Skulduggery 2

by Logan Jacobs

Chapter 7

  When I woke, I discovered they’d tied both of my hands to the wagon’s cage and chained my feet to the bench I sat on. I didn’t know how long it had been, but the moon had replaced the sun, so it must have been a few hours or so.

  I suddenly heard an elf click his tongue behind me, so I turned to look over my shoulder and saw him ride up next to the caged wagon on the horse I took from Adi’s. I was glad they didn’t leave it in the middle of my burnt hometown, but I doubted they’d give the horse back to me. The elves loved horses, and the one I took from Adi’s was in great shape.

  I sighed and gripped my aching head as I tried to get my bearings. I quickly realized we were back in the Elven District, but it was the part closer to the Entertainment District, not the Capital.

  “We appreciate you not resisting too much,” the elf who punched me said as he glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t you just love the night?”

  His skin looked brighter, and his voice was full of emotion now that the moon was out. He was definitely a night elf.

  “Where’re you taking me?” My throat burned with thirst as if I had inhaled the flames from the memory of my hometown.

  “I told you already, to see our new commander, who has taken an odd interest in you.” The elf breathed deeply, looked up toward the moon, and closed his eyes.

  It wasn’t until he said it the second time that I realized he said “new” commander.

  “What happened to the other commander?” I asked as my mind started to race with thoughts. The previous elven guard commander and I had an understanding. I’d feed him information and coin as long as he let me walk. It turned out to be a fruitful relationship and decent contact to have, especially as a thief.

  “Oh, you just reminded me, we have something to show you,” the elf said with his eyes still closed. “It should answer your question.”

  “I have no interest in seeing whatever it is you want to show me,” I snapped as I tried to tug my foot free from a shackle. “Just tell me what happened.”

  The wagon turned to the left and down a road that opened into a circular walled structure with a courtyard. There was a patch of blood stained rocks and a metal pole directly in the middle, and we stopped in front of the pole as another Elven Guard walked past.

  “I think you knew him, didn’t you?” The elf squinted at me, and his eyes glowed silver in the dark. “He admitted he knew you a few times before we strung him up there.”

  The pole was crusted with blue blood, and I saw the old commander’s head stuck on top. His lifeless body dangled on a wire beneath, like a cheap tree decoration at a macabre festival.

  “Yeah, he arrested me a few times,” I said as I scrunched my nose and pretended to be confused. “What did he do?”

  “Hmph,” the elf chuckled softly. “The sight of this doesn’t answer your question for you?”

  “Well, it’s not everyday you see an elf without a head.” I shrugged.

  “He committed treason against the elven empire, the worst kind of offense any elf, or any other race, could commit,” the officer said as he looked upon the lifeless corpse above us. “And to think I used to salute him.”

  “He buttfuck an orc or something?” I spat out the side of the wagon toward the death pole.

  “Watch your tongue, human,” the officer said as he narrowed his eyes at me. “Even a treasonous elf is more honorable than you.”

  “Keep telling yourself that,” I muttered as I wondered what the commander had told his successor before he was put to death. Obviously, it was something that intrigued the new pointy eared prick enough to hunt me down.

  I was going to need to talk my way out of this, or I’d join the elf commander on another pole right next to him.

  “We’ve seen enough,” the elf told the driver beside him, and we finally exited the area.

  We didn’t go too much further down the road until the wagon pulled over to the side and parked in front of a guard station. It was the same station I was brought to when I purposely got myself arrested a while back, but the familiar scene wasn’t very comforting, and my heart somehow managed to race even more in my chest.

  I needed to calm down and think, or I was going to die.

  “Will I get my horse back?” I asked as I noticed the elf steer the horse around the corner and vanish behind the station.

  “That’s the least of your concerns, human,” the elf who punched me snickered as he hopped down from the front seat and turned to address the driver. “Unchain him and bring him to the entrance.”

  “Of course,” the driver responded as he too jumped down from the wagon.

  The street lamps burned dimly and illuminated the street with a dull orange glow. I could barely see anything, but the night elves thrived in darkness, and this was exactly how much light they preferred.

  I heard moaning, so I strained my eyes and saw multiple shadows of people locked in pillories set on raised platforms in front of the guard’s building. I didn’t see Dar, Cimarra, or Penny, so that was a good sign. I was the only new bastard brought in.

  “Come on, human!” The driver unchained me from the bench and pulled me out of the wagon.

  Then he shoved me forward as we walked past the multiple captured criminals. Well, criminals according to the elven standards at least. They looked to all be men, and what I thought was a halfling on the end.

  “Please, please!” the captured criminal on the end sobbed as we walked toward the entrance of the station.

  I stopped mid-step and caused the driver to collide with me.

  That was no halfling or man.

  “Move!” The elf shoved me again, but my legs were locked in place, and my stomach clenched as if I’d just been punched in the gut.

  “You fuckin--” I snarled but quickly caught a slap to my face from the other elven asshole who waited for us by the door.

  Inside the last pillory, was a human child.

  A fucking child.

