Blue Scales accepted the question with another toothy grin. “You’re right. Few of my kind can survive this far inland, but I am not like them. The blessings of the Deep are strong within me. Where I go, the sea goes. I am one of the tide-blessed.”
Jonathan made a mental note to write as much of this down as he could when the opportunity arose. The tide-blessed were mermen who possessed main Words like [Tide] or [Wave]. They could create vast quantities of water using their Words. More importantly, their Words were also likely to grant them protection from the dry conditions on land. Even so, none of the tide-blessed he’d read about had ever ventured this far inland. Blue Scales must be exceptionally powerful then. “May I see your magic later? I’ve seen magic that can create water, but it’s always been fresh water. However, I suspect you can create salt water.”
“You are well informed,” Blue Scales replied, and his tone was respectful as he added, “I will show you later, scholar.”
“And last but not least,” Aria said. “We have Eileen.” She pointed at the bear. The animal gave them a lazy smile. “I won’t get into the exact specifics. It’s not my story to tell, but she’s actually a shape-shifter.”
A shape-shifter? Those were rare indeed. Jonathan had only met two in his lifetime although he supposed he might have met more but never noticed. Both of those encounters had been vaguely disturbing. Watching someone’s features melt away like so much candle wax was not something he wanted to do regularly. Both had been assassins although neither had been after him. Instead, they had sought advice about certain… artefacts. Eileen, though, seemed much more laidback.
“Does she always go around looking like a bear?” There were vampires that could alter their shapes. Some even spent days in the form of bats and other creatures, but he’d never understood the appeal. A bat was much easier to harm than something humanoid – and bats had a much harder time reading books.
“She doesn’t exactly have a choice. Like I said earlier, it’s complicated, but it’s not my story to tell.”
“Oh.” That sounded awful. Jonathan would not have been happy if he had to live as a bear.
It’s not as bad as it sounds. Eileen was suddenly holding up a wooden sign in one claw. It was a rectangle of wood nailed onto a wooden pole. The writing on it was incredibly neat, and Jonathan glimpsed another one of those eerie shadow creatures again. She flipped the sign around, and there was more writing on the back. You do get used to it after a while although I did miss having opposable thumbs until I worked out how to add those without losing my claws.
Jonathan took a closer look at her claws. They were indeed similar to those of a regular bear… except with opposable thumbs. “Partial transformation of individual body parts!”
You’re well informed. She tossed the sign over her shoulder, and it vanished in mid air, only for her to pull out another. Yes. I can do that.
“You must be very skilled.” From the reading he’d done, it was an ability that only skilled shape-shifters could use. “But how are you making the signs? If you were doing them yourself, I should have been able to notice something.”
Eileen gave him what passed for a grin. She lifted up her other claw, and a sign appeared in it. Would you believe me if I said it was… magic?
“Well, obviously,” Jonathan said with a laugh. “But what kind of magic? Is it related to those creatures around you? Do you summon them?
You have good eyes. The writing on the sign had shifted to a more extravagant script. But I can’t say anything else unless you join us.
“Fair enough. I wouldn’t reveal my secrets to a stranger either.” Jonathan folded his hands together on the table. He wished they were in his library. Not only were all of his favourite books there but he also felt far more comfortable and at ease in those familiar, well-worn surroundings. Familiarity had always soothed him. At least Miles was there. The old human was a steadying presence and a welcome ally. “Shall we discuss our potential arrangement then?”
“Of course.” Aria gestured at the others. “My teammates are all aware that certain jobs and missions are closed to us due to our lack of proper sponsorship. As I’ve already said, I think you could be the answer to our problems, Lord Bloodhaven.”
“It’s not every day that a vampire noble hangs out with us riff raff.” Eric grinned. “So what’s your story?”
Jonathan glanced at Aria. She gave him a look. Even without magic, he could tell that she wanted him to be honest. It wasn’t easy to lie to an experienced werewolf either. “I find myself in need of additional funds at relatively short notice. Helping you will help me, so you can rest assured that I have a vested interested in your success. Betrayal – something I will admit vampires are famous for – is not something I will indulge in.”
