by Ugland, Eric
Léon.
Even from a distance, I could tell it was Léon. I hadn’t seen him that long ago, and he was still wearing the same clothes. Sure, his threads were torn to shreds, and there was a lot more blood, but there was also a lot of torchlight around, so I could see clear as day. I couldn’t tell if he was even alive. He wasn’t moving.
I tried to push in closer, but it was difficult to do so without just throwing down. Everyone was trying to get closer, and the crowd was growing. People were jeering and shouting. Then things started to get thrown. It looked like rotten food. Whatever it was hit and sort of splashed across Léon.
“No,” came a whisper in my ear.
I shook my head. “I need to save him,” I whispered back.
Bear grabbed my ear and pulled it. Hard.
Much like when anyone pulls your ear, I followed the direction of the pull. In this case, she got me out of the crowd and a bit down a side street where we weren’t surrounded by people. Then she let go, jumped off my shoulder and stood on a decorative wall right around my eye height, hands on hips.
“Are you insane?” she asked. “You’re standing in the middle of a mob talking about saving the man the mob is intent on killing?”
“I have to—”
“You have to do nothing of the sort,” she snapped. “Your job here is to kill the vampires and to keep Eliza safe. And preferably, all the people with Eliza safe. Léon has nothing to do with you.”
“He’s my friend, and—”
“And what would you possibly do in this situation? Massacre thousands of citizens out there? Cut a bloody swath through those fools?”
“Why not?”
“Because you are not that man.”
“I am. That’s always the problem — I am that man.”
“You are not. I don’t know where you came from or what you were before here, but you are not that man any longer. Perhaps you want to think that is who you are, but that is you being lazy. You are a protector, not a killer.”
“And I want to protect my friend Léon.”
“There is no way to save him. Not right now. Despite all your powers, you will be torn apart by the crowd. And if you are somehow victorious, you will have massacred an entire city. Which would make you a villain hunted throughout the world.”
“But—”
“No. Montana Imperial Duke of Coggeshall, this is a battle you cannot fight, for there is no winning. Whoever is on the other side of this has outplayed all of us. I’m sorry. We lose.”
I punched the wall. Full strength. The bricks caved in, and then the whole wall fell over. Bear scrambled and jumped onto me, grabbing onto my collar to keep from falling.
“Oops. So what do I do?” I asked, watching my hand bleed for a second before the cuts all sealed back up.
“What you came here to do,” she said, on my shoulder once again. “Although, right now it might be better to not appear as an imperial.”
The shouting from the crowds shifted. It was no longer just about Léon, but the Empire itself. That the Empire had brought vampirism to Osterstadt. That it was time to get the Empire out of Osterstadt.
“Yeah, that’s not good,” I said. I pulled my tabard off, and tossed it into the mess I’d made of the wall.
We moved back to the main street, stopping to watch the mob. They were just increasing in intensity, their fervor starting to feel scary.
“This looks less than good,” I heard Arno say. It took me a second to find him, but he was leaning out from a dark alley about ten feet away.
“You have any spells to grab Léon with?” I asked.
He just shook his head, eyes wide. “I am not the type of mancer required for something like that.”
“Is there one here?”
“Not of the Empire.”
“Someone who’d do it for money?”
“That tends to be the way of Osterstadt, but I doubt anyone has enough coin to buy the courage needed to go against this crowd.”
“I’d go,” I said, glaring at the rowdy mob.
Bear yanked my ear.
“Trade a thousand lives for one?” he asked.
I didn’t know how to answer him.
“Your Eliza,” Yuri said, suddenly standing next to me. “She is an Imperial noble, yes?”
I nodded, still unable to take my eyes off Léon’s still form lit by torchlight.
“You might consider escorting her from the city,” Yuri said. “I do not imagine this is going away with his death.”
He pointed at Léon. A large figure had climbed up on the wagon, dressed in all black and holding an absolutely massive axe in one hand. The figure pointed at Léon, and the crowed roared. The axe went up and around, and there was just a collective holding of breath in the mob as the axe seemed to hang in the air.
The axe came down.
The head came off.
The crowd went nuts.
I realized I was walking forward, both Yuri and Arno holding onto me, and coming with me for the ride.
“You cannot do this,” Bear said softly. “I am sorry. We lost this fight.”
Chapter Forty-Six
She was right. With Léon already dead, I knew there was nothing I could do. Revenge on the mob was pointless. Eliza might not know what was happening, and she was a reasonably well-known imperial noble, so I needed to get her out of the city. Also, I needed to find out what happened to the Legion. Had they all been killed by the mob? That seemed unlikely.
