that left her all but defenseless when it inevitably went south.
Now, she was on foot and could move through the city without drawing as much attention. Making a snap decision and selecting a direction, Cari started towards the southern edge of the city. That was where she assumed she’d find the Caravan Gate and the tavern known as The Last Retreat.
On the way, Cari dodged into a hiding place in a hurry as a patrol of mounted guardsmen rode past. She spotted others in the distance on three different occasions. They roamed the city in groups of four or five and appeared to be searching the few pedestrians out and about on the late-night streets. She had no doubt it was her for whom they searched.
Taking care to avoid detection, Cari was able to reach the Southern Gate where she saw travelers of all sorts entering and exiting the city, despite the late hour. She also saw more people of different races, including more goblins, orcs, and elves than she’d seen in any other part of the Crystal City. This had to be the Caravan Gate for sure.
The relative hustle and bustle of this district in the middle of the night disoriented her for a bit. She wasn’t sure where to start looking for the tavern in question, so she just asked a few passersby.
“The Last Retreat? Have you ever heard of it?”
An orcish guard finally answered her in his gravelly voice. “It’s over that way on the right-hand side of the street. Look for the sign with a broken war banner painted on it.”
“Thank you, friend.”
“No problem, miss. Be wary. It can be a rough sort of place.”
“I can take care of myself. Thank you again.”
The orc flashed her a grin around his protruding lower tusks and went on his way, disappearing into the crowd again.
Cari marveled at how the people who most would consider the scariest were the friendliest here, and the so-called pretty people like the Duke, and even Timron, were the ones she must be wary of.
Walking down the street in the direction the orc had indicated, Cari noted The Last Retreat was just where he’d said it was. The sign stuck out above the door, suspended from a crossbar extending out from the second floor of the tavern by a few links of iron chain. It did indeed have a painted picture of a wooden staff sporting a horizontal, triangular banner. The banner tilted to one side above the place where the staff was broken.
Cari pushed open the door and went inside. A wave of raucous voices and music met her as she walked into the common room. If an establishment’s quality was to be gauged by its popularity, The Last Retreat must serve excellent food and beverages. Cari’s stomach growled loud enough she heard it over the rumble of voices in the common room. She remembered how hungry she was. Her escape caused her to skip her evening meal, and the Duke’s men hadn’t been feeding her very much anyway with the other two meals she’d had.
She had no money in her pouch. The guards had emptied the few coins she had there. They left her phone and credit chip even though those artifacts would have been worth a great deal more to the right collector.
Deciding it didn’t do any good to start begging for food, Cari went about looking for her potential benefactor, Harley Denne. She figured begging would get her kicked out as soon as she started. Better to find help first.
A cursory examination of the crowd didn’t reveal him to her, and she opted to ask for him at the bar.
“Harley?” the barmaid said as she drew a tankard of ale from the enormous keg lying on its side at the end of the bar. “I haven’t seen him yet tonight. He usually don’t come in until he finishes his late shift at the Western Gate. Who should I say’s looking for him?”
“Just tell him it’s an old family friend of his gramps. I’ll find a seat over by the musicians to wait for him.”
“Can I get you a drink or some food while you wait?”
“I’m a little tapped out, I’m afraid. I recently fell on some hard times. I’ll just wait, if that’s alright.”
“No, it’s not alright, missy.” The barmaid looked Cari up and down as she said it.
The response made Cari step back, thinking she was going to be ejected. She was about to argue her case but stopped as the woman behind the bar continued, a broad smile appearing on her face.
“I’ve had my share of tough times. There’s no reason we can’t spare a single tankard of ale and a plate of mutton stew for you. If you’re a family friend of Harley’s like you said, you’re good for it. His gramps fought in the war with my grandfather right before he came back and opened this tavern. My name is Mitzi, Mitzi Berry.”
The woman handed Cari the tankard she’d just filled and reached for another.
“Go and have a seat. I’ll have one of the girls bring you out some food. You look like you’ve had a long day.”
“Thank you, Mitzi. You have no idea how true that is.”
Cari raised the tankard and took a sip while she weaved her way through the crowded establishment. She found a small table just vacated by a couple who looked like they were headed off to find a place to be alone for a while.
The ale was strong, and Cari tried to pace herself on an empty stomach while she waited for the food to arrive. It wasn’t long before a brown-haired waitress, close to Cari’s age, carried a tray of food over.
“Mitzi says you’re hungry. Here’s a big bowl of stew, and I found a half-loaf of bread another table didn’t want to finish to add to the bounty. Let me know if that’s not enough.”
“Oh, no, this is wonderful. Thank you.”
“Good enough. I’ll be back to check on you in a little while. Flag me down if you need anything before then.”
The waitress left to deliver the rest of the food on her tray, and Cari started to eat while she listened to the three musicians performing on the small platform stage nearby.