“Money, huh? I get that. It’s a bit of a relief. I’d be more worried if you said you were doing it out of the goodness of your heart.” Eric leaned back in his chair, and Jonathan had a feeling he would have put his feet on the table if Aria hadn’t been watching him like a hawk. “Are you coming along for the fun, or will you be sitting back here?”
Jonathan was grateful that Aria hadn’t corrected him. He didn’t mind people knowing he needed money but admitting he had lost his castle would have been galling. “I’m not sure.”
“If you were to come along,” Aria said. “Your share would increase since you would be receiving portions not only as our sponsor but also as a member of the team.” Her gaze drifted to Miles. “The same goes for Miles.”
Jonathan and Miles shared a look. They both knew he wasn’t cut out for adventuring, but with a group like this, he wouldn’t have to do too much of the fighting himself. If worse came to worst, he was still a two-century old vampire of noble lineage. Even if he wasn’t particularly good at fighting, he ought to be able to beat the average human quite easily due to his superior physical abilities. And he wasn’t completely hopeless. He had taken some training although he’d never shown any talent for combat. “It would depend on the mission since I am not a specialist in combat, but I do hope to come along on some of your missions.”
“Excellent.” Aria studied him thoughtfully, and he wondered how often opportunities like this came her way. It was clear from how she handled her equipment that she was skilled, yet her equipment had not been upgraded for some time. No weapon, no matter how well cared for and maintained could stay pristine forever, and hers showed evidence of being restored with magic far too many times. It was tempting to use [Trace Memory] on her sword, but it would have been rude. He also wasn’t sure it would work. Spell blades were generally designed to resist magic that didn’t belong to their owners. “Can I assume you won’t be agreeing to anything tonight?”
“Yes. I would like to know more first, and I’d like to have some time to think about it.”
“Okay. We can still discuss our terms. If we can hammer those out before you leave, you can sleep on them and get back to us. We’ll be around for a few more days before we take another mission.”
“All right.”
It took almost an hour of generally polite haggling for them to reach what Jonathan thought was a satisfactory agreement. He couldn’t afford to turn them down, but it wasn’t like Aria could let this opportunity slip out of her grasp either. The agreement they reached wouldn’t get him his castle back, but he was a realist. It would get him off to a nice start, and even one successful mission should be enough to take any immediate pressure off his finances. After agreeing to meet the night after tomorrow, he and Miles left.
“They seemed decent enough,” Jonathan said as they hurried along. A furtive look at the sky had him quickening his pace. Dawn was only an hour or so away. If they cut it any closer, he’d be forced to use the tunnels. Despite moving at a more than human pace, Miles was still able to keep up with him. He’d have to ask him about it later.
“I think they are sincere, sir.” Miles’s brows furrowed. “I can… sense when people are being dishonest, and their term
s were fair. Indeed, from what I’ve seen, they were fairly generous. They need this as much as we do.”
“I’ll talk it over with Martin,” Jonathan said at last. “He knows more about adventurers than me. If I’m lucky, he might even have heard of them.”
It wasn’t until the next night that Jonathan found the time to talk to Martin about the team. Much like Jonathan, the other vampire was not a morning person – largely because mornings tended to be fatal to vampires. Martin was also a busy man, so they talked as Jonathan helped him sort through and authenticate some of his wares. To Jonathan’s surprise, Martin received a slow but steady flow of visitors. Given his location and products, almost everyone who came in ended up buying something.
“These are good,” Jonathan murmured as he examined the teacups in front of him. “I’d say they’re from the Third Shadow Dynasty. How much are you asking for them?”
“Five silver coins each,” Martin replied. “I’d like to charge more, but that’s as much as you’re going to get without going to a big auction, and the fees there will probably eat up the difference. It would be nice to charge less – I’d move more of them that way – but I have to make a profit, and the group I hired to get them ran into some trouble. I’m confident they’ll sell. Us vampires do like to put on airs.”
