Empire's Edge (Path of Light Book 2)

by N. A. Oberheide

  “Do not interfere with our investigation! Leave or you will be arrested!” One of the guards gruffed, tightly gripping a holstered revolver.

  Trevin turned tail and left without hesitation.

  “Well…what did ya see?” Gully asked, struggling to be heard amongst the commotion.

  “Nothing…just blood and trash. Where the hell did he go? My son can’t be far…hold on I have an idea!”

  Trevin noted the position of the sun and tried his best to track parallel to the alleyway. Some twists, turns, and an ambush by a feral cat guarding its dumpster, they came out onto another main thoroughfare. It wasn’t nearly as crowded, and they could still see the smoke from the fire some distance away. They made their way back down towards the smoke, but soon noticed the alleyway was blocked off by a pair of guards who were forming a cordon.

  “Shit! I really hope he’s not inside that tinderbox!”

  “Oh the hell he is! Ya don’t remember all that smoke you were blowing up my ass about her? I can’t even recall her damn name now, but you said all sorts o’ shit about her loyalty and blah blah…ya might as well have been married!”

  “Morra…that’s her name.” Trevin looked around, lost and confused. “And I meant what I said. She keeps her promises, to a fault. A big fucking fault it seems now. God damnit I can’t believe we just missed them!”

  “Easy now bud, just relax. If you were him, where would ya have gone?”

  Trevin took a deep breath and continued to look around. He looked up, and then looked down. A speck of something bright red caught his eye off the cobblestone. He swiped his finger over it and inspected it closely.

  “Looks like blood…but whose is it?” Trevin thought aloud.

  He slowly made his way down the street, noticing furthermore red specks that seemed to be picking up in frequency. Some of these blood spots had already been trampled on, but it all made for a trail that was only obvious to someone who was looking for just that. After a while of following this trail, they both stopped in unison. The drops of blood suddenly stopped, ending in a ragged smear that was obvious to anyone who wasn’t blind.

  “What the…” Gully looked around, seeing nothing obvious indicating what may have happened.

  “If my kid was running down this way…if this is his blood…” Trevin rubbed his eyes and crouched down to try to gain some more insight.

  He soon realized he was not alone, as a wrinkly old woman crouched next to him with a bucket of water and a cloth. She soaked the cloth and started mopping up the blood.

  “Are you lost, dear?” The woman looked over with a sunbeaten face wrapped up with a bonnet.

  “Er…no.” Trevin stammered, then had an idea. “Hey by any chance, did you see whose blood this is? I just hate seeing people get hurt!”

  “Oh sugar, somebody was running down this way. My eyes are failing me, but he looked young and had white hair…not to mention quite a nose bleed! He was punched and tackled by some of the Regulators…must have been a crook on the run! We don’t take kindly to crime around here.” She said nonchalantly.

  Trevin and Gully locked on each other with an incredulous gaze.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  “Well well, look who we got rousted from his nap!”

  Am I having another one of those dreams again?

  “We know yer awake, kid! Look lively now! Cock a doodle doo!”

  Something slapped against his shoulder. He opened his eyes and first noticed that he was seated in the back of a wagon with his hands bound in front of him. The front of his shirt was caked in dried blood. He looked up to see a husky man in a black bandana and a wide brimmed felt hat looking down on him. The canvas wagon cover cast a perpetual shadow which made details of his face hard to make out.

  “Well, what’s he sayin’ boss?” Someone called from the front of the wagon while peeking into the back.

  “Ain’t said nothin’ yet. Keep a look out you dummy, don’t worry about us.”

  The voice behind the black bandana sounded vaguely familiar, with a characteristic mellow drawl.

  “Errr…uhh…” Something blocked his throat. He hacked up and felt a mass come up, turning his head towards the back of the wagon and hocking it out onto the back of the canvas tarp. The ball of coagulated blood and phlegm rolled down the canvas leaving a dark trail.

  “Well ain’t that just lovely? Feelin’ a bit better now sunshine?”

  “Yeah sure…just fine. You didn’t have to punch me you know.” Naurus said while rubbing his tender and sore cheek.

