by Pwyll Duggan
The dock and warehouse are of course on this side of the river, at the southern edge of the village. Lanterns shine from the wide river boat, more a barge really. A small wide sail would hang from the two masts, helping it travel up stream to get here. The trip back is with the slow current.
The dock is small and reinforced with stone on the riverbank. Wooden ramps lead up to the dirt road and then across into the large warehouse.
Only three people are visible on the grounds. Two guards and the boats captain. He's pacing back and forth, heavy robe open, billowing as he moves. He sees his men, stops and then frowns. Five instead of four. Shadows move from the rear of the warehouse and the two guards are captured and dragged inside. The captain doesn't notice. His hand reaches for the sword at his side.
"What is the meaning of this Ken?" The Captain demands.
"Captain Han, Lady Rika wishes for some of your time." The lead thief speaks. Han hesitates, starts to turn and then freezes, a shadow at his back. Rika steps forward and speaks.
"Captain Han. I just need to confirm some information before you and your crew return to the boat. You were hired to retrieve stolen property from a residence?"
He stutters his answer. "Ye.. ye.. yes My Lady."
"Three Spears and an Axe?"
"Yes, My Lady."
"Your crew was also asked to escort an independent contractor to 'talk' to the owner of the house?"
"Yes, My Lady."
"And you were hired by?"
"Lord Yuji and then Lord Julius added the other man."
"Are you sure of this?"
"Yes, my Lady, under writ to the Trader's Guild." He reaches to pull something out of his jacket and the shadow lays a blade on his shoulder. He freezes, beads of sweat on his hairline.
"Allow me Captain Han." Rika reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded paper. She opens it and tilts it to read under the lantern light. She nods at the shadow behind him and continues. "It all looks in order. My thanks. Have a safe journey to Daisen." She performs a slight bow and walks away. I turn and follow her, hurrying to keep up.
One of the shadows meets her at the bridge and talks to her as I catch up.
"Uncle Kenta's home it is then. Paul, I'll get us in, after that, do as you see fit." The iron in her voice matches her body language and she storms off over the bridge. Clomping of hooves and the creaking of wheels from behind me, leads to a centaur pulled cart passing me. The centaur and the passengers in the cart are all decked out in black. Reinforcements.
I run to catch up to Rika as she sets a speed walking pace. The houses on this side are all larger and better maintained. More lanterns abound, as do paper streamers, covered in sigils and runes. To keep away the night ones? As we travel further east the path widens and is now pathed with higher quality cobblestone. We branch off to the right and a small estate is laid out before us. There are Lanterns on either side of the main gate, and two guards armed with spears on duty.
Rika has raised her hood again, and is walking down the center of the road. As we approach the gate, one guard raises his hand. He speaks, but in a language I don’t understand. Rika pauses and responds, in trade tongue. "We are expected. Trade Guild delivery."
"Writ?" Rika holds out the paper, showing the guard. He reaches for it. She pulls it back. "I need that for payment."
"I have instructions to take that then escort you in."
"In that case we will keep the delivery and leave. I need the writ as proof of service." The guard hesitates, then shrugs.
"Fine. Let's get you inside. Too cold out here anyway." He opens the gate and motions the other guard. "Straight to Lord Kenta's Guest area. Follow the noise." The guard nods and leads us in.
The gardens and grounds are immaculate. Pristine small trees, shrubs and flowering plants are all over. It must look amazing during the day. We are led along a path that winds around the house, white pebbles under our feet. I hear muffled sounds behind us and notice one of the lanterns at the gate go out. Reinforcements at work.
We pass no other guards as we wander around the house. Most of the house, mansion really, is darkened. Stone and wood construction with a large wooden patio running around the outside. As we approach the rear of the house, we see light, party noises, and laughter reach our ears. The sound of girls giggling and men roaring, and joking can be heard. The sound of running water and a blazing fire also comes from the long back room of the house.
