Blood and Shadows

by Dayne Edmondson

  As Dawyn and Shadow approached the Celestial Palace, the Shadow Watch Guards at the gates saluted him and he returned the gesture. The Celestial Palace, located at the center of the northern wall of the city, was a massive, sprawling complex that dated back to the time of the Founding. Many of the buildings in Tar Ebon could date their origins to that time, because Tar Ebon had been one of the seven great cities created by the Founders when they first came to this world. Using magic that the world had never seen, they had constructed wonders such as the Tower of the Seven Stars and the Celestial Palace that, even today, were admired and studied by architects the world over. Although much from that time over a millennium ago had been lost, monuments such as the palace remained as immortal reminders of the past.

  Leaving Shadow in the royal stables on the east side of the palace, Dawyn made his way into the east wing. This was the section of the palace where the Shadow Watch Guards resided, along with the servants, advisors and some lesser nobility. The western side of the palace held the royal families’ chambers along with guest bedrooms for high-ranking nobility that might stay.

  As commander of the Shadow Watch Guard, his chambers on the second floor of the palace were larger than average, while remaining functional. The room contained a washbasin atop a table that sat next to a single-person bed along the north wall, a sitting chair in the southeast corner of the room and an eastward facing balcony that overlooked the palatial gardens and stables. Dawyn would occasionally find himself sitting out on the balcony at the table and watching the people pass by underneath, while feeling the warmth of the sun on his face in the morning light.

  His journey to his chambers was brief, allowing him time to switch out of his sweaty uniform and cloak and into his formal uniform. The formal uniform was reserved for special purposes, such as personal meetings with the king, parades and other official royal events. It featured streak-free, shined knee-high black boots, tight, black cowhide pants, a thin black belt with a golden buckle and a black tunic that had the seal of Tar Ebon embroidered on it and ruffles at the wrists and collar. The uniform was finished off with a hoodless cloak trimmed with golden thread, making it appear more regal. The Tar Ebon emblem on the back of the cloak was larger than the normal version and was of golden thread.

  After washing briefly and changing his uniform, he made his way down into the palace dungeons. The king had requested his presence in his personal chambers, but Dawyn had something to investigate first.

  He arrived at the subterranean prison that lay beneath the east wing of the palace and returned the salute of the guards waiting just inside the doors. Security in the prison was tight. Two guards stood outside of the door and two stood inside that would not unlock the door unless the proper authorization was given by the guards on the outside. A squad of a dozen men on the inside, only a shout away, could defend the door if an enemy attempted to breach the facility. A tube running from the room to the barracks above was used to sound the alarm and bring additional reinforcements, if needed.

  “Has the city watch brought the six prisoners?” Dawyn said after being admitted into the prison area and returning the salutes of the men within. The man he was speaking to was the lieutenant in charge of this contingent of guards. Shifts were taken in twelve-hour increments and the changing of the guard was done as seamlessly as possible to ensure the prisoners were never alone.

  The lieutenant, Dawyn could not remember his name now, checked the prison roster and nodded. “Aye, commander, city watch post thirty-three hauled in six prisoners about an hour ago. Said they had been dealing in slavery and had been involved in an assault, sir.”

  “That sounds like them,” Dawyn replied. “I apprehended them personally. Let them stew for a while and then see what you can get out of them – in a humane manner, please. Have a report sent to my chambers with information on who they are working for and anything else. They clearly have a boss; I want to find out who that boss is and where I can find him.”

  “Aye, sir,” the lieutenant replied with another brief salute. “I’ll do as you request.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant…?” He trailed off.

  “Sheffield, sir. Lieutenant Clarence Sheffield.”

  “Excellent. Thank you, Lieutenant Sheffield.”

  Dawyn left the prison facility, returning to the main floor of the palace. He crossed the grand hallway that ran down the center of the palace, receiving bows or curtsies from serving staff and salutes from passing guards, and made his way to the west wing of the palace. He knocked crisply on the large oak doors. Being one of the few rooms where even the commander of the Shadow Watch Guard had to ask permission to enter, the chambers of the king were guarded heavily. Two guards flanked the doors, holding halberds and having long swords at their right hip. At each end of the hallway stood two more guards, bringing the total number of guards in the hall alone to six at all times.

  Once admitted to the room by the king’s servant, Wilfred, Dawyn was asked to take a seat in the antechamber. The antechamber was a large room, with many pieces of furniture ranging from long couches covered with pillows to more functional armchairs. Along the west wall, near the large windows that overlooked the western gardens, was a large table. This was the king’s “thinking table”, as he called it, where he discussed strategy when in his chambers.