  “It wasn’t me. And it sure as shit wasn’t my idea. We got word you were in town…and word sometimes travels faster than you can run! But luck would have it that ya ran straight into us! Ain’t Fortune a fickle thing?”

  “Yeah…fickle. Let me guess…Regulators?”

  The bandana shook as the man laughed heartily.

  “You done guessed right, boy!”

  “What the fuck do you guys want with me?” Naurus realized Fortune was not seeming to favor him, polite or not.

  “Me and you…well we’ve got some business to take care of. See, we know you and that yellow-bone you came out with came not exactly in peace. We know y’all are up to something strange. As it turns out, you are the just the kind of guy we need for some strange work.”

  “What in the fuck are you on about?”

  “Easy there, don’t get yer pants in a bunch! Don’t yell too loud either or were gonna gag ya! Can’t have the riff-raff wondering what’s going on back here.”

  “For fucks sake, what do you want with me? If you’re killing me, just fucking do it already!”

  “Oh no, that’s not in the plans at all. We never meant you harm, even though it seems you mean our Confederacy some harm. Actually, you could scratch my back and I could scratch yours all the same.”

  “Huh?” Naurus cocked his head as the man sat down next to him.

  “You see, we are about to go see big boss. Yes, my boss. He wants to see you, get a good look at the brigand, the spy, the saboteur that brazenly landed on our shores as if we wouldn’t notice. We know you ain’t from around here. Y’all Astranians all talk funny anyway. So, whatcha say?”

  Naurus avoided the mans gaze, instead looking around the wagon for any hint of what might come to befall him. All he saw was old straw and pitted wood. All he felt was the rhythmic bumping and thumping of the old wagon passing over bumps and lumps. The horses whinnied, and suddenly the brain fog started clearing up.

  “Where is she? What happened to her?”

  “Who ya talkin’ ‘bout?”

  “My friend…Oh Gods I hope she isn’t—”

  “The yellow-bone? I was hoping you could fill me in on that.” The Regulator butted in, shifting around as if discomforted. “But it ain’t a big deal either way. We’ve got you again, and this time we ain’t gonna give you up without a fight! Last time y’all sure got the last laugh on us. Some witchcraft and magick sure goes a long way. This time, we’re getting down to brass tacks.”

  Naurus sighed, suddenly depressed at the realization he was now truly alone. “Where are we even going?”

  “It’s a bit of a secret…for now. My boss drives a hard bargain, but you don’t seem like a total moron so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

  “I just want to go home…”

  The Regulator chuckled. “Don’t we all, kid? Our paths have now crossed, and you sure as shit got me in a bind as to what to do with ya. I think I have a good use for you yet, and no it ain’t for target practice.”

  Now Naurus couldn’t help but to snicker a bit. He rubbed his nose with his hands, expecting to find caked up blood all over his face but instead found nothing of the sort.

  “Yeah, you were quite a mess, but I cleaned ya up a bit. Gotta have you lookin’ not half dead when the boss man sees you. I’m not sure what the hell you got into back at the Brickhouse Brewery, but I hear it burned down after some sort of magick explosion or some such. Could see the damn smoke too!”r />
  “It wasn’t me, I swear. It was—”

  “Look, I ain’t the law in the way you think I am. I don’t really care if you burned down some shithole bar or not. Your problems are far larger than that, and so are mine. In fact, you would probably be sitting in the jailer’s dungeon if I didn’t grab you first, so you should be thanking me!”

  “Thanks…I guess.”

  “I’d rather ya be honest than fake sincerity, but I can’t blame you either.”

  “It’s hard to be honest with a faceless, nameless whatever you are.”

  The man dropped his bandana, revealing a scruffy face and large, expressive eyes.

  “My name’s Rahlo, and what might yours be?” He extended his hand.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  “So…this ‘ere is the ghost, huh? This kid slipped out from under you and your entire team?”

  “Yessir, this is the one! He had some help with him though, we still aren’t exactly sure how we were tracked but it won’t happen again!”