The long wooden hall is attached to the rear of the house by a few stone rooms. The hall is partial open, flame pits and barely dressed people surround an indoor pond and pool. Young girls dressed as servants deliver food and drinks to the Five men and ten scantily clad women in and around the pool. The guard motions for us to wait and goes up the stone steps to the patio near the long hall. A serving girl sees him and rushes over to one of the men, center of attention of three of the women.
He looks up, and says something to the other men nearby. Two rise, Lord Yuji and Julius, who grab two robes and cover up. They are speaking and smiling, but my lack of understanding isn't helped by my ability to only speak bad English. The girls are laughing and nodding, as I guess they are paid too, or need too. The men head to one of the stone rooms and the guard returns to us. "This way." He leads us to a heavy stone door with a metal slit at the rear of the house.
The slit slides open, just like a prison cell door, or those guarded club entrances. Eyes peer out and bolts are thrown open and the heavy door swings open. It's 3-foot-thick and solid stone. Our guard waits outside as another one lets us in. My package is over my shoulder and I have to get most of the way into the room before I look around. It's a security room. Four guards, bunks and restroom of to the side. The guard looks at us then demands. "Weapons."
I pull out two daggers we ‘borrowed’ from the thieves and Rika does the same. They look bored and take the daggers placing them on a shelf. One moves to an internal wooden door, knocks twice and pushes it open. He stands back as we walk past. The new room is a large and extremely well-furnished office. Twin mahogany desks, couches, chairs and large book cases.
Floating light spheres hover across the ceiling and reflect slightly off the wooden panels on the walls. A large steel and stone cabinet squats behind one of the desks in the far corner. Another wooden door, this one barred, leads out opposite from where we came.
Lord Yuji and Julius are sitting on the couch, drinks in hand. Julius to Lord Yuji's left. Standing on Yuji’s other side is Lord Kenta, they are separated from us by a small table in the center of the room. Lord Kenta is a large balding man. No-one would ever consider him handsome or muscular. What's left of his wispy hair is trying to vainly cover his bald head. He claps rapidly. "Yes, yes. On the table please." Rika raises a hand to stop me and extends her other hand.
"Of course, of course. Payment as promised." Kenta goes over to the stone cabinet, opens the front and removes two pouches. The cabinet is full of pouches, papers and small valuable items. Ahh, their safe. I do notice that the wall behind us is bare stone, throwing contrast to the rest of the room. Rika walks forward to get the pouches as I place the wrapped bundle on the table, it's long size just fitting on the table. I begin unwrapping it as Kenta passes the two pouches to Rika. As she goes to grab them from his right hand, I notice Kenta flexing his left and it has a ring on it, the same as I am wearing.
As the bundle opens on the table, I whip up the end of my staff, slapping Kenta's left hand away from Rika. A brilliant white bolt of light flashes out as his wrist snaps from the force, shooting through Julius’ outstretched arm and into Yuji's body. The left half of Yuji's body melts under the beam, his forearm falling to the floor. Julius is thrown back onto the couch, clutching the stump of his left hand. Kenta is trying to scream as Rika twists out the dagger she has thrust under his arm, blood spurting out. She rips off her hood and looks into the dying eyes of her Uncle.
As Kenta gurgles blood he hears her ice-cold voice.
"You just killed your brot
her, maimed your heir and was assassinated by your niece. The plaything that you wanted but never got to have, regardless of how often you tried to get your slimy hands on me. This is my family now." Her dagger plunges into his eye, ending his gurgles. I put my staff to Julius throat, so he can't scream, waiting on her.
She strips the rings off his body and goes behind the first desk, opening draws. Julius attempts to move and I push, just a little and he gasps and stops, tears streaming down his face. He starts to sob. She pulls out a draw, empties it on the floor and starts piling the safe contents into it. She ends up with three draws full by the time she finishes. She then searches the book shelves, collecting tomes and ledgers as she finds them.
"Your brother?" I ask.
"Can I trust you in the future Brother? Will you serve this family, my family, as I tell you to?" Rika is cold and steady, nothing in her voice. Julius' voice is panicky and tearful.
