by C. M. Hayden
Sullen sat up, his eyes suddenly serious. “And who told you that? Vexis herself?”
“She has no reason to lie now.”
“When has that creature ever needed a reason to lie?” Sullen grumbled to himself. “I thought you were smarter.”
Taro shook his head slowly. “I just want to know why. What could the Shahl offer you that was worth putting the Arclight in danger?” Taro slipped the Netherlight out of his cloak and held it up. The darkness emanating from it seemed to fill the room like a menacing black cloud. “And what’s this to you?”
Sullen glared darkly at Taro. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Taro palmed the crystal and slipped it back into his pocket. “You expect me to believe that?”
Sullen turned over. “I don’t care much what you believe.”
They didn’t speak again that night; and though Sullen closed his eyes, Taro could tell that he never actually went to sleep. For his part, Taro remained wide awake until just before sunrise. Just as he was going to wake the others, a soft, quick knock came at the door. It came so suddenly that the warders practically leapt for their swords.
The door creaked open, and Bran peeked inside, much to everyone’s relief.
He looked a bit shocked at their response. “Uh…hi?”
Taro pulled him in and shushed him. He was holding a burlap sack over his shoulder that fell to the floor.
“You need to be more careful!” Taro exclaimed. “You weren’t followed, were you?”
“I don’t think so.” Bran glanced back. “No, definitely not.” He licked his lips and sat down beside the sack. From it, he produced two wide loaves of barley bread, a half-dozen apples, and a hard block of white cheese. “Look what I brought.”
Some of the warders looked at the food with hungry eyes and, at the Sun King’s prompting, they divvied the food amongst themselves. Also in the bag were several brown, tattered cloaks that appeared to be Azra’s.
One of the warders scarfed down a few bites of bread and slapped Bran on the shoulder. “You, kid, are a Godsend.”
“Thank you,” Taro said graciously. “Didn’t mean to snap at you. We just have to be careful.” He paused. “Where did you get all this?”
Bran flushed as if he was hoping Taro wouldn’t asked that question. “From the pantry.”
“This is your family’s food?” Taro grimaced. “Bran, you shouldn’t have.”
“We’re in no condition to look a gift horse in the mouth.” The Sun King ruffled Bran’s hair. “You’re a generous young man. We’ll find a way to pay you back.” He turned to his men. “Eat up. The sun will be out in less than an hour. We need to get moving.”
“There are guards everywhere,” Bran said. “They’re searching houses, one by one, looking for you guys. The Inquisitors are out, too.”
Taro patted Bran again. “Head home, big guy. I don’t want to see you hurt. Tell your parents how much I appreciated their help. I promise, if I can, I’ll pay them back.”
“Am I not going to see you again?” Bran asked, wide-eyed.
“Probably not for a very long time. But remember, one day when you’re old enough you come to Endra, I’ll put in a good word for you at the Magisterium. I bet you’d be a kick-ass magister, one day.” Taro smiled brightly and opened the door. “Off you go.”
When Bran was a fair ways off, Taro turned his attention back to the others. He fished through the pack and tossed cloaks to the men. “We just have to hope we’re not seen.”
“I don’t like trustin’ to hope,” one of the warders said.
“Hope is all we’ve got left,” Taro said.
_____
One thing in Taro’s favor was Helia Edûn’s size. It was so wide and sprawling that even with the guards hard at work searching homes and markets, there were still blocks that were mostly deserted. Frightened citizens were held up in their homes, and the loud guards were easily spotted even from a distance.
Four times they encountered guards, and in all cases the guards were in groups of two or three. Dealing with them was simple work, but keeping them from shouting out for help was considerably more difficult. As daylight crept over the mountaintops, life began to return to the city. A few shop owners came to their stores in preparation for the day. The guards searched each and every one of them and questioned them thoroughly, but ultimately left them to their business.
Not far from the intersection where the bakery entrance to the underground was, Taro and the others found a deserted alley and waited patiently. Soon the old shopkeeper, Margaret, was at the door, fishing through a ring of keys.