  “I sure hope not, now look up at me boy, what did you say your name was again?”

  “Naurus.”

  The pale and staid looking man leaned back in his seat. He tussled his long, black hair and stroked his meticulous goatee. His three-piece suit was immaculate.

  “I have a proposition for you. Are you going to do anything stupid if we unbind you?”

  “No sir…”

  “Don’t sir me, you don’t answer to me. Now free him up!” The man motioned and soon Naurus had his hands free and proceeded to loudly pop and crack his knuckles and wrists. He shifted to be more comfortable on the chair he was on, facing directly opposite a table where the well-dressed man was sitting. The men surrounding them all were clearly Regulators too, bedecked in thick leather holsters and bandoliers studded with bullet loops. None of their eyes were easy to see under the shadow of their felt brims.

  “Better now?”

  “Yes si…I mean yes I’m fine. I still don’t know why I’m here though.”

  “Maybe I can help you answer that.” The boss leaned back in his plush leather chair and pulled out a cigarillo, lighting it with a match.

  “Care for a smoke, young man?”

  “Sure I could use one.”

  Soon enough Naurus was puffing on his own cigarillo, surprised at how pleasantly sweet and earthy it was.

  “Now I’m sure you’re quite confused after the recent events you’ve had to suffer through, and I sincerely do apologize for that shiner my boys gave you.”

  Naurus unconsciously rubbed his eye, feeling how tender and sore it was which he had forgotten about until now.

  “We really don’t mean you harm. I see you’ve already made the acquaintance of my eyes and ears, Rahlo. You may call me Big Boss for now.” He said with mellow but gritty voice.

  A moment of silence filled the wood paneled room they were in, tucked away inside an old citadel that they arrived at just minutes before.

  “Now, I hate wasting anyone’s time so I’m going to try to make this simple. First, just explain to me what this is all about. Why are you here? To spy on us? Sabotage us? Pray tell.”

  “I…well…” Naurus stammered, but realized he had nothing to gain by lying now. “I was sent here on something like an espionage mission, yes. We never wanted to hurt anyone or do any damage. We just had a job to do—”

  “Yes, we all have a job to do.” Big Boss cut in, intently bearing down with his hazel eyes. “Thank you for answering though. You’re young blood indeed, unfortunately for you it seems you didn’t anticipate being tracked as soon as you came ashore. You weren’t alone, who was with you?”

  Naurus puffed hard and licked his lips. “I…well she was my handler. She’s dead now…”

  Rahlo leaned into to Big Boss’s ear and whispered something.

  “Ah yes, quite unfortunate what happened back at the brewery. I was hoping to talk to her as well, but it sounds like she bit off more than she could chew. Now you’re all alone in enemy territory. Is that how you thought this mission would unfold?”

  “Not at all.” Naurus felt his eyes fog up and swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure. “I just want to go home.”

  “I’m sure you do, but it’s not that simple. You’ve stepped on a hornet’s nest, but you are quite fortunate it was our nest. We can help you, just as you can help us. Quid pro quo, as the ancients would say. What say you?”

  “Um…I guess that works. What are you thinking?”

  “I don’t think, I do.” Big Boss puffed a massive, blue grey cloud that rolled off his hair. “What I’m going to do is simple. You are going to accompany Rahlo on whatever he may need you for. We don’t care about your Kingdom right now, at least not until war is declared. We aren’t acting under the color of law of the Confederation, we act independently for their best interests. Some call us mercenaries, some call us contractors, but I care not what they label us. You’re one of us now.”

  Naurus fumbled his cigarillo and burned a hole in his shirt. “I don’t think—”

  “I don’t give a shit what you think. If you want to make it home you will do exactly as I say, and I say you are in Rahlo’s charge now. If you have an issue with this then we have plenty of room for you in the cistern where you can stay in isolation in between interrogation sessions until you give up everything you know about your Kingdom. This, of course, is entirely up to you. What will it be?”

  “I’ll go with Rahlo.”

  “Smart kid you are. Strange looking, but smart. You look like a hybrid to me. Are either of your grandparents or parents Transcendents?”