"Yes, I swear. Don't kill me." Rika grins and looks me in the eye as she says.
"I won't kill you." I get the message and push, hard. The end of my staff crushes his neck against the stone wall before he can even move. I hold it there as Rika comes over. She reaches down, takes his severed hand and removes the ring off it. She tosses the hand onto Julius' lap then walks under the staff, ignoring her brother and searches Yuji’s body. The extra rings go into the pile on the desk.
Rika wraps the drawers in the cloth I bought our bundle of sticks in, tying the top. I pick up one of the Lord's drinks and sniff the contents. Very Alcoholic. I tip it on the floor and test the weight of the glass.
"I take it you have an idea for the guards?" Rika points at the glass.
"Try some new spells, I think. Get ready to bar this door." I set delay to seven, cast it and fireball on the glass. I get near the door, Rika behind me with the bar. I open the door a fraction, roll in the glass and slam the door shut, Rika dropping the bar down. I lean against the door, counting. "1 Mississippi 2 Mississippi 3 Mississippi 4 Mississippi 5 Mississippi." There's a boom and a huge pressure wave hits the door, almost buckling it inwards. Smoke starts to leak under the door and around the edges, since the door and frame are now damaged.
I pull open the door, staff in hand. Smoke billows out and clears the room. Nothing is moving inside. What little remains is in ruins. I can't tell guards from furniture at this stage. We cross to the exit and open the stone door. As we close it behind us, I strike the slit with my staff, buckling it so they can't slide it open from this side. I carry our bundle in my left hand, staff low in my right and we walk down the path and away.
Rika is straight and stiff as she walks, but the odd tremble comes through. I make sure I'm next to her as we arrive at the gate. It opens as we get there, one of our shadows at the gate. The street side of the gate has three bundled up guards, hogtied and hooded. Rika barely acknowledges them as she keeps walking. The shadows drag the guards inside the gate and dump them.
I toss my staff to one of the shadows and walk next to Rika. She starts to shake, and I put my arm around her, hugging her close as we walk away slowly.
She starts crying at the bridge and doesn't stop. Even when I put her to bed, hugging her close. She falls asleep on my chest, a disheveled mess.
I lay there in the dark. I really have become a killer. What worries me is that I don't care. It feels normal? Right? It just is. Maybe this is my new normal now. What if I am the law and order now? Can I live with that? And do I have a choice.
Maybe I never had a choice at all.
And that scares me more than anything. Stones deciding what I can and can't do. Terminator 2 pops in my head. 'No fate but what you make.'
I'll choose my own path.
Maybe I do have a choice after all.
Chapter Sixteen
Before dawn breaks across the sky, I'm with Chen at the gate. Cart nearby, ready to go.
"It will be one huge shit storm today. You got this?" Chen's tapping on his new spear.
"Shit Storm. I like that one." He nods to himself then looks up. "They broke both the Duke's and the King's laws. They had it coming. I have guards patrolling and my Captain is coming to meet you tonight. I think she would like a spear too. Can't hurt."
"Greasing the wheels for me?"
"Lady Rika really. Seems she will be the new Trader's Guild representative. Means a lot more wheels will need greasing." I move up to the cart and start pushing it along. Four wheels, stacked with goods tied down. It has a strong hand brake but steers like a brick. Reminds me of my first rust bucket of a car. Good times. Four soldiers have formed a square around us as we walk and talk.
"Did Rika buy your loyalty?"
"In a way. Being the third son, I have no real prospects apart from using my military career to advance. Believe it or not, I would like to try farming." I stop, look at him then keep moving. He raises a hand.
"I know. There's something about it. Growing, building, creating. It appeals to me. Rika promised low rent land, assistance in setting it up and work for those that like the military life as house guards. That's more prospects than these men would ever expect to see. It also helps that the village is short on males." He laughs at that. They all have a hard life, with hard choices. I don't blame them. At all.