Taro glanced sideways at the Sun King and nudged toward the old lady. “That’s her.”
The Sun King eyed the woman dubiously. “You’re certain?”
Taro nodded, and the Sun King signaled his men to advance. They hurried across the twilit road, keeping as close to the shadows of the sandstone walls as possible. They pushed through the front door so quickly the old woman couldn’t manage so much as a shout. One of the warders grabbed her around the stomach and put a hand over her mouth.
Meanwhile, the others drew the linen drapes to the shop, then closed and locked the door. The old woman turned nasty and bit the warder’s hand, then shoved him in the kidney. The others quickly subdued her to the sound of loud cursing. “I ain’t got no money here, you little shits.”
“We’re not here for money,” Taro said.
Margaret eyed him. “Oh, it’s you.”
Taro waved his fingers flippantly. “Yup. Me again.” He looked to the warders holding her. “Tie her up.”
They did so and stuffed the belligerent woman in the corner of the storage room. Taro moved to the other side and uncovered the secret door under the bags of flour. They climbed down into the dank underground and shut the hatch behind them. The fighting pits were quieter than last time. Only one of the arenas had any combatants in it, and a half-dozen gamblers and bookkeepers huddled around, talking casually. The match was non-lethal, and seemed more like two friends sparring. Both were huge men covered in tattoos; neither could’ve been Sikes.
Beside one of the men observing the fight was a large dog, and Taro realized it was Rennly’s. He approached the enormous man alone, and noticed he was clutching a betting ticket. When Taro neared, Rennly’s bulldog leapt on him and slobbered all over his face.
“Oi,” Rennly said. “Didn’t expect to be seein’ yeh again.”
Taro didn’t waste any time. He calmed the dog and leaned into Rennly. “Is Thaedos here?”
Rennly raised an eyebrow. “I saw him with your friend not a half hour ago.” He nudged toward the doors at the end of the cavern. Beside it was a bodyguard who looked decidedly bored. “Down that way.”
Taro started toward the bodyguard, but Rennly called to him before he could get too far. “Now wait just a second.” He fished into his grungy shirt and pulled out a vial of red liquid. “Almost forgot to give this to yeh.”
Taro took the vial and shook it against the light. It was the remainder of the arkfire Taro had given him.
“Not going to lie. I thought about sellin’ yehr half,” Rennly said. “But that wouldn’t be honest, strictly speaking.”
Taro pocketed the vial and thanked Rennly. With that out of the way, Taro approached the bodyguard. The man seemed to recognize him, and Taro realized it was the same man who’d been guarding the door days before.
“Is your boss in?” Taro asked.
“Afraid not,” the man said.
Taro raised an eyebrow. “Then what are you guarding?”
Before the man could answer, a thunderously happy voice erupted from the room. Thaedos was talking to someone.
“Not in, huh?” Taro said. He took a step toward the door, and when the bodyguard went to grab him, he seized the man by the wrist and pressed him against the cavern wall. The bodyguard fought to free himself, but he was no match against even the most basic of templary.
Taro released
him. “Like I said, I need to speak with your boss.” He pushed into Thaedos’ room unannounced. It was fairly empty, with only the bartender at his counter, and Thaedos and Sikes sitting next to each other at the poker table. They weren’t playing a game; but there were heaps of coins in front of them, and Thaedos was eyeing them as he downed a shot of caramel-colored bourbon.
He slapped Sikes hard against the arm as he slammed the glass onto the felt. “You, boy, are going to make me so much money.” He put his hands up in a sweeping motion. “The undefeated champion of Helia! And when we’ve used up this town, we’ll take you on the road: Celosa Edûn, Adore, Shin, the Free Cities. Everywhere!”
Sikes, for his part, was battered and bruised, though no worse for the wear. Even with his templuric strength, he’d have to take a few hits now and again to keep the fights from being obviously rigged. And templar or not, if a two-hundred-pound man punches you in the face, it’s not going to end well.
Taro cleared his throat to get their attention. Thaedos was momentarily surprised, but he quickly gathered himself into a magnanimous gesture. “Ah, Mr. Taro. What an unexpected pleasure.” He leaned forward. “Normally I’d fire the guard at the door, but I suspect you used some of that famed magister persuasion on him.”