  The question caught him off guard, but he decided that spilling the beans about his dad was not in his best interest.

  “No, neither of them are. The stars must have been crossed on my birth!”

  “Indeed. Please leave us, gentlemen.”

  The rest of the regulators filtered out of the room, leaving only the three of them in the smoky room. Big Boss stood up and was taller than he initially appeared. He walked over to Naurus and examined his hands carefully.

  “You were burned with a curse, and you subsequently took a Blood Vow. Yes, I know about that. The Kingdom and its customs are not foreign to me. You’re in my house now, so pay attention.”

  Big Boss stepped back and Rahlo sat against the edge of the thick, mahogany desk. He adjusted his button-up shirt and tipped his hat back, unshadowing a tanned, square face that seemed to be glowing in the soft sunlight filtering through the windows.

  “Me and you, partner, have a big ol’ task ahead of us. Ever heard of a fifth column?”

  “No, can’t say I have.”

  “Well the long and short of it is that we have some ah…” Rahlo scratched his scruffy face. “Subversive elements if you will. Especially them damn, good for nothing tree huggers. They are part of the Confederacy, yes, but ain’t got no fightin’ spirit. This is where you get to help me, help us in fact!”

  “Uh…wait who are these tree huggers?”

  “The elves! Who else could it be?! Y’all livin’ under rocks back home?”

  “No, but you’re asking me to try to rally up some part of your army so that you can come over and attack us with even more numbers?”

  Rahlo and Big Boss looked at each other and laughed in unison.

  “You sure are blunt, ain’t ya? Well it ain’t quite that simple. Contrary to what ya might think, the Confederacy ain’t on a warpath. Just the opposite, we want peace. But if you want peace, you must prepare for war. Over the past year or so, your naval forces have threatened our shipping lanes and encroached on our fishing waters. The Confederacy decided that was enough and decided to meet force with force. This unfortunately escalated and through that there was an incursion onto your homeland, I take it you were present for that?”

  Naurus grimaced and nodded.

  “Well now, your face says it all.” Rahlo continued. “I do apologize it had to go that way, but those decisions go far above me I’m
afraid. It was more of a show of force, trying to get y’all to back off on the raids and encroachment. We simply want to come to the negotiatin’ table but can’t without a unified front, that is all three members of our body duly represented. This is where you come in. Starting to get the picture?”

  “Yes, starting to. I still don’t get what you expect me to do though.” Naurus squirmed, feeling as if an invisible weight was on his shoulders.

  “You, partner, are going to help me. You will give me plausible deniability. We are gonna kick some shit up, don’t ya worry. But you ain’t from here. You’re just a spy, a saboteur who slipped past our watchful eyes. But not really. You are here, and under our eyes and orders. With this, we are going to goad us some tree huggers into coming to the table.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I can’t tell you everything right now, but over the following days and weeks it will become apparent. Come now, lets take a walk outside and see how handy you are with the steel.”

  With that Rahlo walked out into the hallway and beckoned his unwilling guest to come out with him. Naurus followed him down the stone corridors, eventually coming to a great double door which led out into a courtyard. The sound of gunfire was immediately apparent, but it became quickly evident that it was controlled firing at a makeshift range set up at the opposite end of the courtyard. A stack of wood formed a backstop against the crumbling stone walls of the ancient citadel. The targets were little more than bottles, cans, bricks, and other detritus found lying about.

  “Now I know y’all got some guns over there, but how good of a shot are ya?”

  “I’m nothing special, just some hunting here and there.” Naurus tried to downplay to avoid seeming like a braggart.

  “Yeah, that so? We’ll we might be huntin’ some bigger game than squirrels and birds around here. Come over here and let’s see what you can manage.”

  Rahlo walked over to the firing line and whistled loudly, which caused the shooters to cease fire and step aside. Naurus became painfully aware of how out of place he was. Everyone else wore the same, stamped belt buckle prominently featuring the three stars of the confederacy. They all had button-up shirts tucked into their pants of various shades of blue over which slung holsters and the revolvers they all carried.