by J D Franx
“It will be done,” Savis said. He bowed and left.
Merethyl stared down the left tunnel for several minutes as if in a curious trance.
“Who are you, wizard? And what powers do you wield?” she whispered aloud. “Intriguing times our world is seeing indeed.”
CORYNTH, CETHOS
GUTTERTOWN SLUMS
Journeyman Wizard, Cameron Wik, regained consciousness in a rushed and abrasive way. Surrounded by dark and enveloped by a bone-deep cold, sounds of scuffling and dripping water echoed around him. He tried to move only to discover he was secured to a table of some kind. Fully conscious, it dawned on him what had happened. The Ghul had collected on their contract.
Panicking, Cameron grasped for his magic, but there was nothing. As if he had never been born with Lady Inara's grace, there was an empty pit in his very being where his magic had previously resided. Anxiety overwhelmed him, and he shouted.
"You said thirty days. It's only been twenty-eight. We had a deal!"
Something grazed the bottom of his foot. Glancing down, he regretted doing so in a heartbeat as a sickening pain overtook his neck. Gently tilting his head to the side and down, his chin scraped on what could only be a metal collar.
“You moron,” he sneered as loud as he could. “A Poghana collar won't hold a Journeyman Wizard for very long! Even a metal one. Let me go, Ghul, and I might actually forget you tried to do this.”
A light rustle by his feet made him glance down only to notice he was stark naked. The collar scraped at his neck, but the pain was tolerable enough for him to investigate. A clenched, pale hand materialized out the gloom. One finger, tipped by a shiny black talon, trailed along the top of his big toe and up to his ankle. A strange tingling sensation followed the path of the razor-sharp nail as it continued moving up his leg. Confused and terrified, he stared, transfixed, as the clawed finger reached his knee. A loud hiss echoed somewhere in the room, and a bright light streaked from outside his vision, sticking to the high ceiling.
Light brightened the room. Without a conscious thought of it, his sight veered to his captor. Cameron screamed with horror as his eyes locked with something.
As a Journeyman Wizard, he had come across every humanoid species known to the world of Talohna. With the creature's face covered by a mask, the eyes were all he could make out.
The eyes looking back at him were of something completely new and very different. They were not Human or Elvehn, and they were not DragonKin. Cameron searched his mind to recall even a small shred of familiarity.
Mahala, no. Troll, no. Toldari, definitely not. Lastly, the cold pale eyes of the Orotaq flashed in his mind. No, thankfully.
More confused, he closed his eyes and hoped his own were failing him or playing tricks somehow. Taking a deep breath, he reopened his eyes slowly, but the strange black gaze was still there. It was not the solid black that scared him—the Toldari had solid black eyes. He had faced many on the battlefield before.
No, it was the long reptilian red slit of the creature’s pupil and the feathered iris of vibrant purple that horrified him. Both eyes blazed with the brilliance of intense power.
Fear unlike any he had felt before flooded his body like a physical entity. His stomach and bowels turned to water as he sobbed uncontrollably.
“You promised… a month...” he stuttered. The black talon stopped its journey up his leg, and a crack split the air as a hand bounced off his head. There was someone else in the room.
“A month you say, Journeyman Wizard?” a familiar voice asked. It was the old homeless man from Corynth's GutterTown—the beggar everyone called the Ghul. He made his way around the table opposite of the purple-eyed creature. The claw dug in a little deeper and carried on its way, slowly crossing over Cameron's knee. This time, however, the tingling was accompanied by a mild sting. He glanced down and to his horror, the finest thread of flesh began to peel from his body as the black talon inched its way along.
“You mundanite bastard! I should have known you weren't the Ghul,” Cameron stated, clenching his teeth to control both his irrational fear and the sting of the black talon as the wounds began to burn.
The old man laughed. “You wanted to believe it, just like everyone else. Magic, mundane, shit. Everyone comes to the Ghul eventually, and eventually, they all end up here just like you. Don't make deals you don't intend to keep, wizard, and you wouldn't be here. You could have dealt with the Talo Family yourself. I'm sure they would've let you work off the nine hundred gold pieces you owed them. Gambling is a bad vice for a wizard.”