“He’ll live,” Taro said.
Thaedos laced his fingers on the table. “How can I help you?”
“I need passage through the underground for me and several friends,” he said.
“What makes you think there’s a passage through?” Thaedos said, rubbing the stubble of his beard.
“Somehow, I don’t think this place was built to be entered through an old woman’s bakery.”
Thaedos nodded. “True enough.” He looked at Sikes. “You brought this goldmine to me, so I won’t belabor the need for payment. Still, the shafts go for miles and run like mazes. I don’t think there’s anybody who’s truly mapped them all out.”
“We’ll manage,” Taro said. “All we need is your silence. We don’t want anyone following us.”
Thaedos sipped from a frothy tankard nearby. “Keeping a tight lip is my specialty.” He paused, as if considering something, then licked the froth off his upper lip. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the little tiff at the Grand Aculam last night, would it?”
“That’s none of your business,” Taro said sharply.
“Oh, but it is. The last thing I need is the Inquisitors tearing up my establishment, harassing my customers, or coming after me.”
“If the Inquisitors knew we were here, you’d probably already be dead.”
“You’re not exactly bolstering my confidence and goodwill,” Thaedos said.
Sikes broke into the conversation before Taro could respond. “Did you find her?” he asked.
Taro nodded, knowing he was talking about Nima. “She’s safe. For the moment, anyway. What about you?”
Sikes smiled, and Taro noticed one of his front teeth was chipped. Despite all that (and a black eye), he looked rather content. “I think I found my calling,” he said jokingly. “Might not be the best magister, but I can take a punch like nobody’s business.”
Taro laughed. “That I can believe. I guess that means you’re not coming back to Endra with us?”
Sikes shook his head. “I’ll be okay here. I’m Helian after all; this is where I belong. Maybe if things blow over one day, I’ll pay you a visit.” He looked at Thaedos. “Help him and I’m yours until I can’t fight anymore.”
Thaedos hummed and rubbed his fat fingers against his cheek again. He glanced at Taro. “And who are these friends who’ll be accompanying you?”
Taro went to the door and motioned the others in. The Sun King didn’t attempt subterfuge. He lowered his hood.
Thaedos looked like he was going to throw up. “No. You need to leave. All of you.”
“We’d be happy to,” the Sun King said. “Show us the way.”
Thaedos shook his head. “Do you have any idea what the Shahl will do to me if he finds out I helped you? Do you know what he does to traitors?”
“I have a pretty good idea,” the Sun King said. “The sooner you show us the way, the sooner we’ll be out of your hair.” He paused. “And, I can offer you…compensation.”
Thaedos’ ears perked. “Compensation?”
“Equal to your cooperation in the matter,” Magister Sullen added.
Thaedos leaned back in his chair. “I’m listening.” He was a businessman, after all.
The Sun King sat across from Thaedos. “When your brother died, his assets in Endra Edûn and Ashwick were seized by the Magisterium. It’s a sizable fortune: land, servants, vast properties.”
Thaedos seemed to know where the conversation was headed. “And you’d give it me? All of it?”
The Sun King nodded. “Except for the Crissom Foundry. But everything else, down to the last noble. In exchange for your help and discretion in this matter.”
Thaedos tapped his fingers hard against the tabletop. Taro could almost see the wheels in his head turning, doing the mental arithmetic. It was no doubt a staggering amount of money. Thaedos finally shook his head and scrunched his face as if he was trying to find a way around it all.
“Fine,” he said in an exasperated voice. “Fine, fine, fine. Bastards. My pocketbook’s always been my weakness.” He pointed a finger at each of them. “But no one can know.”
“On that, we agree,” the Sun King said. He eyed Thaedos’ pocket watch, sitting on the cup holder of the poker table. “What’s the time?”
“Quarter past eight,” Thaedos said, eyeing the watch.
“Four hours until the ship arrives and a lot of ground to cover,” Taro said. “We need to move.”