We headed south, which also meant uphill, back into the nicer area of the city. Cries from the crowd echoed around, and people were still leaving their homes and heading out to join in the party.
And by party, I mean wanton destruction and the killing of an innocent man. It made my blood boil every time I thought of it. And every time, I’d start grumbling, and Bear would talk me down.
As we moved deeper into the rich part of town, I noticed an increased presence of armed men. And not just normal guards — there were full-on squads out patrolling. Big, mean men and women who were dripping with armor. And they definitely eyed my little party moving through.
We were a block from the hotel before anyone stopped us.
A group of burly men in chainmail stepped across the road.
“Evening, gents,” the leader said. He was missing a few teeth. “You look like you’re in a bit of a hurry.”
“It’s a little crazy here,” I replied. “Just trying to keep our heads down.”
“And those heads,” he continued, “are they imperial heads?”
I paused and looked over at my companions. Neither of them seemed to have much to say on the matter.
“He’s definitely not from here,” one of the armed men said, pointing a metal gauntlet’d finger at Yuri.
“Yeah, but he’s a guest of mine,” I replied.
“I don’t think you’re—” one man started.
“Fuck,” another said. “That’s the Hero of Osterstadt. He’s as Imperial as they come.”
Weapons came out. I was almost thankful this had happened, and I I could take out some of my rage on them.
“Wrong answer, assholes,” I said.
I drew my sword as quick and as hard as I could. The sword first cut through my belt, then through my first opponent’s head. The others stopped, realizing their leader had died. But I didn’t stop. I just moved on to the next target, keeping the swing going.
Yuri had his sword out now, a simple mid-length blade that had little in the way of hand protection. He snapped his weapon out and up, and split a man from belly to neck.
I got my boot up and smashed in my next opponent’s knee.
Yuri caught a cut for my neck on his sword. Then he raked the man’s face with his lion claws.
Arno shouted a word I couldn’t understand. There was a pop and a sizzle from my left, and by the time I turned to see what had happened, a pair of eyes were cooking on the street.
I shook my head, glad Arno was on our side. Then I lunge
d at the last man standing, cutting him down as he tried to run.
Two breaths later, and we were the only ones alive in the street.
“Everyone okay?” I asked.
Both Arno and Yuri were breathing hard. We all had a little more blood on us than before, but I got nods from both men. I knelt down, and very quickly, undid a belt off of one of the men. It mostly fit. For good measure, I also took the man’s coin purse and sword. And his scabbard.
Yuri, similarly, went to work freeing the corpses of belongings they no longer needed.
Arno looked at us, aghast.
“You boil eyes and have a problem looting the dead?” I asked.
“It was not the spell I thought I was casting,” he replied.
“Do I want to know what you were trying to do?”
“Likely not.”
“Just try not to fry me or Yuri.”
“Noted.”
“And do not singe my fur,” Yuri added.
Arno nodded.
We were back on the move just as another group rounded the corner. But these weren’t soldiers, they were rank civilians, armed with heavy candlesticks and butcher’s knives.
They eyed us, and we eyed them. There seemed to be a mutual decision to let the others pass unmolested.
I was immediately worried to see no one outside the hotel. I opened the door and peeked inside.
No one.
“Fuck,” I said.
Inside, it was quiet. Which gave me hope. I ran up the stairs, and heard the thumping steps of Arno and Yuri following me.
I got to the top and pounded on the door.
There was a moment.
“It’s Montana,” I said.
I heard a muffled “shit,” then a twang, and a crossbow bolt crashed through the door, through my maile, and into my chest.
“Motherfucker,” I grunted.
The door opened, and I saw Priscilla standing there, Eliza behind her with a crossbow in her hands.
“Oh gods, it really is you” Eliza said. “I’m so sorry, I—”
I shook my head, grabbed the bolt, and ripped it out. Which hurt. I had to lean against the wall for a second, but the pain passed, and I chucked the bolt down the hallway.
Yuri looked to Arno, eyes wide. Arno shook his head, equally shocked. I suppose it was the appropriate reaction to seeing someone unfazed after getting shot in the chest. I didn’t have time to explain things to them, so I just pushed my way past Priscilla and Eliza into the room.
“We need to go,” I said.
“No shit,” Emeline called out from her spot at the window. “This city is like an uncovered pot of Greek fire next to an open flame. But I’m guessing, since you’re back here, that you’ve killed the Master?”
“Uh, no. Not yet.”
“Then we’re not going,” Emeline said.