Mari and Amaya are on the steps of the temple as we pass, two new girls with them. They both wave, with their new charges slowly doing the same. The soldiers stop at the wall. I stop the cart and turn to Chen.
"See you tonight Officer."
"Good Hunting Shielder." I wave and push the cart off road, heading to my little stream as false dawn spreads across the horizon. Another day beyond the wall.
I push the cart through the wall, breaking thru takes more effort than I expected. I'm breathing heavily as I arrive on the other side, mini workout over. I panic and look around, knowing how vulnerable I am. Just tree trunks as far as the dawning light lets me see. Scanning back and forth the tree line looks clear and I notice a small web flag, blowing in the gentle dawn breeze.
I push the cart slowly over the exposed land, with my bow leaning across the two handles. The terrain is soggy, as if it just finished raining. No clouds in the sky and the stream is a little faster, slightly fuller. Could each side have its own weather? More I don't know.
As I approach the tree line, I can see Student up in the trees watching. She notices I see her and waves enthusiastically, maybe a little too much.
I get past the tree line and stop, panting. Carts are not off-road vehicles. Student descends from the trees.
"Good morning Paul. Maybe next time just bring bags? I can then meet you and strap them to me." She's smiling, and I hand her a small cloth bundle.
"Try not to make much of a mess. And Good Morning to you as well Student." That seems so strange to say as she's not a Student anymore. Her eyes all light up at the bundle. She expertly opens the knot on top and ‘ahh's’ at the contents.
"Rice balls, pastries and noodles!" she starts to pick something out and I stop her.
"Are We safe here?" She looks up and dismisses my comment casually.
"Oh yeah. The patrol is webbed up behind me. Go get the spirita and come back. I have already salvaged their useful equipment." She waves her hand at the bushes behind her. Five small cocoons and one slightly larger one are there, squirming away. This is my life now and I have little choice. I draw my elven dagger and slice each throat, collecting the Spirita Aqua as I go. I'm already numb before I start, the feeling of spirita going up my arm to my chest hardly registers.
"You really don't like killing, do you? But you do it anyway?" Student is munching away at a pastry, watching my actions.
"I have little choice. Kill or be Killed. If I don't, the village dies."
"That is how our world works. Not everyone can be saved. Your actions saved Merryn yesterday. Nir would like to thank you. Merryn as well. And we can deliver the food and supplies. The families are going to be so happy. You can still help people while you do what you must."
&nbs
p; "You are right Student. Now how will we carry all this?"
"Unpack it and I'll strap it down on my back. No treetop walking, but we just follow this stream until it joins the next one and gets bigger - back to its source." She brightens up. "We'll be there in time for breakfast - great, I can show off my new friend to them."
I start unpacking and stacking the goods and Student reaches behind her and pulls off a small backpack from her supplies. She coughs and blushes as I watch her.
"Paul. Um...ahh... I made you something. Here." She passes me the pack. It's my size, made of silk that doesn't flex at the touch. I run my hand over it. So smooth and yet tough. The top has a flap and a drawstring inside. The workmanship is amazing. I can't see any seams at all. The back section is rigid.
"Thought you could use that. There's more inside." She's rocking back and forth, as if very nervous. She doesn't know what to do with her hands. I open the drawstring and pull out the contents. It's a waist length black silk shirt. I heft it up and down. A little heavy as it seems to be padded with plates, hard plates.
"It's an Arachne Steel Silk shirt, a sort of gambeson. Since you lost yours yesterday I made that for you last night." She's nervous as she speaks. I rush her and hug her tight, squashing her a little.
"Thank you, Student. They are both awesome. No one has ever done that for me." She's unsure of what to do at first, then she puts her arms around me and hugs back. I whisper in her ear.
"Thank you. We need to find you are proper name. Student was your previous occupation. I don't see you as a student. More of an adventurer? Do you want a new name? I didn't ask, sorry."
"We tried in the Grove but none of them felt right." She's still hugging me, even after I let go.