“But, you—”
“But what? I lied? You had thirty days. You started fortifying your home and moving the little gold you had left. Did you believe no one would be watching you when it came to the small fortune we lent you? You even stole an interesting artifact or two from the Eye's vault in preparation of leaving the country. They were Dwarven artifacts I believe, and one counters magic.”
“I didn’t,” Cameron whined, shaking his head.
“You'll get your two days, wizard. As it was agreed. But it'll be here, where you can't run and where you can't hide. Besides, there is a very pretty woman coming to see you, Cameron Wik.” The old man laughed in earnest. “You do not want to miss that, I promise you. Oh, yeah, go ahead and say hi to the real Ghul,” he said, pointing to the creature carving into his leg. “Goodbye, wizard.” Though, he could not see him, Cameron felt the air change as the old man left.
GUTTERTOWN
CORYNTH
"There's nothing more I can do for her, Tanner," Siona Vakal told him, turning from the little girl who lay unconscious in her bed. After Kenna woke in the alley behind Sora's, Tanner had helped his sister get to Siona's small hut. He had led her most of the way as she slipped in and out of coherency.
"You have to, Miss Siona. There is no one else."
"Sit down here, Tanner," the alchemist said. She forced the boy to sit and began the arduous process of setting the broken bones in his hand. "How many times have I told you two stay away from the marketplace? Sonny's in charge of the street kids. You have to listen and obey the rules he puts down for you."
Wincing as the old woman pushed his bones into alignment, Tanner sobbed. "We were hungry. Begging in GutterTown gets us a copper a day, Sonny takes five coppers a week. Sometimes we make nothing. We can't steal from the guards! We'll get caught. They beat thieves—worse if they got Kenna. No one from GutterTown gets tested anymore."
Siona frowned at Tanner's observation. Street kids caught stealing were supposed to be taken to Eye for magical testing. The ones who passed the affinity exam were immediately enrolled at the crown's expense. Those who failed most often ended up at one of the pantheon temples under the priestess’ care until they were of age. However, only the worst members of the city guard were stationed at the GutterTown barracks. It was a punishment, a dishonorable detail. The guards would sooner torture the street kids than help them, and no one who mattered listened to the grumblings of GutterTown's poor residents.
"I know, kiddo, but because you didn't listen, Kenna is far beyond my help."
"Don't let her die, Miss Siona, please! Who will take care of me if she dies? Help her." Tanner slowly leaned forward, wrapping both his arms around the old woman's waist. The boy's pleading broke Siona's heart. She liked the two mischief makers a lot. However, the girl's internal wounds were far beyond what she could heal with herbs and roots—even the most powerful she could afford.
"I can't help her Tanner. Her only hope is to go see the Ghul if you're willing to pay the price."
Ashamed she had even mentioned such a thing, Siona's heart dropped into her belly when Tanner sat back with a light of hope glinting in his eyes.
Chapter Nineteen
KARIYA
“The country of Kariya is an enigma unto itself. The country produces only one natural resource—trained mercenaries. Every aspect of the country is designed and operated around the birthing, raising, and training of life-long mercenary s
oldiers. Farmland, lakes, forests, mines, and oceans all are utilized for the sole purpose of supplying the hundreds of training schools through the country. Men, women, and even couples will devote their lives to producing children which will be sold to the schools. This might seem extremely bizarre to people from other countries, but for Kariya, it has always been their way. Once completely trained, the mercenary soldier fetches a large weight of gold and will forever remain loyal to their patron, at least until they are sold or dead. Many of the rich and powerful employ Kariyan mercenaries as bodyguards and personal security. It is a good thing they are so expensive, the thought of an army filled with the ranks of Kariyan mercenaries is enough to strike fear into even the stoutest Northmen warrior, let alone to this simple minstrel.”
