The Dragonspire Chronicles Omnibus 1

by James E. Wisher

  Yaz didn’t know why it was always the bartender in charge of the inn, but so far that seemed to be the rule. They worked their way around tables and servers to reach the polished oak bar. The portly barkeep finished pouring two mugs of ale for a waiting girl then gave them his full attention.

  “Help you?”

  “We need rooms,” Silas said.

  “No problem. A single and a double or three singles?”

  “Three si—”

  “A single and a double,” Brigid said.

  Silas frowned and Yaz shot her a curious look.

  The barkeep waited and Silas finally shrugged. “A single and a double.”

  A pair of keys were produced. “Rooms six and seven. Baths?”

  “Yep,” Silas said.

  “Wise decision,” the barkeep said before waving a hand in front of his face. “Total for the rooms and baths will be twelve silver scales.”

  Silas counted out the money and collected the keys which he gave to Yaz. “I’ll handle the horses and join you two later.”

  “Which one’s the single?” Brigid asked.

  “Room six,” the barkeep said.

  Brigid handed that key to Silas.

  “Sure you don’t need a hand?” Yaz asked.

  Silas looked from Brigid to Yaz then grinned. “Nope, I’ll manage. You two have fun.”

  Yaz watched him hurry out of the inn and shook his head. Silas seemed to have the wrong idea about his and Brigid’s relationship. Oh well, it didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.

  Brigid led the way upstairs. When they were out of earshot of anyone that might be listening Yaz said, “We’ve got enough to afford three single rooms.”

  “I know,” Brigid said. “The thing is, I’ve gotten used to having you nearby when I sleep. And after what happened at the inn in Sharpsburg, being alone in a strange place doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think that you might want a room of your own.”

  Yaz didn’t especially care one way or the other. “It’s fine. At least we won’t have to argue over who gets the bed this time.”

  Dressed, fed, and feeling human again, Yaz and his companions set out at midmorning for the coin collector’s shop. Yaz wanted to get going at first light, but Silas assured him that Carnack wouldn’t be open and if they woke him, he’d be in a worse mood than usual. Though he begrudged the time, Yaz had no choice but to accept the delay. Brigid suggested exploring the city a little so that’s what they did. It really wasn’t that different than home aside from the scale. Each neighborhood was like its own little village with all the businesses you’d expect. Thought of that way it wasn’t so overwhelming.

  They had also ditched their traveling disguises. Yaz would have been delighted to never wear the smelly leathers again, but it was Brigid who insisted on dumping them while they were in the city. She pointed out that they hadn’t seen a single wanted poster on their way to the inn. As a compromise she bought a wide-brimmed hat and tucked her hair up under it. It wasn’t much of a disguise, but Brigid’s long, blond hair was her most distinct feature, if you saw her from a distance. At the same shop she and Yaz bought walking sticks that would make fair quarterstaffs. No one walked around the city carrying spears after all.

  Silas kept Wicked in a pouch at his side rendering his familiar useless as a spy. The wizard had shrugged when Yaz mentioned it. Apparently, he generally kept Wicked out of sight when he was in town since the little undead made people nervous and gave them the wrong idea about the sort of wizard Silas was.

  With midmorning fast approaching they left off exploring and turned toward the market district, a collection of every sort of shop imaginable. As they made their way through the narrow, busy streets Yaz asked, “So what’s this Carnack fellow like, besides greedy?”

  “Actually,” Silas said, “greedy is about the only personality trait he has. Every decision he makes, at least so far as I can tell, revolves around coins and how much he can sell them for. He’s got no family that I know about. It’s not like we’re close friends. I just sell to him now and then.”

  “If he’s so greedy,” Brigid said, “why wouldn’t he turn us in for the reward?”

  Silas smiled. “Simple. He’s weighed my value as a supplier against the reward and decided I’m worth more free and bringing him merchandise. Should that calculation change, he’ll weigh the odds of me getting captured before I kill him for betraying me. I suspect that will come out in my favor as well.”