For someone so short and stocky, Martin had a wonderfully light touch, and his hands were completely steady as they painstakingly cleaned some of his more intricate merchandise. “You wanted to know more about that team of adventurers, right?” Jonathan was working on a teapot now, and he was pleased to see it matched the teacups.
Jonathan traced the patterns on the teapot with one hand. If he remembered correctly – and he usually did – the Blood Emperor had received a similar set as a gift. He might have been a legendary warlord, but he had supposedly been fond of tea. “Yes. Anything at all would be helpful. I’m supposed to give them my reply tomorrow night.”
Martin made a face and rubbed his beard. Facial hair wasn’t fashionable amongst vampires, but Martin’s beard was truly impressive. It counted against him in polite society, but it did have its advantages in his line of work. He often dealt with dwarves, and nobody appreciated a good beard more than a dwarf. “I know more about Aria and Eileen but less about the other two. Aria and Eileen have been taking missions from this area for several years. The other two are relatively new.”
“What do you think of them?”
“Hmm… she and Eileen did a mission for me once. They escorted a delivery to a customer through an area full of bandits. The delivery arrived safe and on time, and their fee was very reasonable.”
“So she’s good at what she does?”
“Yes. She’s only done one mission for me, but I’ve heard about her and Eileen. It’s not easy to miss a former paladin who wanders around with a bear. I heard she left her order over a disagreement, and she’s out here because they issued a kill order on her.”
“She must be good then.” When one of the holy orders that paladins belonged to issued a kill order for one of their own, it was usually a death sentence. It was part of the fanaticism that made them so dangerous in battle. Regular soldiers might break and run, but paladins could be counted on to meet any threat with absolute and unwavering discipline. They would obey orders and hold firm, no matter the enemy. The sheer number of casualties that such determined troops could inflict before being overrun made every battle – and even victory – against them a costly exercise.
“She’d have to be. Most people in her position are lucky to last two weeks.” Martin reached for a soft cloth to polish the incredibly complex glass sculpture he was cleaning. “She and Eileen have made a name for themselves. They take a lot of law-enforcement jobs, dealing with criminals and law-breakers, but they’ve done a bit of everything. They don’t always succeed, but their strike rate is better than most, and it’s never a question of effort. What people like the most is that they both stay bought.”
“What does that mean?” Jonathan set aside the teapot and picked up a saucer. Once he was done with this set, he’d move on to cutlery. Vampires didn’t use silver – they weren’t as averse to it as werewolves, but it was still unpleasant – but they did use cunning substitutes to mimic its appearance.
“The Union tries to keep it to a minimum since it’s bad for business, but it’s not uncommon for less scrupulous adventurers to spill the beans on private missions or even change sides if someone offers them more money. From what I’ve heard, Aria and Eileen don’t do that. If they get a fair contract, they honour it, and that sort of honour, as you can imagine, is a rare commodity out here. People will pay handsomely if it means not having to watch their backs all the time.” Martin chuckled. “Present company aside, us vampires aren’t exactly legendary for our loyalty.”
Jonathan grinned. If he had ever doubted Martin before, he never would again. The other vampire had taken him in, and if Jonathan ever got his castle back, he would see Martin well rewarded for it. If he could, he would like to help his friend move to a nicer part of the city. “Would you take the offer if you were in my position?”
Martin pondered the question – and his lack of reflection in the glass – for a long time. “I probably would,” he admitted. “You’re a noble, Jonathan. A city like this isn’t a place for someone like you. It’s barely even a place for someone like me, and I grew up here. You loved your castle. It was your home.” Martin looked around the shop, and a small smile crossed his lips. “This place… I know it’s not much, but it’s mine. I think you could do okay here, but I don’t think you’d ever be truly happy. It won’t be easy getting your castle back, but you need to start somewhere.”
“This place isn’t that bad,” Jonathan murmured.