  The security continued in this room, with a Shadow Watch Guard standing in each corner. These guards carried small crossbows and long swords and were lethal with the weapons. As the personal guards of the king, these men had been vetted carefully for both mental and physical capability. Even the strongest man could be a threat to the king if he could not control his emotions or fooled easily. All eyes had turned to him as he entered and each of the guards gave a brief bow of their heads to acknowledge their commander. These guards, like the guards in the hallway, all wore the functional uniforms; though, unlike Dawyn, they wore open-faced conical helmets with a small crossbar to protect the nose.

  As Dawyn scanned the room casually, his eyes fell upon a figure seated in one of the armchairs. He could see long, red hair that looked as though it belonged to a woman. Curious, he stepped forward and rounded the chair, finding himself meeting eyes with a young woman. The woman wore red slippers that peeped out from beneath an ankle-length burgundy dress trimmed with white, which sported a modest-cut bosom. She wore facial makeup and her lips were ruby-red. Ruby earrings pierced her ears, while a band with a white diamond centered in it sat on her forehead. Her nails were the color of her lips and her piercing blue eyes were full of intelligence as she studied him in turn.

  The headband with the diamond in it named her as a mage of the Tower of the Seven Stars. The diamonds that mages wore on their foreheads were said to help focus their power and allow them to easily perform magic that they otherwise would not be capable of performing. The symbol of the Tower, sewn in white, with seven white stars arranged in a crescent above the Tower was visible on her left breast, also proclaiming her allegiance.

  Mages could come in all shapes, sizes and colors and there was no easy way to identify a mage. Some claimed that by looking into the eyes of a mage, one could tell if they were using their magic. Stories told that their eyes would glow white, though Dawyn had never seen this. Regardless, mages were hard to identify if one did not know what to look for. A mage that chose not to reveal their identity could easily do so if they desired, by removing their headband and wearing plain clothing.

  Dawyn bowed courteously to the woman and she stood to offer him a curtsy in return. Although Dawyn did not recognize this woman, he presumed that she had to be of significant rank, being invited into the king’s personal antechamber. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. My name is Dawyn Darklance, commander of the Shadow Watch Guard. May I ask your name?”

  The young woman smiled, seeming to find the formality of his introduction funny. “My name is Alivia O’Leary, Commander Darklance. It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I am a mage from the Tower, as you proba
bly surmised already, sent as an adviser to the king on a matter of mutual importance to both the palace and the Tower.”

  “Have you been waiting long?” Dawyn said.

  “Not long. I had only just arrived a few moments before you.”

  As they spoke, Wilfred came into the room bearing a platter that contained a tea pot, three tea cups and a plate of small cakes. He set it on the table directly in front of Alivia and bowed. “Is there anything else that my lord and lady might desire?”

  Alivia shook her head and Dawyn replied, “No, thank you Wilfred, this will be enough for now.”

  With a bow, Wilfred took his leave and returned to the servants’ quarters along the east wall of the antechamber, where a stairway granted access to the kitchens.

  The two waited in silence, only the sounds of sipping tea and quiet chewing escaping from either person, but they did not have to wait long. Shortly after Dawyn arrived, the doors to King Algier III’s chambers on the south wall of the antechamber opened and the king himself walked out. The king wore a white robe with golden slippers and was without his crown. King Algier the Third was a man in his late middle years, with a touch of gray at the sides of his hair and a receding hairline. Although the years had not been kind to the king’s body, his spirit remained unbroken and he wore a kindly smile as his eyes fell upon Dawyn and Alivia sitting in his antechamber.

  “Ah, Dawyn, Alivia, right on time,” the king exclaimed as he moved into the room with surprising youth and took a seat across the table from them. Wilfred had come from his servants’ quarters once more to hand the king his tea. The king took a sip and sighed with pleasure. “This is good tea, as always, Wilfred.” Wilfred bowed and removed himself to stand behind the king’s chair.

  The king looked to Dawyn first. “How are you, Commander Darklance? How went your patrol today?”

  Dawyn took a sip of his tea to mull over the question before answering. While he didn’t want to burden the king with petty details, surely the abduction of a druid was cause for note. “It was uneventful until the end, your majesty. I ran across a band of ruffians within the Market District. They were tormenting a bear. When I drew closer to protect the animal, I found a magic-inhibiting Shara’han collar around its neck and removed it. It turns out that the bear was in truth a female druid who had been taken against her will. She was forced to turn into a bear and then trapped in that form, caged and carted across the kingdom. This encounter was particularly relevant because I have reason to believe that the ruffians were acting on the orders of Lord Garik, though I have not received confirmation of this yet.”