  Brigid blanched as his casual comment and fell silent.

  They rounded a corner and crossed the street, stopping in front of a two-story shop featuring a sign with the picture of a coin on it and “buy and sell” written underneath. The building had been painted white at some point, but years of accumulated grime had turned it gray. Two narrow steps led to the front door.

  Silas led the way up and pushed through the entrance. A chime tinkled, announcing their arrival. The interior was dimly lit and featured glass cases filled with coins on display. You’d think the guy would invest in a few bright lamps to better show off his wares. Maybe he begrudged the cost of oil.

  Behind a glass-top counter waited a gaunt, hunched-over man dressed all in black. He was bald except for a long, greasy fringe of hair hanging down to his shoulders. Carnack, for he could be no one else from Silas’s description, looked only slightly more alive than Wicked.

  Carnack quickly dismissed Yaz and Brigid with a glance before settling his gaze on Silas. “What trash have you brought me today?”

  “That’s no way to welcome your best supplier, Carnack,” Silas said. “Maybe I should take my latest find down the road to Toole’s.”

  “That fat fool wouldn’t know a valuable coin if it fell out of the sky and split his skull. Now show me what you’ve got.”

  Silas slapped the coin on the counter and removed his hand. “Have a look. I’ve never seen one of this design.”

  “Your ignorance hardly counts for much.” Carnack pulled a monocle out of his shirt pocket and stuck it in his right eye. He studied one side of the coin then the other before looking up. “Where did you find this?”

  Silas glanced at Yaz who nodded. If they were going to find out anything, they’d have to tell someone eventually.

  “A little town called Dragonspire Village. Heard of it?”

  Carnack’s pale skin turned chalk white. “Who hasn’t heard of the town protected by dragons? Did you buy it there? I’d have guessed you found this in one of the ruins you so enjoy looting.”

  “I found it lying on the ground. Someone must have dropped it without realizing. So tell me about it.”

  “The coin comes from the Kingdom of Terra. I’ve never seen one of this design. All earth kingdom coins have a mountain on one side, but I don’t recognize the king on the other. I’ll have to consult my books, but my guess is that it’s very old indeed. May I keep it for further study?”

  Silas laughed. “Hardly. Can you tell us anything else about it?”

  “As I said, I’ve never seen this striking before.” His upper lip curled and he said as if it pained him, “If you wish to know more you might ask at Graywalk Academy. Their history department is extensive.”

  “We’ll do that,” Silas said.

  “If you truly wish to study the coin,” Yaz said. “You may take a rubbing for reference.”

  “Thank you.” The words seemed to stick in Carnack’s throat. “Excuse me while I get paper and charcoal.”

  Carnack disappeared into the back of the shop.

  “He seems nice,” Brigid said.

  “I warned you,” Silas said. “We didn’t even get any useful information.”

  “Sure we did.” Yaz picked up the coin. “We got another lead. Perhaps the scholars at the academy will be of some help.”

  Carnack returned with a scrap of paper and short length of charcoal. Yaz returned the coin and the collector quickly made rubbings of both sides. When he’d finished, Yaz reclaimed the coin
.

  “Come back tomorrow afternoon and I’ll have a price for you.”

  “Can you give us an estimate?” Silas asked.

  “I’d say one hundred and fifty gold scales, but that’s a guess only. I can’t make a firm offer until my research is complete.”

  Yaz bit his lip to keep from gasping. That was fifty times what he’d imagined the old silver coin bringing.

  “Fair enough,” Silas said. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When they were outside Brigid said, “Gods above! A hundred and fifty gold scales for that coin. That’s…I don’t even know what it is.”

  “Crazy?” Yaz offered.

  “It might be crazy to you,” Silas said. “But you can be sure if Carnack is offering one fifty then the coin’s true value is about four hundred.”

  “That is crazy,” Brigid said. “We’re going to be rich.”