“Maybe not for me, but can you truly see yourself living in a little shop like this for another century? What about two centuries? What about three?”
The cosy interior of the shop suddenly felt claustrophobic. “No.” Jonathan shivered. “I don’t think I can.”
“And I don’t blame you, but you’re going to have to work hard.” Martin poured some blood out of a flask for each of them. “I don’t think you’re going to get a better deal, but be careful. Aria and Eileen have a good reputation, and I haven’t heard anything bad about the team they’ve formed. I doubt they’ll allow you to be harmed on purpose – they need you – but missions can go wrong. If you have to, run. You’re my friend. I’d rather have you back here than dead in a ditch somewhere.”
Jonathan grinned. Dark humour was common amongst vampires. “I’ll keep that in mind. And… thanks, for the advice, I mean.”
“My advice is free, but mostly because it’s not always good.” He pointed to a piece of cutlery. “What do you think I could get for that? It’s supposed to be from Galixia, but I’m not sure it’s authentic.”
“Let me take a look.”
* * *
The next night, Jonathan and Miles met with Aria to accept the agreement. They met at the Union this time, rather than the tavern. It was likely for the best too. He wasn’t sure he could stomach seeing another tavern brawl although he had a feeling he’d be seeing more fighting in the near future.
“Fantastic.” He and Aria each had a copy of the agreement, and the Union kept a third copy to ensure nothing could be tampered with. She led him and Miles to a private room in the building. “Now that you’ve agreed to join us, we need to go over our abilities in more detail. I don’t expect you to reveal all your secrets, but we need to know enough to properly plan if we’re going to be on missions together. I would rather not be surprised in the middle of a fight.”
“Why don’t you start, glorious leader,” Eric drawled. It would have been a cutting remark if not for the obvious affection and amusement in his voice. Blue Scales grinned and bared his sharp, sharp teeth.
“As I’m sure you’ve already noticed, I’m a former paladin. The magic I’m best at is related to healing, enhancement, and defence. I can, of course
, use holy magic, and although I do have offensive magic, most of it is geared toward fighting werewolves, vampires, zombies, and the like. I do know some generic magic, but you won’t see me throwing lightning bolts or fireballs.” Aria chuckled self-deprecatingly. “If you’re relying on me to blow the enemy away with Words or generic magic, you’re in trouble – unless that enemy is the kind paladins are trained to fight.”
Eric was better dressed this time – a bit. That was to say, he had his belt done up and most of his shirt too. “You already know I’m a werewolf, so I’ll spare you the details there. I do have some minor druidic and shamanic skills, but nothing flashy. What I’m good at is scouting, hunting, and tracking. Outside of my clan, there aren’t many people better at those than me.”
Blue Scales nodded at Jonathan. He was in a more appropriately sized chair this time. “My Words give me command over water and weather. I am also reasonably skilled in most forms of generic magic.” He smirked. “With my Words and generic magic, I can also command lightning as well.”
“I didn’t realise mermen could learn lightning magic.” Jonathan made a face. “It sounds… dangerous for a species that lives underwater.”
“Most of the time it is,” Blue Scales conceded. “But when the gods give you a gift, you had better learn how to use it.”
Eileen held up a sign. I am a shape-shifter, and I can summon a variety of creatures. Another one of those small, shadowy entities hopped onto her shoulder. Some of them make my signs.
“I thought so.” Jonathan peered at the little creature, but the harder he looked at it, the more difficult it was to focus on. “Shape-shifters are rare, and I don’t think I’ve heard of a shape-shifter who was a summoner as well.”
Eileen noticed him staring at the creature on her shoulder and gave a gentle rumble. The shadows around the creature coalesced into something more solid, and Jonathan leaned forward. The creature was small, perhaps only a foot tall, but it was vaguely humanoid. For a split-second, he caught a flash of jagged teeth and swirling, abyssal darkness where eyes should have been before the shadows around the creature thickened and obscured it from view again. He’s a shadow imp. He can make signs, hide things, and strangle people.
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