Garren Sallus,
A Traveler’s Codex, Volume 2
CASCADE CITADEL LOWER DUNGEONS
CORYNTH, CETHOS
Kael crouched by the side of the man-sized hole he and the Spy made by carefully removing the stones from the crumbling outer wall. It opened into the lowest and cruelest level of the dungeon. Alia knelt so close to him he could feel her breath on his cheek.
“Those are not King Bale’s men,” she whispered as six guards stepped into view.
“Mercenaries.” He nodded. “It means they’re guarding someone.”
“Are you sure, Alia?”
“Yes, Princess. They are Kariyan, though, not Salzaran.”
Kael frowned. Taking out six Kariyan guards quietly on his own would be impossible even with his abilities. Kariya trained their mercenaries from birth and they were recognized throughout Talohna as the toughest hired swords. Rushing such a group would only result in an alarm being raised. The two closest mercenaries had their backs to them, but the other four faced his group. He was willing to bet that using a short realm jump inside the Cascade Citadel would trip all kinds of alarms at the university of magic across the road.
He turned to Alia and almost bumped noses with her. “The two facing us,” he said just loud enough for her to hear. “If I give you a boost,” he paused long enough to point toward the upper ledge of cells, “Can you take them with you?” She smiled and nodded. “Corleya, you and your Spy, be ready,” he added. The Princess handed Alia the whip she borrowed earlier and eased out her sword while the fourth Pillar removed a dagger from each boot.
“Ready,” Alia whispered. He pointed to the heavy shadows to the left, and she crept forward trailing her whips but stayed within the dark. Still nearly twenty feet from the two guards, she stopped as the shadows gave way to torch and lamp light. She glanced back and nodded to him. His hands flared with magic in reply. Alia’s whips lashed out, wrapping around two guards’ necks. Kael reached out with his magic and tossed her through the air. The agile mercenary landed perfectly on the upper level and jumped over the railing. She ducked under the rail to drop the ground. Her momentum yanked the two guards up into the air by their necks, and she landed safely back on the ground.
Kael wasted no time and released the rest of his magic. It leapt across the closest section of the prison and snared the two closest guards, forcing them to release their swords. The remaining two mercenaries turned and fled. Like a demented marionette, Kael jerked on his magic and pulled the two guards into the tunnel behind him. With no other options, he left them for Corleya and the Spy to deal with so he could vanish into a cloud of black smoke to chase after the two guards fleeing for the alarm bells.
The smaller of the two mercenaries reached for the rope attached to the alarm bell as Kael reappeared trailing black shadows from the Ether. Both short scythes sliced through the mercenaries as if their armor was made of cloth, and the two men fell dead. The alarm never sounded. He leaned over and checked the guards but found nothing that would tell them who they worked for. He let his weapons vanish and returned to the others, passing beneath the men hanging by Alia’s whips.
“You good?” he asked and glanced into the tunnel. The Spy wiped her daggers clean and re-sheathed them with a nod.
“They’re both dead,” Corleya replied quietly as she stepped into the prison.
From her expression, Kael guessed it was probably her first time killing someone. “You all right?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “Where would my father be?”
“Down the hall on this level are the only two life signs I can sense,” Kael answered.
“Show me, please?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said and led her to the only occupied cell in the hidden dungeon while Alia retrieved her whips and the two bodies.
A heavy metal door locked by three bars slid deep into narrow recesses in the wall, sheltered away the life energy of the two people he sensed.
“We will never break through that door. Shit,” the Spy hissed.
“We don’t have to,” Alia said as she nodded to Kael.
He turned to the Spy. “You should probably turn your back,” he said. “Plausible deniability and all that.”
“Why?”
“Because,” he said. “I am going to open this door and free your king if he’s in there. I don’t want your dagger in my back for using the magic I need to use to do it.”
“She won’t harm you,” Corleya said as she stared at the Spy. “By my order, understand?”
The fourth Pillar nodded. “Of course, Princess.”
Kael turned back to the massive metal door and grasped his magic, filling both hands with flaming black and purple magic. The Spy gasped but said nothing as long blades grew from his hands and cut through the metal lock bars smoothly. He pushed the bars back and swung open the large door.