There was a guy playing something like a guitar but with only five strings, a woman playing a wooden flute, and a goblin boy playing a hide-covered drum. It seemed an odd combination, but Cari found she liked the music they produced, and soon, she was tapping her foot along with one song after another while she waited.
She remembered she’d leveled up again and took this opportunity to distribute her new attribute points. She dropped them into her charm attribute. They’d come in handy when dealing with the Duke. Cari used the single skill point to upgrade her new feint ability to level two.
The waitress dropped off a second bowl of the excellent stew when she picked up the empty one. Cari leaned over and dug in again. It was good.
A voice interrupted her in mid-bite.
“I didn’t really think you were who you said you were, yet here you are,” Harley said. “How’d you escape?”
The city guardsman stood across the table from her, an incredulous look spreading across his face.
“It wasn’t easy and they’re out looking for me all over the city.”
“I know. They brought your description back to the Western Gate just in case you came that way again. I couldn’t believe it at first and thought the Duke’s man was joking with me.”
Harley sat down at the small table’s other chair and leaned forward. “He said you killed five men all by yourself in the escape.”
“They all had it coming, believe me.” Cari pushed the bowl away, having suddenly lost her appetite.
“You really are her, aren’t you?”
“I suppose so. To me, I’m
just, well — me. Nothing special.”
Harley apparently didn’t know what to say to that, and he fell silent for a time while the two of them listened to the music.
Cari drained the last of her ale to help banish her dark thoughts. The slight buzz from the alcohol helped a little bit, and she wished she had some more. That wasn’t going to help her get out of here and on her way to Morton Creek, wherever that was.
“Harley, you said you could help me if I managed to escape. Well, here I am. I have to get out of the city and make my way south to the coast.”
“You’re not going to get out through any of the usual gates, not anytime soon anyway.”
“But I have to catch up with my friends. It’s been at least two days already.”
“I understand that, Princess, but your description has been circulated to every watchman and guard in the whole city. The Duke has put a price on your head of five hundred gold crowns. It’s enough to make most people rich for life.”
Cari didn’t know if she should be flattered or worried by the news of a price on her head.
“What’s to keep you from turning me in, Harley?”
“I told you. I’m a loyal servant of the Empress, and like I said before, I believe in all the old stories. My gramps never told me a single lie as I grew up. I always knew the stories he told had to have at least a hint of truth to them. Now that I’ve learned who you are, I find that I believe them even more. I’d be crazy to line up on the side against the Dix lineage in the coming fight. I’m with you.”
“How come you think there’s gonna be some kind of fight? I just want to get out of the city. I’m not sticking around to raise some sort of rebellion.”
“Princess, why else would you be here when someone is trying to take the throne from the Empress if it wasn’t to help fight the Duke? I’m with you. You’ll be back.”
“Alright, if you’re with me, then first of all, stop calling me ‘princess.’ I may technically be a princess according to your rules, but I wasn’t raised that way, and calling me that will only draw more attention to me. Got it?”
“Yes, Pr-, I mean, yes, uh, Cari.”
“Better. Now, you said I can’t get out of the city by the gates. It sounds like there’s another way.”
“There is, but we’ll need to be careful. I know some people who could help you, but they’re not the most trustworthy folks in the city, if you know what I mean.”
“I get it, they’re part of some criminal underworld, right?”
“Something like that. I can’t vouch for them other than I know they smuggle things in and out of the city. I figure they should be able to smuggle a person, too.”
Cari couldn’t argue with the logic of the statement, but she was wary of putting her trust in people of questionable moral quality when she had a price on her head. Still, she didn’t have the luxury of being choosy in her options. She’d have to trust Harley and his contacts if she wanted to catch up to Rodrigo and the Prince in Morton Creek.
“When do we meet your friends, Harley?”
“We can go now. It’s best to travel at night when people won’t recognize you as easily by your description. I’m sure more will be out scouring the city for you tomorrow, so we should get you into hiding tonight.”
Cari stood as Harley got up. “Lead on, my man. I’m kind of at your mercy here.”
“No worries. I won’t lead you wrong.”
Together, the two of them headed out of the tavern and back into the night’s chill. Cari hoped this whole thing worked out. She was putting a lot of trust in a guy who decided he believed in what amounted to tall tales told by his grandfather.
Quest accepted: Escape the city.
Chapter 16
The Crystal City, grand capital of the Empire, sat astride the River Mepesi. Harley led Cari through the city’s streets to the part of the city called “The Banks” by the city’s residents. Here, the river passed through the city via a system of canals, each crossed by bridges of all shapes and sizes, from simple footbridges to broad stone structures built to carry freight wagons laden with goods.
