by Scott Baron
“Okay, let’s get this show on the road.”
Visla Jinnik woke from his fitful nap at the sound of gruff voices drawing near. He sat up in his dimly lit cell and watched the entry spell disengage. The two Tslavar guards strode in and roughly tossed Henni’s unconscious body onto her cot.
“What did you do to her?” Jinnik demanded to know.
“Shut up,” the now-bandaged Tslavar said with an annoyed snarl.
Jinnik clocked the newly dressed injury. From what he could tell, it seemed to be about the size of a bite. A bite from a rather small prisoner, in fact. Jinnik kept a straight face, but his amusement, and esteem for his cellmate, increased.
The guards took the man’s silence for concern, likely not only for the girl, but for himself as well. He didn’t dare raise too much of a fuss. Not while restrained in his control collar. And on top of that, they knew what a drain the chair was on him. In fact, if they weren’t careful, it was quite possible they could drain him to the point of death.
The duo laughed maliciously at the formerly powerful man’s silence and strode from the cell, locking the pair in once more, leaving them alone in the empty holding area. Jinnik studied the unconscious girl’s face with concern.
Henni cracked an eye open.
“They gone?” she asked.
The visla found himself chuckling with relief. “So, you were paying attention to the defensive spell lesson.”
She smiled and sat up. “Yeah, but it still hurt, though.”
“Well, you did only just learn the basics. Well done, though.”
“Thanks,” she said, rubbing the bruise on her face. “But what’s with that stupid chair thingy? I mean, damn. It’s not comfortable, sure, but they were making such a big deal about it. Not like sitting in a hard chair is going to break anyone, am I right?”
He looked at her with surprise. “You did not feel your power being tapped? Being stolen from you?”
“Uh, no. Is that normal?”
“Anything but. Just like you, my most unusual friend.”
“Huh,” she replied with a shrug. “So, now what do we do?”
“Now?” he asked, rising to his feet and walking close to the magical partition between them. “Now we continue your training.”
Chapter Seven
Laskar was a talented navigator, no doubt, and a skilled pilot as well. But he was not Bud, and the subtle difference in the casting that propelled the mothership was tangible to Hozark and the others.
For one, their liftoff had been quite rapid––as was also Bud’s usual preference––but with Laskar at the helm, it lacked the extra dampening spells the pilot typically layered in place as second nature. Laskar, it seemed, was far more interested in getting them aloft and moving than their comfort.
Then there was their streaking through the atmosphere into the darkness of space. Normally, Bud would make the transition so smoothly his passengers wouldn’t even know they’d passed the exosphere. But Laskar was more focused on the destination than the journey.
Of course, Laskar had piloted the ship plenty of times in their recent adventures, but as it was usually during one emergency or another, the rougher ride went unnoted. But now, as they flew at their leisure, it rather stood out.
Once in space, however, he was in his element, and their flight transitioned to a far smoother one as he prepared them for their journey.
“We’ll be there in just a few jumps,” the copilot said from his perch in Bud’s pilot seat. “Shouldn’t take long at all.”
“Thank you, Laskar,” Hozark replied. “Please inform me when we are ready for the final jump to Arkoval.”
“Will do.”
Hozark nodded, then went to join Demelza and Hap in the galley. The youth was eating heartily, as a growing boy is wont to do, and was already well into his second helping when Hozark arrived.
“We shall be arriving at Arkoval in just a few jumps,” he said, taking a seat with the others.
“What’s this Arkoval place, anyway?” Hap asked. “Another training house?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. I believe you will enjoy this one more than the others, however.”
“Why’s that, Hozark?”
“You shall see, young Jinnik,” he replied with a little grin.
In a relatively short time, they would complete their jumps and land at their destination. Then the young trainee’s fun would truly begin.
“Aargun!” Hap blurted with excitement as they exited the ship.
The blind, mute assassin smiled and held up his hand in greeting.
“The blind guy’s here?” Laskar asked, a bit surprised. “And Prombatz too?”
The Wampeh master nodded to the group as he walked to greet them with his convalescing student.
“Yes. Master Prombatz settled here for a short while,” Hozark replied. “The rays of this system’s blue sun have a restorative effect on many, and as Aargun is nearly entirely healed, it was decided to bring him here for the final stage of his recovery.”
Laskar looked closer at the blinded young man. It was true what Hozark said. While some things would never heal, the injured Wampeh looked about as healthy and robust as any. More so, even. He had obviously been training hard, and his frame had filled out from his somewhat gaunt figure when last they’d seen him.
Aargun was once more a solid, muscular man. A Wampeh Ghalian aspirant, though one whose final test had proven near-fatal and had left him mute and blinded for life.
“Master Hozark, it is good to have you with us. All of you,” Prombatz said, then turned to Demelza and Laskar, giving each a little nod.
“Thanks,” Laskar replied.
“It is a great pleasure to see you once more, Master Prombatz,” Demelza said. “And I see Aargun is even farther along in his recovery.”