  “Maybe,” Yaz said. No way was he going to count the scale until it was in his hands. “How about we head over to the academy and find out why it’s worth so much?”

  Chapter 2

  Carnack gave Silas and his unknown companions ten minutes to make themselves scarce before turning to a dark corner of his shop. “I need to step out for a few minutes.”

  A figure shifted into the light of his single window revealing a scarred face and dark leather breastplate. Gald was his guard and the big man was the prime reason Carnack had no fear of thieves. That and the fee he paid to the Thieves Guild every month to keep his place secure.

  “Are they going to be trouble?” Gald asked. “I thought you might faint in the middle of your negotiations.”

  “That was the rarest coin to ever walk into my shop,” Carnack said.

  “But that wasn’t what surprised you.”

  Carnack narrowed his eyes. Gald was perceptive, he wouldn’t be much of a guard otherwise, but too perceptive wasn’t valuable either. If Carnack hadn’t trusted him totally – Gald was the only person he trusted totally in the world – he would have seriously considered replacing the man.

  “You’re right. I’ll be back soon.” Carnack grabbed his silver-headed cane and shuffled out the door, pausing only to flip the closed sign on his front door.

  The tip of the cane tapped on the cobblestones as he made his way across town. The woman he needed to speak with lived a damnably long way away. But for what the Dark Sages paid him, Carnack would’ve walked much further than across town.

  The alert had arrived only four days ago. Any mention of Dragonspire Village should be brought to the attention of the local overseer with all haste. No reason why – there was never a reason why, which annoyed Carnack. He preferred giving orders to taking them and ignorance always galled.

  In his ten years as a lookout for the group, he had only reported to his overseer twice. She always received him with the utmost courtesy and respect, listening to his report and thanking him without giving the slightest clue what the information meant.

  And that suited Carnack. Despite his curiosity, getting any more deeply involved with the shadowy group didn’t appeal to him. Better to take their money, keep his ears open and mouth shut.

  A few streets from his destination a pair of urchins went running past, shouting and laughing. He raised his cane, but they were gone before he could swing. Little monsters. Their parents should keep them under control, especially in this part of the city.

  His overseer, Melody, lived in the wealthiest section of the city. The buildings were all brick with slate roofs. Clear, perfect glass windows allowed an unobstructed view of the people passing by or lingering in the many parks. It was all a little too fine for his tastes. And the rents, gods above, he’d be bankrupt in a year if he moved his business to this neighborhood.

  Melody worked out of a club called The Gilded Swan. It catered to the richest of the rich, providing nothing but the best in food, drink, and whatever else they wanted. Out of curiosity, Carnack had inquired about the cost of joining. Ten thousand gold scales a year for a junior membership. Madness, but if you could afford it, why not?

  The club sat at the corner of Diamond and Pearl streets. As he approached, the doorman eyed him with a sneer. Even the servants, in their crimson silk and velvet uniforms, thought they were better than him. Carnack wanted to wipe the smug look off his face with the butt of his cane, but in addition to greeting guests, the doorman served to keep the riffraff out. And he was quite good at it from what Carnack had heard.

  Tapping his way up the freshly painted steps, Carnack kept his temper under tight rein. He stopped a few feet from the doorman who asked, “Can I help you?”

  “Carnack to see Melody.”

  “Is that name supposed to mean something to me?”

  Carnack shrugged. “I have business with your boss. If that was any of your concern, I doubt you’d be out here sweating in a velvet doublet. Now go tell her.”

  The doorman’s face worked as he weighed seeing Carnack off with a good thrashing against what might happen if he really did have business with the club’s owner. Caution won out and the doorman nodded before ducking inside.

  He wasn’t gone five seconds. “If you’re here to pester Mistress Melody, you’ll wish you hadn’t.”

  Carnack shook his head. “You don’t get to make many threats, do you? You’re not very good at it.”