Harley brought her to this part of the city by navigating through back alleys and secondary streets, keeping away from the major thoroughfares. It was a route only a city native could follow, and because it avoided the main roads, they only had to hide from a roving patrol once. Cari would have never been able to find her way using this route on her own. She was already hopelessly lost after all the twists and turns taken by her guide.
As they reached the edge of the district, Harley stopped and surveyed the expanse of the first bridge they must cross from the shadows of a nearby alley.
“Are you looking for something, Harley?” Cari asked.
“Each of these neighborhood enclaves between the canals is run by a different smuggling family. Generally, they allow free passage across the bridges and through their area of control, but if someone here knows about the reward on your head and has your description, it could mean trouble. If I were to decide to capture you, this would be the place to do it. We must be careful crossing the bridges.”
“How many of these enclaves must we pass through to get to your friend?”
“Three. The last is the enclave run by the person I think can and will help you escape the city, though he might exact a price of some sort.”
“That sounds ominous. I don’t have any money, Harley.”
“He’s a trader of many things, including information. I’m sure we’ll be able to come to some sort of agreement with him.”
Harley returned to scanning the sparse bridge traffic for trouble while Cari checked over her stats before they continued across the bridge. She still hadn’t returned to full health, but she didn’t have time to waste searching for a healer or an apothecary selling potions. Her priority now was to get out of the city.
Name: Cari Dix
Class: Duelist
Level: 6
Attributes:
Brawn: 10 — +1 to hit/damage
Wisdom: 8
Luck: 10 —+1 to all saving throws
Speed: 18 — +5 defense
Charm: 14 — +3 personal reaction
Health: 52/60
Skills: Two-weapon combat, Acrobatic dodge — 2, Multi-foe tactics — 2, Feint — 2.
Experience: 7,500/9,600
Cari closed the menu and turned back to Harley.
“Let’s go. I feel like the longer we stay here, the sooner another patrol of the Duke’s men will come along.”
“Alright, stay close to me, Cari. If we are confronted, let me do the talking and don’t draw any weapons unless they draw first.”
Cari nodded and followed Harley, who stepped out of the shadows in which they’d been hiding. Together, they headed across the first of the three bridges they had to cross.
The first two crossings passed without incident. Only a few people were up and about at this late hour, and those all kept to their own business.
On the last bridge crossing, however, two men stepped out from the shadows just as Cari and Harley passed the center of the span.
“Look, Red, I told you we should watch the bridges.”
“You were right, Ritchie. You said the one the guard is looking for might try to cut through The Banks, and look, there she is.”
Harley held up his hands in front of him, showing he held no weapons. “I don’t know who you’re looking for, but this is my sister. We’re headed to meet a friend near here.”
“Well, mister,” the one called Ritchie said. “Your sister looks a lot like a woman with a price on her head. I’ll tell you what… Come with us peacefully, and if she’s not the one they’re looking for, you can go about your business.”
“But then we’ll be late for our prior engagement,” Harley said. “I’m telling you, this is not a wanted criminal. She’s with me. Can’t you see I’m wearing the badge of the city watch?”
“Yeah, I still think we should take her in and let the Duke’s
guard decide if she’s the right one or not. What do you think, Red?”
“I think it would be better to take her in than to let her go.”
“See, friend, I’m afraid your sister must come with us.”
“I’ll not go anywhere with you,” Cari said, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword. “If you want to come and try to take me, you’ll be met with bare steel.”
A new voice sounded, coming from the darkness to the left of the bridge.
“There’ll be no blood spilled in our enclave this evening. Safe passage is guaranteed to all. That is the rule of this travelers’ enclave. We enforce it. We live by it and you both know that.”
Red and Ritchie seemed to lose their bluster, and they each took a step back from the end of the bridge.
Four hooded men in black cloaks climbed up and over the low stone rail at the far side of the bridge, close to where the two would-be abductors stood. Ritchie held out his hands, palms wide in surrender as he spoke to the newcomers.
“I didn’t mean no harm, sir. My brother and I were just trying to make some money. That’s all. There’s a price on that woman’s head, I’m sure of it. The Duke’d appreciate it if you turned her over to him.”
The man at the front of the quartet, standing with his back to Cari and Harley, pointed down the street to the next bridge in the distance.
“The right of passage is guaranteed to all who pass. That includes you. Go on your way and leave these people to their travels. If you choose to remain after you’ve made threats inside this enclave, we will assume your intentions are vile and must be dealt with. Go now and you may leave in peace. Remain and you’ll leave in pieces, fed to the carp in the canals.”
The two men backed away a few more steps then turned and ran down the street, crossing the next bridge and disappearing into the darkness of the next enclave. The man leading the group turned around and lowered his hood.
“Well, my girl,” Merrick, the loan shark, said. “It seems you’ve found your way into trouble once more.”