They watched as Aargun squatted down to greet Hap, moving as though he was not blind at all. With a quick bit of sleight of hand, he flashed a small dagger, which then disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared.
“Cool! Can you teach me that?” Hap chirped.
Aargun nodded and rose to his full height, then motioned for Happizano to follow him.
“Hey, Hozark. I’m gonna go do some knife stuff with Aargun, okay?”
“Enjoy yourself, young Jinnik. I shall be interested to see what you learn when we return from our task. You go train and have fun, and we shall see you in a few days.”
Hap grinned broadly and trotted off with Aargun.
“If you were not close, it would be difficult to note his handicap,” Demelza noted as she watched the pair walk away.
“Indeed,” Hozark agreed. “His recovery is truly impressive. You have done well in bringing him here, Prombatz.”
“Oh, this was just a convenient and quiet world to complete his convalescence. But really, he was more or less mended before we arrived.”
As Aargun walked, he did so without hesitation, avoiding people and obstacles as if he were a sighted man. And from the way he moved, it was clear it was not merely from knowing the layout of the city and where objects were located ahead of time. He was adjusting his path in real time without missing a step.
“He was rather distraught at the news of Henni’s capture,” Prombatz noted. “The way the two of them could communicate without words was quite a spirit-raising bond.”
“The girl’s a reader,” Laskar noted with a shrug. “Just not a very consistent one.”
“But she was with him,” Demelza noted. “And if her power could be focused, perhaps she could learn to truly develop that gift one day.”
“If we find her.”
“Yes. If we find her.”
Laskar turned to Prombatz. “Hey, what ever happened with his silent casting trick? Did you figure out how he does it?”
He was referring to a startling revelation that had been made when they’d last seen the Ghalian master and his pupil. It seemed that whatever had happened to Aargun in the course of his torture and experime
ntation, his captors had somehow unwittingly unlocked an ability that pretty much no one possessed. Not even the greatest vislas could do what Aargun could.
He could cast spells without uttering a word.
Of course, that was made a necessity when they cut his tongue out while he was Visla Maktan’s prisoner, but even so, it should not have been possible. Yet Aargun had adapted, it seemed. Evolved into something new.
“His silent casting is progressing quite slowly,” Prombatz replied. “He can still only produce the most basic of spells.”
“Nevertheless, it is an amazing ability,” Hozark said.
“Oh, indeed,” Prombatz said. “But even if this talent does grow, it will still be quite some time before he is able to cast with any true power.”
The two Ghalian masters had assumed Aargun’s life within the order was forevermore to be that of an invalid. A crippled brother whom they would look after until his dying day. The young man would be part of their organization for life, but he would never be a Ghalian assassin again.
Aargun, however, appeared to have other thoughts on that subject, and as he healed and grew stronger, it was becoming quite clear that despite his lack of a tongue, or even eyes, his abilities were growing by the day. So much so that the two Ghalian masters were beginning to reconsider their earlier assessment.
“You know why we have come to you, Prombatz,” Hozark said, switching back to the business at hand.
“Yes, I heard. A contract on Visla Maktan. No easy task, that one.”
“It certainly is not. But we are up for the challenge,” Hozark replied. “So, about my request. You will be able to watch Happizano while we are away?”
“Of course. Though I do wish I were traveling with you on this particular contract.”
“If things do not go as we hope, you may yet get your opportunity.”
“Then let us hope it does not come to that. It is quite the dangerous contract, this one.”
“We are prepared,” Demelza interjected. “And it is personal.”
Prombatz nodded. “Yes, I heard. Master Orkut. Such a terrible loss, one of his age, skill, and arcane knowledge. He was arguably the finest living bladesmith, though there had been more than one previous account of his death.”
“His prior ruses had been successful, for the most part,” Hozark replied. “But now, I am afraid, he is truly gone.”
Prombatz looked at the faces of his fellow Ghalian. They were too well trained to show it, but each was certainly looking forward to ending Visla Maktan for what he had done.
The Ghalian master nodded once. “Happizano shall be safe with us while you perform your task,” he said.
“Thank you, Prombatz. And should we fall in this effort, I request you carry on our task of searching out the boy’s father. One of the Five must reunite them, if at all possible. Though he is quite difficult to locate.”
Prombatz nodded. “I have heard that more weapons have turned up bearing Visla Jinnik’s magic.”
“Yes, they are still using the boy’s father, and we will do all we can to bring them back together. But that issue shall have to wait for the time being. We have actionable intelligence as to the whereabouts of Visla Maktan.”
“Then you had best get to it,” Prombatz said. “This shall not be an easy contract to carry out. Good hunting, both of you.”
“Thank you, Brother. We shall see you soon.”
Chapter Eight
The bodies of the two Council guards were bundled up and disposed of before their blood had even begun to cool. The few droplets of that precious fluid that had spilled on the paving stones had also been magically cleansed, leaving the entire scene spotless and devoid of any sign of struggle.