“Father!” Corleya cried and rushed into the cell.
Following her into the cell, Kael frowned as he looked down at the man who had tried so hard to kill him but was now on his own death bed. King Bale’s life was likely measured in minutes. The stab wound in the side of his chest was not fatal, but the septic wound had clearly spread toxin through the King’s body. He lay on his back in the Queen’s lap and writhed in pain. There was nothing Kael could do, so he stepped back into the corner as the Queen took Corleya into her arms.
The King coughed and gasped for air. “I... I knew... you were... alive,” he whispered, struggling to speak.
“I’m sorry, Father,” Corleya cried.
King Bale shook his head. “You have nothing... to apologize for...” Another racking cough hit the King and it was obvious the wound had damaged the man’s lung.
“You are alive,” the Queen said. “That is all that matters.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” Alia began as she bowed, “but what happened?”
The Queen offered the mercenary a frown, but Corleya jumped in. “What happened?”
Queen Bale sighed and rubbed her temples. “It took time to sway the other nobles, but after your disappearance, Duchess Vakaran marched her army to our gates. She demanded your father surrender the crown to the grand duke. To try and avoid more fighting, your father invited her into the castle to meet with himself and Grand Duke Sheering. He had been one of the few voices of reason among the nobles since you... left...”
“We have heard no details about who attacked,” Corleya prompted.
“Neither your father or I know who did,” Queen Bale said. “We were in court with the Grand Duke and the Duchess discussing whether or not an heir had to be in court or dead before the crown could be surrendered when Kariyan mercenaries and assassins attacked. They hit the three Pillars who were present in court. Two died instantly.” The Queen paused and put her hand to her mouth. Terror of what she had witnessed crossed her face. “The Priestess was at my side when one of the assassins leapt from the shadows of the court hall and stabbed her in the neck. She fell dead... immediately... so did others in attendance. Your father and the Knight fought until they fell.” Again, she went silent.
“Wait?” he prodded. “They died instantly?”
The Queen frowned as if only noticing him for the
first time. “”Yes. However, it is proper etiquette to bow before you address your Queen, young man.”
Kael frowned and slowly crouched. “You are not my Queen, Miss Bale.”
“Kael!” Corleya gasped as he stood back up.
“I am here for you, Princess,” he said and purposely bowed in her direction. “I will not kneel or bow before the King and Queen who hunted me to my death. I suggest we return to the problem at hand. May I?” he asked, motioning to the King.
The Queen looked at Corleya and when she nodded, Kael bent over the King and examined his wound.
“This might hurt,” he warned. The King shuddered as his fingers slid into the wound and brushed against a piece of wood. “Goddammit. How can an assassin’s guild no one knows about be so active?”
“Kael?” Corleya asked.
“Your father’s wound isn’t fatal. The toxin within the broken blade in his chest is.”
“Take it out.” Corleya gasped.
Kael shook his head, but it was king Bale who answered her. “It is already too late, is it not?” he asked, staring at Kael.
“I’m not sure,” Kael lied.
Corleya turned back to the Queen. “What happened next, Mother?”
The Queen glared at Kael but continued. “Your father and I along with Duchess Vakaran and the Grand Duke were all brought here to the dungeon. Grand Duke Sheering was taken away days ago and they came for the Duchess an hour ago. Neither have been brought back since.”
“How many mercenaries in the hall?” Kael asked.
“I could not begin to guess,” Queen Bale answered. “There are many throughout the castle.”
Suspecting the Queen would not give him the details he needed, Kael turned to King Bale.
“I don’t think you have much time left,” he started. “You know that, right?”
The King nodded. “I...” He coughed. “Have been wounded... in battle enough to know...”
“I was told the King of Cethos was a warrior, a battle tactician, and a good leader,” Kael said. “Tell me what happened. Close your eyes, push the pain aside and tell me what the Cethosian King—the warrior—saw leading up to the attack.”