by Pedro Urvi
Nilsa, with a similar satchel, walked a few steps behind Egil. The idea was that they should not look as though they were together, leaving her free to take action if her friend were to have another encounter like the night before, or worse. Thieves, trouble-makers and drunks abounded in the city slums at night and were on their way again to that half-hidden, dangerous underworld. She was not surprised by the thought of danger, but she felt uneasy about what they were about to do.
By the third turning she was lost, and was thinking of taking out the map Egil had given her. When she looked ahead she saw him turning left once again. As long as she had him in sight, she did not need to check the map. She went on after him, wondering how her friend could have memorized all the streets of this city and made his way through them as if he had lived there all his life.
She was feeling worried about what they were going to find in the lower part of the city when out of another street there appeared a group of the city guard on night patrol. She stopped short at the sight of the soldiers, but went on after a moment. There were half a dozen of them, in black and yellow, with metal spears and shields bearing the emblem of the city. At least they were not thieves or murderers. She felt a little easier, thinking she was safe. But she was wrong.
“Hey, you!” called the one who appeared to be the officer of the group.
Nilsa did not understand what he was saying, but it was obvious that he was addressing her. She turned her head slightly.
“Stop! Identify yourself!”
Nilsa did not understand a single word, but she guessed she was caught. Her heart began to beat fast, and her mind was screaming to her to run away before they arrested her. Egil meanwhile had stopped at the end of the street when he heard the shouts. She thought of going to him and letting him do the explaining, since he could speak Zangrian. She took a step toward him and then stopped. If she were to do that she would get him into trouble, and without him they would never be able to carry out the plan successfully.
“Stop! Orders of the Guard!”
Nilsa sighed, glanced at Egil, then before the six soldiers could draw level with her, ran off down a side street.
“Don’t let her get away!” the officer shouted, and the six men ran after her.
Egil saw her escape with the speed of a gazelle and knew that the soldiers, with their heavy armor, spears and shields, would never be able to catch her, even with the satchel she was carrying. He sighed grimly and kept going. The plan had to go on. On paper every plan was perfect, but in reality, a thousand different things could go wrong, with effects that could never have been foreseen. Nilsa was fast and nimble and clever. They would not catch her, and she would find some way of getting back to the original plan.
The slum streets smelt of damp and dirt, so that he could not make out any of the scents which might help him. His vision too was limited, since most of the streets were completely dark. All he could do was sharpen his hearing to try and pick up any sound that might give away some possible complication waiting for him ahead.
As he reached a corner, he heard shouting. On his right was a tavern, where two men were fighting with bare hands. Judging by their shouts and the way they were fighting, Egil guessed they were drunk. As there did not seem to be any danger, he walked past them quickly. It did not take him long to reach the inn where he had had the incident the night before. The area was busy, with several men chatting animatedly at the door of the establishment, while one lay on the ground unconscious and another was vomiting on the corner. It looked as though they were all enjoying a happy evening.
After what had happened the night before, he decided not to risk going past the tavern. As he made a detour around it, he heard shouts in an alleyway. He took a quick look and saw a man being robbed. He would have liked to have helped the victim, but what was at stake was too important. He went into another alley which emerged in front of a building which housed a not-so-honorable business: a brothel. There was no doubt of this because of the red lanterns hanging from the first-story balcony and the ladies who were gathered at the door, smiling invitingly at passers-by.
One girl gave him a wicked smile. “Don’t you want to come in?” she asked him coaxingly.
Egil gave her a nod and went by at a run so that they could not stop him.
“It’s your loss,” he heard as he reached the corner.
He avoided one or two more people who would probably mean trouble, given their appearance, and finally arrived at his destination. It had taken him longer than he had expected, but he hoped it was not too late. He took up a position hidden in the shadows a few paces from the doorway where he and Nilsa had hidden the night before, and waited. If everything went well, the target would very soon start moving.
He was not mistaken.
From the old storehouse, the headquarters of the Guild of Assassins, four figures came out of the only door and started walking toward him. They were the target and his three bodyguards, on their way home at the end of the day. Egil moved even further back, disappearing into the darkness of a filthy corner, and the four men went past him. They were not talking, which was curious, because they followed the same route every evening and hence ought to know one another very well. Or perhaps that was precisely why they were not speaking.
Once they had gone by, Egil moved. He knew where they were going, so there was no need for him to follow them. He and Nilsa had done that the night before during their scouting mission. He slipped into a series of side streets, once again being careful to avoid thieves, drunks and thugs. Now he had to reach the second position so that he could launch the final part of his plan. He did this (as he had calculated) with time to spare, hid behind a pile of garbage which stank of rot, and waited.
The four men appeared after a while and headed to the same house as the previous evening. Egil scared away a couple of huge rats which were sniffing at him and turned his attention to the building. He could see the entrance and one of the side walls. Nilsa was not in position. She had probably got lost in the streets and alleys of the city, which posed a problem. They would have to adjust the plan.