The two assassins had become rather accustomed to working together, though it was not the Ghalian way. Nevertheless, Hozark and Demelza moved through the estate as a single unit, anticipating one another’s moves and remaining utterly undetected.
As for the two dispatched guards, they had also gathered and hidden their personal effects during the hurried cleanup, making it seem as though the two slain men had simply completed their rounds and left. Suspicion would not be raised for at least a day, if not longer.
Hozark took point, leading the push through first the outer, then the inner perimeter of the building. Their intel had said there was a very good likelihood that Visla Zinna Maktan was secretly staying at this particular property. There was even an unmarked Council transport sitting in the landing area.
Unfortunately, after a thorough search, much of it under cover of both shimmer cloak and magical disguise, the two Ghalian assassins had reached the same conclusion.
“He is not present,” Demelza noted after they swept the visla’s personal suites.
“No, he is not,” Hozark agreed. “Back to the ship at once.”
He and Demelza made a silent, rapid exit from the estate grounds, quickly covering the distance between the property and the landing field, where Laskar sat anxiously at the controls, waiting for their return.
“It took you long enough,” he said when they finally came aboard. “Is he dead?”
“He was not there,” Hozark replied. “Get us airborne and away from this world.”
“Where to?”
“We shall decide that once we are in another system,” the master assassin replied.
Laskar noted the tension hanging around both Hozark and Demelza. Each of them had a personal stake in this. When Master Orkut had perished, it flipped a switch that the normally stoic killers rarely saw triggered.
But now they were acting not only on their contract, but also with the desire for a bit of payback. While it might make them perhaps a tiny bit reckless, it also made them even more dangerous than usual. And that was saying a lot.
“So, he’d already left?” Laskar asked once they’d exited their jump to a neighboring system.
“No,” Hozark replied.
“But you said––”
“It would seem the visla had never been there in the first place,” the assassin clarified. “This was a decoy. Not a trap, mind you, but a decoy.”
“Wait, but why a decoy?”
“A bit of misinformation spread far and wide by the Council as a general preventative measure, it would appear.”
Laskar hesitated. “Uh, that’s not normal, is it?”
“No, it is not. But there is much upheaval within the Council’s ranks with Visla Ravik’s recent demise. It has created an opening in the Twenty, and as a result, there is undoubtedly a great deal of jockeying for his position.”
“But I thought his brother was taking his place. It’s right of ascendancy by blood.”
“Normally, yes. But Ravik’s brother is not as strong as Ravik was, and thus finds himself facing challengers. One of them, a Visla Netryk, would seem to be a particular threat.”
“But that doesn’t seem right. It’s a familial claim.”
“If blood is thicker than water, then power is thicker than blood. And Netryk is strong. Perhaps even stronger than Visla Ravik himself ever was. It would seem his brother has quite a fight in store, and there is no guarantee the weaker man will prevail merely because of his familial claim.”
Laskar furrowed his brow with confusion. “But how does that affect Maktan?”
“All of the Twenty are on heightened alert after Ravik’s death. It is an unstable time, and things have a way of spiraling out of hand in situations such as these. It is a wise move, and one I would take were I in their shoes.”
Hozark took a small scroll and crossed off the estate on the planet they had just come from.
“How many more?” Laskar asked.
“There are a great many, I am afraid. Visla Maktan’s family has been in power a very long time, and as a result, he possesses a significant number of properties, any one of which could be his current hiding place.”
“Or none at all,” Demelza noted. “He might be in another location entirely.”
“Tr
ue, though I believe the visla would stay at a facility he considers safe. And nothing feels safer than one he himself owns.”
“Makes sense,” Laskar said, sliding closer to get a better look at the rather lengthy list. “Mind if I take a peek?”
“Of course,” Hozark replied, handing him the scroll.
“Wow, this guy owns a lot of properties.”
“As I said.”
“But you know, it seems like if your spy network is getting misinformation, then it’s most likely they’re aware people are probably looking at them.”
“Which is logical,” Hozark said. “Where are you going with this?”
“Well, it’s a little off the cuff, but hear me out,” Laskar said. “The thing is, it’s far easier to let information selectively leak from a larger facility, right? Like, there will be more loose lips by the very nature of the place. But a guy like Maktan, he probably never really interacts with the regular staff, so it would be easy for a carefully placed rumor to be spread by one of his people.”
“A normal tactic,” Demelza noted.
“Right, obviously. But here’s the thing. If you look at every property with a staff large enough to be reasonably manipulated like that, you can probably eliminate well over half of this list. And then if you take it a step further and assume they’ll be trying to go somewhere with an exceptionally minimal staff, you can further reduce the list to only include those properties. I mean, just those two tweaks and you’ve cut the most likely locations to what? Five or ten?”
“Mark them, Laskar,” Hozark requested.
“Sure,” he said, marking a small x beside each of their best options.
Hozark took the modified list back from him and surveyed it a long moment. It was counter to what the spy network had been hearing through the rumor mill, but the copilot had made a good point.
“Of these, which do you feel are the most likely locations?” he asked.