  The better part of five minutes passed before the door opened again, this time revealing the stunning figure of Melody herself. In the ten years Carnack had reported to her, she didn’t appear to have aged a day. Her long, silky black hair didn’t have a strand of gray. Her flawless curves were toned and lush. There had to be magic involved.

  She smiled. “My dear Carnack. It’s been far too long since you paid me a visit. Come in out of the sun.”

  “Thank you, Melody.”

  Carnack gave the doorman a long look as he walked inside. The man was sweating from more than the heat now. Treating an acquaintance of the owner the way he just did was a good way to lose his job at best and his life at worst. His life literally rested in Carnack’s hands and he knew it. It was a sweet feeling.

  Inside, the club was cool and dim. White marble tile covered the entrance floor and a pair of imperial era statues holding swords to form an arch led to the lounge. Melody guided him to a side door behind which waited a narrow, spiral staircase. They clanked upstairs to her utilitarian office. Melody sat behind an oak desk and pointed at the hard chair in front.

  Carnack sat and cleared his throat. “I have news.”

  “So I assumed. Tell me.”

  “Three people entered my shop an hour ago to sell an old coin. They said they found it in Dragonspire Village.”

  Her expression hardened. “Do you believe them?”

  “I can’t imagine why they’d lie about such a thing. Besides, when you hired me, you made it clear my job was to bring the information and that your people would decide what to do with it.”

  “That sounds like something I would have said when I was younger. Describe them.”

  Carnack did so. When he finished, he added, “They’re coming back tomorrow afternoon to resume negotiations for the coin.”

  “Very well. I’ll have orders for you before then. Is there anything else?”

  “No.”

  “The usual messenger will be by tomorrow morning. You may go.”

  Carnack rose and offered a polite bow before withdrawing. He retraced his steps and went outside. The doorman looked at him with nervous eyes. Carnack smiled an evil little smile and continued on without a word.

  Let him worry for a while. It would be a suitable punishment for his rudeness. The thought of the doorman trembling in his shoes sustained Carnack all the way back to his shop.

  Chapter 3

  Graywalk Academy was the biggest collection of buildings in the city and, according to Silas, the most prestigious school in the Kingdom of Carttoom. The buildings were all made of stone in the imperial style and covered with ivy. The red tile roofs shone in the s
un. Between the buildings were open parks with fountains and marble benches.

  A wrought iron fence surrounded the campus. Thirty feet tall and topped with spear tips, it looked well suited to keeping the commoners out. The only way in was a gate wide enough to allow a wagon to easily pass through. Four men dressed in red-and-gray livery and carrying swords and halberds guarded the entrance. None of them looked to be in a great mood.

  The rich and powerful sent their kids here to study and more importantly make connections with their peers. The school was one of a handful of places where the future rulers met and mingled. At least class seemed to be in session so none of the high and mighty were outside to trouble them. At least as far as they could see from outside the fence. Unfortunately, the history professor they wanted to talk to was probably in class as well.

  “Have you ever been here?” Yaz asked Silas.

  The wizard shook his head. “Too tempting to start throwing lightning bolts at the smug bastards. I prefer the rougher parts of the city. A lot less attitude to deal with.”

  “It’s beautiful though,” Brigid said as she looked through the fence at the grounds.

  Yaz couldn’t argue with her on that. He’d never seen a more stunning place. “Where will we find the history department?”

  “Beats me,” Silas said. “But there has to be a reception area. Maybe a guard can give us directions.”

  They went up to the gate and one of the guards, a man in his midthirties missing his right eye stepped out to meet them. “Do you have business here?”

  “We do,” Yaz said. “The coin collector Carnack advised us to consult with your history department in regards to an ancient coin we found. It’s from the Kingdom of Terra. If you could direct us to the right building, my friends and I would be grateful.”

  “Let me see the coin,” the guard said.

  Yaz pulled it out of his pocket and held it up. The guard reached for it and Yaz snapped his fingers shut. “Look with your eyes, not your hands. May we enter?”