  The king took Dawyn’s information in silence and frowned. “That is a sad thing to hear happen within our own walls. Is the woman safe?”

  “Yes, I took her to a safe place within the city. Friends of mine are looking after her.”

  “That is comforting news, Dawyn. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Turning his gaze to Alivia, the king spoke. “Alivia, did you find your way here with little difficulty? How are the accommodations within the palace? Are they to your satisfaction?”

  Alivia, who had been listening intently to Dawyn’s tale and seemed to have a distant gaze in her eyes, turned her attention to the king at his words. “I had little difficulty finding your chambers, your majesty. All of the staff here are quite helpful. The accommodations are more than satisfactory. Frankly, they are larger than anything I had at the Tower. The only discomfort I feel is the lack of my magic due to being in the palace.”

  The king nodded in understanding. “Yes, I have heard from many a magic-user that the aura in and around the palace discomforts them. Suddenly unable to use magic must be a jarring experience.” The Celestial Palace had a unique property which was seldom seen anywhere else in the known world and had never been replicated. All magic, be it from a mage, druid or other user was unable to be used on the palace grounds or within the palace. Oddly, Dawyn’s time-bending ability was not affected.

  Magic directed toward the palace or its grounds seemed to “dissipate” as it hit some invisible barrier. A fireball, for example, thrown toward the palace extinguished immediately upon hitting the air above the wall surrounding the palace. No one quite knew why this happened, though the field dated back to the days of the Founding. Legend said that the Founders had created the anti-magic field as a means of creating balance in the kingdom. The stories told of how the Founders had feared that those with magic would come to dominate those without magic, especially those who ruled the people, such as kings and queens. So the Celestial Palace and places like it were imbued with an anti-magic field that would allow those within to never fear that magic might be used against them. All of the seven great cities of the world had at least one safe haven from magic and there were others scattered around the world.

  “The reason that I have asked you both here today,” the king continued, “is so that we can discuss this Lord Garik and the current predicament in which we find our kingdom. According to our sources, Lord Garik, within the last several months, has gained the allegiance of virtually every assassins and thieves’ guild in the lands between the mountains. Further, no guild of any substance remains outside of Lord Garik's control on the entire continent.”

  “Lord Garik is said to have both a powerful female mage at his command, a woman known only as Nikki, as well as a mysterious female assassin who has a unique magical ability never before seen. Based on eyewitness reports, this woman can disappear into a mist-like shadow form on a whim, reappearing almost instantly elsewhere in a room, and normal weapons pass through her as if striking a cloud or an early morning fog. All attempts to capture or kill the woman have been unsuccessful and it is with the aid of this mage and this veiled assassin that Lord Garik has sworn so many to him.

  Normally, it would not concern the kingdom if a few assassins’ guild leaders died and the guilds crumpled. One would think that losing their leaders would cause confusion among the guilds, potentially destroying them. Unfortunately, because they now have a single leader, they are presenting a unified front. For centuries, the assassins’ and thieves’ guilds have warred, or perhaps skirmished would be a more appropriate word, amongst themselves, but generally they have remained out of the public’s eye. Now though, with no other enemy in the criminal underworld for the horde of trained killers and thieves to fight, they turn their attentions to law-abiding citizens across the kingdom and in neighboring lands. This Lord Garik has caused a grave imbalance in the criminal underworld and it is causing the underworld to spill out into our lands. The land is poised to fall under a tide of blood and shadows, the likes of which we have never seen.

  I have tried dispatching the army or city watches in various cities to combat clusters of assassins, but the assassins often outnumber the troops that are sent and make them bleed for every step they take using projectiles, poison and traps. The assassins’ dens are deathtraps to my soldiers and, so far, efforts by my own troops to kill or capture any significant number of these criminals have been mostly unsuccessful. This has dramatically affected the morale of my soldiers and guards, causing them to be reluctant to go after these dens.

  I have consulted with Archmage Berel, and he has reported spikes in deaths among his mages out in the field as well. Although a mage is a formidable opponent, they are not gods and die just like any other person if they are caught unawares or overwhelmed. The Archmage has generously offered the services of Alivia. Alivia has over ten years as a trained battle mage and is powerful among the mages of Tar Ebon. She should be able to counter the abilities of the mage that accompanies Lord Garik, while you and your unique ability, Dawyn, will be useful against the veiled assassin.