  The little boy’s head hung lifelessly in the middle hole of the device, and his arms were strapped to the sides with rope since the holes were too big for his thin arms.

  “Forward, the commander doesn’t like to wait.” Both elves escorted me into the building through the glass doors.

  “No cage this time?” I mocked as we passed the iron holding cells. The inside of the station was just as dimly lit as the outside, and the sweet smell of magic intertwined with sour sweat throughout the entire place.

  “He’ll be with you shortly, human,” the elf who punched me said, then he grabbed my wrists and freed me from the cuffs. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon.”

  “You will.” My voice rattled as I still pictured the captured child outside.

  The elf flared his nostrils, opened the door, and shoved me inside.

  Inside the room was a table with two metal chairs on each end. There was a small rectangular window on the far wall that allowed some orange light to flicker in from a lamppost outside, but if it weren’t for that, the room would’ve been pitch black.

  I shuffled to the chair on the far side and sat down.

  Then I lowered my aching head to the table, and thoughts of whiskey consumed my mind. Not only the fact that we were now behind in production, but I just wanted a fucking drink.

  I was supposed to be helping Penny with a water run, but knowing her, she’d get mad I stood her up and then work her ass off to do a better job of it herself, so she could complain to me about it for the next week. Cimarra could’ve helped her, of course, but I doubted the beautiful redhead would have wanted any assistance from my lover.

  At any rate, I just hoped they were getting the jobs done without me.

  That’s the thing with time, it never stops.

  Combine that natural law with the elves’ magic and their sun vs. moon tiff every hour, and it was impossible to know how much time we actually had.

  “Any advice?” I whispered into the room, and then I listened for a response from the keys.
<
br />   Nothing came.

  Instead, a clear thought of the painting in the elven noble’s home came into my mind.

  Fuck, we had a lot to do.

  For all I knew, I was about to be strung up next to the commander or put in a pillory until dawn. Anything but the strung up part was fine with me at this point as long as I got out of this place.

  Suddenly, I heard a few voices mumble just outside the door before it opened.

  “I assume you must be Wade?” A thin and tall shadow stood by the door with ruby eyes that glowed in the dark. The figure wore a commander’s uniform with pointed shoulders and no cloak.

  “Yes,” I grumbled, and he slid into the room and shut the door quietly behind him.

  I could see the pointed features of the elf’s face as he made his way to the chair. He looked handsome, like all the elves did, but he actually seemed to be older, or at least his face had some wrinkles. His eyes appeared cold, emotionless, and uninterested, so a bit of hope fluttered in my chest.

  Maybe he was just looking for information, and he didn’t want to kill me.

  “Do you need more light?” the commander asked as he got settled across from me. Then he placed a folder in front of him and folded his hands on top of it.

  “No.” I clenched my jaw when the thick syrupy smell of his magic hit my nose.

  “Delightful, then allow me to introduce myself,” the elf said as he lightly slapped the table in a cheerful way. “You can call me Commander Vardreth.”

  An awkward silence followed as he awaited some sort of response from me.

  “Great,” I muttered. “You already know me, so … ”

  “That I do.” The commander opened up the folder in front of him and used his finger as a guide as he read to himself. “You were in here quite a few times before, yeah?”

  “Sure.” I nodded and awaited his next question.

  “I bet you’re wondering why you’re here now? Why our Elven kind would care to talk with someone like you?” His ruby stare lifted from the folder and onto me.

  I was starting to sense what this Vardreth was doing. He didn’t have shit on me, except my name from the old commander’s mouth. If he had anything on me, I’d be dead by now, or lifting boulders just like Skam did.

  Elves didn’t hesitate with punishment. So, he was trying to get me to say something stupid.

  “Yeah, what interest does an elf like you have with a human like me?” I asked as I leaned back in the stiff chair.

  “I understand you were made aware of our regime change that took place recently.” The commander tapped his sharp chin with a long pointed nail from his index finger.

  “You mean the decapitated elf I was shown on the pole?” I asked and leaned forward in the chair. “I just want to understand what you’re talking about, Commander.”

  “Hmph … ” The elf paused, and a smile slowly formed on his thin lips. “Yes, that would be what I’m talking about.”

  “Well, then yeah, I was made aware of the situation,” I replied and watched the elf’s eyes twitch slightly. “I’m guessing you’d like me to ask: ‘what does that have to do with me?’”

  “Precisely, good job following along.” The elf scooted his chair back and stood up. “I wanted you to see the old commander in his current state because I had heard a few stories about your history with him.”

  “The history of me being arrested?” I asked and pointed to his folder. “We already confirmed that.”

  “Don’t play me for a fool, human.” The elf pushed his chair in to the table and held his hands behind his back. “I’m well aware of the bribery that takes place between the guilds and some of my own kind.”

  “Okay … ” I said as I tilted my head to the side and narrowed my eyes.

  “How an elf can even consider dealing with your kind in such a way is revolting,” the elf said as he scrunched his sharp nose. “So, I’m making it my mission to put an end to that nonsense.”