The four men passed in front of the pile of garbage which he was hiding behind, making a massive effort not to throw up because of the stink. Once they reached the house, two stayed by the door and two went in. Egil squinted to see better. The target had gone in, accompanied by one of his bodyguards, who came out a moment later. He chatted briefly with the other two, then they took up their posts: one at the door, another by the east wall and the third by the west one, to cover the three walls which gave access to the house. The back wall gave on to another building and so was blind.
They had to act, but without Nilsa, things were more complicated. He decided to take the risk and wait, crossing his fingers in the hope that she would find some way of getting there before it was too late. This was the part of the plan he liked the least: he had no clear view and could not confirm whether Gerd and Val were in position. If they were not, he would have to improvise, which was something he hated. The worst enemy of any plan was always improvisation. Plans only worked well if they were carried out step by step, without the slightest deviation. Unfortunately, that evening it did not look as though the plan was going to come out as he would have liked.
Suddenly an owl hooted from the hidden side of the house. This could only be Nilsa. Owls did not often venture so deeply into the city. Perhaps they would succeed with the plan after all. He gave a quick glance, without leaving his hiding place, and saw the two guards, the one covering the main door and the one covering the side he could see. The time had come to act.
He inhaled deeply several times and reached for the short axe and knife under his Ranger cloak. He smoothed this out a little and concentrated on the plan. The moment had come, and he needed to clear his mind of any distraction. He adjusted his hood, left the shadows, and moved uncertainly across to the assassin guarding the door. As he moved, he began to sway as if he were unable to control his body properly after h
aving had too much to drink that evening. He took a couple of steps to one side, pretended to lose his balance and went over backwards, throwing out his arms in an effort to stay on his feet. The guard meanwhile stared at him distrustfully.
He regained his balance and went on toward the guard, stumbling as if he were about to fall at any moment.
“What, too much rotgut?” the assassin commented, watching as Egil almost collided with the house wall.
“Just … a little …” Egil replied in the Zangrian of a true drunkard.
“Well, keep going. If you come any closer I’ll slit your guts open,” the assassin said. At the same time, he drew two long daggers.
Egil had been expecting this reaction. They were good. They were not going to let themselves be fooled easily.
“Yeah … ho … home …” he mumbled, then took an unsteady step and fell on his face at the guard’s feet.
“He really is past it!” the assassin called out mockingly, and laughed.
Egil, lying on the ground on his face with his arms spread out, did not move, as though he had fainted.
“Come on, move!” the assassin barked. “You can’t stay here!”
Egil still did not move.
The assassin gave his right boot a kick. Egil felt the impact and the pain that shot up from his leg to his head, but he did not make a sound.
“Get up and scoot!” the assassin shouted, and kicked him again.
Egil, unmoving, took the blow and waited.
The assassin bent over him. At that moment an arrow came out of the night and hit him in the forehead. There was a hollow sound, followed by an electric discharge, which started at his head and spread down his torso. His arms began to shake uncontrollably. His hands opened, and the two daggers fell to the ground. Egil turned over. The assassin was shaking uncontrollably from the discharge, but was still on his feet. He ought to have fallen already. Val’s Elemental Arrow of Air would have laid even Gerd flat, but not this man.
Egil glanced at the corner. Elemental Arrows had the disadvantage of not being silent, so that the two other assassins would have heard the explosion. And so it was. The second watchman appeared from the corner, daggers in hand, but Egil did not flinch. This too was part of the plan.
“What the heck!” the watchman yelled at the sight of his partner standing there shaking and defenseless.
He was about to hurl himself on Egil when an arrow caught him in the chest. This time it was an elemental arrow of Earth. There followed a small explosion of earth and smoke, which left the assassin both blinded and stunned. He put his hands to his eyes and stepped back, surprised by the attack, unable to see what was happening. Before he could recover, a figure he could not see appeared behind him. He received two strong blows on the back of his neck and fell unconscious.
Egil glanced at the other corner, but did not get up from the ground. An instant later the third guard appeared at a run, alarmed by the sound of the two elemental arrows. When he saw Egil on the ground and his own partner shaking beside him, he stopped and pointed with his daggers.
“What’s going on here?”
“Nothing,” Egil said from where he was lying.
As the guard moved, another Earth arrow hit him in the chest. The explosion of earth and smoke blinded him, and he stumbled to one side. A large figure appeared behind him. The assassin, although stunned and half-blind, became aware of this and tried to use his daggers, but Gerd launched a massive punch to his chin. The assassin fell backwards and did not get up again.
Egil got to his feet and was about to punch the guard, who was still standing there shaking, but at that moment he collapsed senseless to the ground.
“I thought it was odd,” Val said. She was coming out of the shadows of the cross-street, where she had been hidden as she released her elemental arrows.
“Good work, the three of you,” Egil congratulated them.
“I didn’t get here in time,” Nilsa said.
“You got lost, I suppose?”
“Yeah, but thanks to your map I managed to get here.”