Chapter Forty
Rescue
The underground seemed to go on forever. It was a vast cavern, and most passageways had steel tracks laid in them so that carts could move quickly through. There was a great deal of mining equipment, no doubt decades old, left behind from when the operation had been in full swing.
As Taro walked beside Sullen, the Sun King, and his warders, he idly wondered what the old Helians had been mining. These shafts were so plentiful that they seemed to span beneath the entire cityscape. They might even have been how the Helians learned of the Old God structures beneath the Grand Aculam.
They walked silently, sharing three torches. There was no other light for miles, and the thought of being trapped sent a swell of fear through Taro. He wasn’t a fan of Thaedos by any means, but at least the presence of the old man was a distraction. He’d just pulled his foot out of a wedge of rocks and it had apparently ruined his expensive crocodile boots.
“I can’t believe I agreed to come down here,” Thaedos said, brushing rock dust off his pantleg. “I should’ve sent a servant.”
“Are we going the right way?” Taro asked, ignoring his complaints.
Thaedos coughed and squinted down the mineshaft. “Yes, yes. It’s not too much farther. It’ll dump you off north of the city, I’m sure of it. May I go back now?”
Taro had been clever enough not to provide Thaedos with a torch of his own. He smirked and pointed back the way they came. “Go ahead.”
Thaedos eyed the darkness, then thought better of it.
“How much further is it, Mr. Mathan?” the Sun King asked.
“Perhaps another mile. It’s been many years since I’ve been down this way. We used to use them to smuggle certain—” Thaedos cleared his throat. “—illicit materials into the city. We stopped after the entire southern tunnel collapsed.”
Taro’s ears perked. “What did they used to mine down here?”
“Mine? They didn’t mine anything. They were searching for artifacts left by the Old Gods. Some fetched outrageous prices on the market, especially in Endra. But eventually the Shahl came to power, destroyed most or hoarded them away.”
Intermixed with the rocks and dust, Taro noticed bits of broken pottery with Deific writing on them. It wouldn’t surpr
ise him if these tunnels connected directly to the Sepulcher beneath the aculam.
“I was a young man of eighteen back then,” Thaedos continued. “They shut it down so suddenly, it was almost like they were afraid of the place. Some say they found something deep beneath the earth. Something as old as Arkos itself. Some even say that it was alive.”
The cavern dipped down to avoid a stalactite overhead, it was such a sheer drop that they each had to practically climb down it. When this happened, Thaedos stumbled a bit at the bottom. Instinctively, Taro caught him by the arm. He didn’t mean to look into the old man’s templar, he was so focused on other things that he hadn’t even realized he’d done it.
Taro felt suddenly dizzy and he backed away, almost sick.
The Sun King steadied Taro by the shoulders. “Easy does it.”
Taro pointed to Thaedos. He felt something from the old man. He couldn’t read Thaedos’ mind, only his emotions. It was like trying to find a shape in a cloud, but there was something there: deception.
“He’s a liar,” Taro said breathlessly.
Thaedos held his hands up and backed a way. “Now, now, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“They’re coming,” Taro said, glancing back into the darkness.
Thaedos had taken several steps back into the darkness and a smile appeared on his face. He shrugged as he continued to walk backward. “Sorry, friends. It’s just business.”
The shadows behind him suddenly leapt forward like a cracking whip. One of them stabbed straight through a warder’s chest and hurled him against the cavern wall, killing him instantly. The warders drew their swords and chopped at the tendrils as they formed a protective circle around the Sun King.
Five figures appeared from the darkness: Praxis, Cecil, Sura, Edan, and Calia. They each wore white cloaks over gleaming silver armor. The breastplates were of intricate design, covered in Deific runes and flourishes of gold. Their bright clothing was contrasted by the shadow magic filling the cavern around them, lashing and wriggling like snakes.
The large-armed one named Cecil stepped toward the warder they’d killed and touched his body. Immediately, the shadows pooled around him and from it spawned a seething mass of tendrils, teeth, and eyes. The void apparition snarled and snapped at him momentarily, before he motioned it toward Taro.