  That is why I have asked you both here. I would like you to lead the offensive against Lord Garik. You will have all of the resources of the kingdom at your disposal. You are to stem the tide of death and thefts throughout the land and do everything in your power to find Lord Garik, his mage and personal assassin and bring them t
o justice. Do you understand?”

  “I understand, your majesty,” Dawyn replied. “I do have one question. May I choose anyone for this quest?”

  “So long as they are willing, yes, you may.”

  “Do we have any idea where the last known location of Lord Garik was? The land between the great mountains, not to mention the land between the oceans, is vast and it would help if we had some place to begin searching,” Alivia said.

  “The last report my royal informant, Victor, supplied to me two months ago before going silent was that Lord Garik was last seen in Flintville, located several dozen leagues east of Henry's Crossing, which, as you know, is located on the banks of the Tar River. However, the man seems to move around frequently. Recently, reports have been coming in of a strong underworld presence in Henry's Crossing itself. I believe he is there, though for how much longer I do not know. I caution you that armies are not likely to be effective against him, for if he catches wind of an army mobilizing in his vicinity it is likely that he will spook and flee to another city or set a trap and ambush the army.”

  “Thank you for the information, your majesty,” Dawyn said. “We will start immediately. Is there anything else you wished to discuss?”

  “No, my boy, that is all. Wilfred will see that any of your requests for resources are met without question, if they are within my power. I would appreciate regular reports on the situation and the hunt.”

  “You will have them, your Majesty. By your leave, I would speak with Wilfred in his quarters regarding our quest.” Dawyn rose from his seat at a nod and upward gesture from the king, gave a low bow to the king and made his way toward the servants’ quarters. Behind him, Alivia offered similar words of excuse and followed him.

  As they entered the servants’ quarters, Dawyn noticed the simplicity of it. Within the room were four beds with simple wooden frames and thick feather mattresses, one end table between each pair of beds, and wash basins atop each. Small oil lamps rested on each of the tables and four lamps were hanging around the room. These were simple accommodations for simple folk. The servants of the king and queen did so out of love and respect for them, not fear, or money. Any one of the servants would have gladly given their lives for the king without a second thought.

  After a few moments, Wilfred joined them in the servants’ quarters. “Did you require anything in particular, Commander Darklance?”

  “Yes, Wilfred. I will require pouches of gold marks. Several pouches of them so that if I lose one, I will not lose my entire fortune. I also need several pouches of silver marks and copper and silver pennies. This journey will not be without cost and we will need to pay for food, transportation, lodging and, potentially, bribes.”

  Wilfred bowed low. “I understand, Commander. I will gather these items for you and have them delivered to your chambers this evening.”

  “No,” Dawyn said, “keep the coins in your chambers, locked away until I come for them. I will be out of the palace tonight on business related to this hunt and will not be able to be located by the palace easily.”

  “Of course, Commander. I will see it done. Is there anything else you require?”

  Dawyn thought for a moment. “A map of all the lands between the White and Windy Mountains is required as well. As recent as you can find, please.”

  “I will see it done,” Wilfred replied solemnly.

  “How long will it take to gather the coins and maps?” Alivia said.

  “My dear lady, both items will be prepared later today.”

  Alivia nodded. “Please remember, Wilfred that time is of the essence. Every moment we delay is a moment longer that the shadow cast by the assassins’ guild spreads across the land, leaving blood in its wake.”

  With that business settled, Dawyn prepared to leave the palace. He turned to Alivia as they were walking down the grand hallway. “Did you have any plans for the evening?”

  “I do not. Why do you ask?” Alivia eyed him suspiciously from the corner of her eye, as if he were asking her if she wanted to be courted.

  “It is not the reason you may be thinking, my dear lady. Surely I find you attractive, but I am otherwise attached at the moment.” That was not quite a lie. Even if he was not attached with Anwyn, yet, then surely his oath to the royal family counted as an attachment. “I would like you to accompany me to a local inn where we will meet our other two potential traveling companions.”

  Dawyn’s words seemed to placate Alivia and she nodded. “Yes, I will meet you at this inn. What is the name of the place?”

  “It is called the Dancing Mare. It is within the Royal District.”

  “Yes, I know of the place. What time will you be there?”

  “I expect to go there right after I change out of this uniform. But you may come at your leisure as I expect to be there late into the night.”

  “So be it,” Alivia said. “I must go change into something less conspicuous and then I will meet you at the Dancing Mare Inn.” With that, Alivia turned and walked toward the west wing of the palace. The lower, ground floor, levels of the west wing were afforded to prestigious guests, while the second level of the palace was typically reserved for the housing of the royal family.

  Chapter 9: A Song