Egil smiled. “Thank goodness!” He searched the guard on the ground and found the key, which he used to open the door.
“Quick, put them in here. We can’t leave them in the middle of the street.”
Gerd nodded and slung his own victim over his shoulder. Val slung her bow across her back and dragged the man who had been guarding the door by the legs until he was inside. Nilsa did the same with the one she had knocked out herself. Then they locked the door behind them.
“What are we going to do with them?” Gerd asked.
“Tie them and gag them,” Egil said.
“Right away,” Nilsa said. She took out gags and ropes from the satchel they had prepared for the attack.
Val meanwhile had an arrow ready and was aiming at the inner corridor. Egil was peering into the gloom inside.
“And now?” Nilsa asked.
“Now we get some answers.”
Chapter 24
When they went in, the house was very dark, but they could see a light upstairs. Gerd went first, knife and axe in hand, and Nilsa followed. After her came Egil, with Val bringing up the rear. There was an elemental arrow nocked ready in her bow.
In the hallway, which seemed to be deserted, they checked for any hidden danger. Egil gestured to his friends to disperse and search the entire downstairs floor in silence. Gerd went to the back of the house, Nilsa to the kitchen, Val to the east end, while Egil stayed beside the stairs which led upwards. A moment later his friends had vanished into the darkness, and he was alone.
Silence and shadows surrounded him as he stared at the upper floor, waiting for them to return. He was almost sure that they would find nobody downstairs, but you could never be too careful.
Nilsa was the first to reappear. She shook her head as she looked all around, trying to see in the darkness. At first she went to stand beside Egil, but she found it impossible to stand still and started off up the stairs. Egil held her arm so that she would wait for the others.
Val came next, and Gerd took a little longer. They both shook their heads. The ground floor was empty.
Egil pointed to the upper floor and motioned Nilsa to go first. Egil followed, with Val and Gerd behind them. Upstairs was a wide corridor, with rooms on both sides. Very slowly and carefully they opened every door, looking for the main bedroom. The first four rooms turned out to be empty.
Nilsa opened the fifth door and looked inside, then turned slowly and nodded. Egil went in very slowly, treading like a prowling cat to avoid making the slightest sound, and the others followed. The bedroom was a large and luxurious one. Whoever used it must have had plenty of gold at his disposal. In the great canopied bed, a man was snoring peacefully. Egil went to stand by the sleeper and motioned the others to take their positions around the bed. He signaled to Nilsa and Gerd to be ready, and to Valeria to cover the door.
Then he put his hand over the man’s mouth and pressed down hard.
The sleeper woke up with a start and opened his eyes wide. Gerd held his arms tightly, and Nilsa put a knife to his throat. Val was still by the door, bow at the ready.
“Good evening,” Egil said quietly. He took his hand away from the man’s mouth.
“Who are you?” the man stammered in terror. “What are you doing in my house?”
“Take it easy, Belgorio. Collaborate, and nothing’ll happen to you.”
The man became more nervous still when he realized that Egil knew his name. “Who are you?”
“My name is Egil Olafstone,” he said quietly, making no attempt to hide his identity.
“How do you know my name?” the man asked. He tried to free himself from Gerd’s grasp, but without success.
“I’ve been investigating the Guild of the Blue Snake, and you as well.”
“Then you know who you’re dealing with. You’re mad if you think you’re going to get out of this alive.”
“Call me an optimist, b
ut I think I’ll get out of this just fine.”
“You’re crazy! The Guild will get rid of you and your accomplices!” He was looking at Gerd, Nilsa and finally at Valeria, as if he were marking them for execution later by the hand of an assassin.
“The Guild has been trying to kill me for some time without success. That’s why I’ve come here tonight to pay you a visit.”
“They’ve been trying for some time? Without succeeding?”
“That’s right.”
The man in the bed shook his head firmly. “I don’t believe you. The Guild fulfills its contracts practically immediately, just about every time. It’s part of the reason why it’s so famous and why people buy its services.”
“I’m an exception.” Egil gave him an ironic smile. “The one that proves the rule, probably.”
Belgorio’s face relaxed a little, and his expression turned from panic to utter surprise. Obviously he could not believe that what was happening to him was real.
“What do you want?”
“I’ve come to get some very important information for myself.”
“I don’t know anything. I’m nobody.”
“Good try, but on the other hand I know you’re somebody and you know a lot.”
“No, I can assure you, you’re wrong!”
“I’m not wrong.”
“You want one of the leaders, and I’m not one of them.”
“You must be somebody, if you live with bodyguards.”
Belgorio shook his head violently, so that Gerd had to hold him down even more forcefully. “No, I’m not one of the Guild chiefs, I swear!”
“That I know already.”
Belgorio was dumbstruck. “You know I’m not one of the leaders?”
“Yes, I know that.”
Gerd, Nilsa and Val exchanged glances. If this man was not a leader of the Guild, then who was he, and why were they there?