  “Well, that’s--”

  “Not that you care, right?” the commander cut me off as he began to walk around the table. “But I do want to talk to you about something you should care about.”

  “Okay, what should I care about?” I asked.

  “We paid multiple visits to the Thief’s Guild in the Halfling District, or your home, and took notice you don’t spend that much time there these days.” The elf paused and looked at me for an answer.

  “Is, uh, is that a question?” I asked.

  “Do you still live at the guild?” Vardreth questioned as he dragged his pointed fingernail along the metal surface of the table.

  “Why would I?” I watched his finger move off the table’s ledge.

  “Now, I’m confused,” the commander began. “Wouldn’t you still need to provide for the guild? No matter how many of you were killed?”

  “I am,” I said as I stared directly in front of me, “but I’m also laying low since my entire guild was nearly wiped out, and the killers are still running free.”

  “And you think those killers are still after you?” The elf questioned.

  “Why wouldn’t they be?” I asked. “Unless you caught those responsible, I can’t return to the guild.”

  Even though the bastard had nothing on me, I could tell he was probing me, and I needed to be careful with my answers. If he wanted to, he could kill me at any moment.

  “I think we’re close to finding the responsible party,” the commander said. “I don’t want you to think I actually care what you miscreants do to one another, but when the empire is affected, I take that very seriously.”

  “How do the murders of my entire guild affect the empire?” I asked. I wasn’t sure where he was going with his questions.

  Did he know about the keys?

  “That’s for me to worry about, human.” The elf’s eyes narrowed as he smiled down at me. “Do you have any idea who could’ve killed your guild members?”

  “I don’t.” I shrugged. “Probably another guild.”

  “What do you think would cause another guild to do such a … ” the commander smirked, “horrendous act?”

  “Again, I don’t know,” I replied. “I’m just a thief.”

  “Right,” the elf sighed as he looked toward the small window in the room. “Things are about to change around here. Your kind has been too free for too long.”

  “If that’s what you think, commander,” I said as I watched his hand curl into a tight fist.

  “That is what I think!” Vardreth snarled as he slammed his fist onto the metal table, breathed in sharply, and then removed his hand from the dent he made. “We’ll be watching you, human.”

  Crazy fucker.

  The elf snatched up the folder on the table, strode to the door, and then opened it. He muttered something in Elvish to the guard and nodded toward me. Then the guard came in and pulled me up from the chair.

  “So, we’re done?” I asked as the guard opened the glass doors and shoved me out onto the street. “What about my horse?”

  The elven guard just grunted and shut the door in my face.

  I adjusted my shirt and turned to face the direction I last saw the elf take the horse. As I did, I noticed the child in the pillory had either been set free or died while I was being interrogated. I hoped the child was either free in this life or the next.

  The commander was right. Things were changing, but I had my own plans on what change I wanted to see.

  I just needed to make sure my plans succeeded before his did.

  But first, I wanted my horse back, so I made my way to the corner of the elven station and followed the wall of the building until it led me behind the structure.

  I crouched low and saw they had three horses tied to a railing about fifteen feet from the back door. Said door sat on top of four stone stairs that was dimly lit with a lantern hanging on the wall, and across the yard on the other side was a metallic storage shed with bolted double doors. I assumed that’s where they stored some of their equi
pment. Next to the shed was an alley that was used as a shooting range like the one we saw when we entered the Capital District.

  “What’re we doing with all of these?” an elven voice asked from somewhere in the darkness.

  I turned toward the voice and saw two slim figures standing next to the horses.

  “Not sure,” another elf responded. “I think they all belong to the scum in the pillories.”

  I wasn’t going to force anything. I didn’t want to get caught over a horse, but if they went inside, I was going to make my move.

  Maybe I was just being stubborn, but we needed the horse for our business, and I didn’t want to have to shell out more coin to get another one either.

  They didn’t come cheap.

  “Beautiful creatures, aren’t they?” the other elf cooed as he patted each horse.

  Then the back door screeched open.

  “You two done playing rancher?” another elf asked from the opened door, and I recognized his voice. He was the elf who punched me. “Commander Vardreth would like to speak to you both about your next assignment.”

  “Of course,” both of the elves by the horses responded, and then they followed the other inside the station.

  Now was my chance.

  I stayed low to the ground as I moved into the dirt yard toward where the horses were hitched. I could tell right away which one was mine since it had a white patch on its side just below the saddle.

  “Hey, boy,” I whispered as I rested my hand on his flank. “Let’s break you outta here.”

  The horse neighed softly and pulled its head back as if to say he was attached to the railing.

  “I got you,” I said as I reached around the horse and untied the rope from the fence.

  Suddenly, the back door swung open, and I ducked behind the horse quickly. Then I peeked over the saddle and saw the two elves standing in the doorway in the middle of a discussion.

  “I don’t underst--” one of the elves said as he turned around to face whoever he was talking to. When he did that, the door closed behind him. They were both still inside.

  “Shit,” I hissed to the horse as I took a deep breath and heard my heart slam in my ears. “That was close.”

  If I was going to move it had to be now.