Eliza nodded. ”I think Emeline is correct. It is more important to—”
“I appreciate your thinking on the matter,” I said, “but I have to overrule you both. We’re getting the fuck out of Dodge right now. And before you ask, in this case, Dodge is Osterstadt, and right now means right. Fucking. Now.”
Priscilla, obedient and fantastic, was already packing things up.
“I don’t think you understand this,” Emeline said. “If you give up, the Master is just going to take this city over.”
“If we don’t leave,” I replied, “we will be killed. And then we don’t have to worry about the Master. So if that’s the way you’d like to remedy the whole you vs. the Master thing, then fine by me. But I’m not going that way. I’ve got too much shit to do to get bogged down fighting the idiots here. Besides, I promised to keep Eliza safe, and I’ve still got to finish my quest with her.”
Eliza blushed.
Priscilla had most of the trunks packed up.
“You think we can get the horses?” Eliza asked.
I walked over to the window and peeked out. I noticed Bear was standing on the sill, looking out.
“You have any thoughts about all this?” I asked her quietly.
“There’s more going on behind the scenes than we’re seeing,” she said. “And that means someone probably knows that Lady Northwoods is here. And they’re going to be coming for her, either for ransom because her father is made of gold, or for more nefarious reasons.”
“You think someone is coming for us?”
“Wouldn’t you? Why else is the inn not staffed?”
“We’re moving now,” I shouted to the group. “Also, these are friends, Yuri is the fuzzy one, Arno is the old one.”
“I’m not that old,” Arno muttered.
“Take what you can carry,” I said, “and what you can carry easily. We’re going straight for the gate.”
Emeline hesitated, even as everyone else was moving.
I looked over at her, holding the door for Eliza, Priscilla, Yuri, and Arno. Then it was just Emeline and me. And the invisible Bear on my shoulder. Though why Bear chose to be invisible now was anyone’s guess. I figured, perhaps, she just felt safer that way.
“Your call here,” I said.
“Is it?”
“I’ll leave you here if you’d like. I don’t think it’s the end you want though.”
“You think they’ll see me as an imperial? I’m from here.”
“Sure, but who knows you still exist?”
She looked out the window.
“Does your father?”
“No.”
“Were you going to tell him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe after this whole Master nonsense was done with.”
“Well, time is up. Staying or going?”
“Are you still going to kill the Master?”
I nodded. “I don’t like unfinished quests,” I said. “And this asshole’s been on my shit list for a while. He’s just about at the top of it now.”
She smiled, just a little. “Who’s above him?”
“You will be if you don’t hurry up.”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. But, most importantly, she walked out the door.
Chapter Forty-Seven
The rest of the group was already down on the main floor. Yuri had his big old lion ear jammed up against the heavy wood of the door.
“People outside,” he whispered. “Back door?”
I shrugged, but was already moving. I just started opening up doors. The first one was a bathroom, the second a closet, and the third held promise. A young man was hiding in there.
But it was still a closet.
“Back door,” I commanded.
He just looked up at me, eyes wide.
I picked him up by his collar and lifted until he was eye to eye with me.
“If I wanted to hurt you, I’d have done it by now,” I said. “Now, tell me how to get the fuck out of your hotel without going through the front.”
He nodded, and maybe wet himself, But that wasn’t necessarily my fault. You know, he could have had to go because he’d been in the closet so long.
“Behind the bar,” he said quietly. “Down that hall, to a door. It’s locked, but it leads to the stables.”
“Thanks buddy,” I said with a smile, and set him back down on the floor of the closet. Then I shut the door, saying nothing about the strong stench of urine starting to permeate the air. I’m all heart.
I led my little group into the eatery, behind the bar, and down the hall. As predicted, the door was locked. But I happen to be very good with locked doors. I kick them, and they open.
In this case, I kicked the door, parts of the door broke, and then the door swung open.
“Not for nothing,” Eliza said, from her spot right behind me, “but if you were going to make that much noise, it would have been easier to just go out the front.”
I gave her a look as I pushed through the broken door and into the stables. It wasn’t a large stable, but it was full. Horses, including ours, along one wall, and an ornate carriage parked on the far side. The h
orses were calm, well-cared for. After a second of looking around, I saw two small faces peeking out from the hayloft. I gave a little wave, dug two gold coins out of my pouch, and set them on the hay.
“Take care of these horses,” I mouthed, and pointed to our mounts.
One tiny nod from the left head.
That was enough for me. I was moving.
I paused at the big doors to the stable to peer out. They led to an alley. We were in the swank district, so it was a wider alley than nearly anywhere else, built to deal with carriages and horses. For a second, I considered stealing the carriage parked inside, but we needed to move through the city unseen. A carriage would for sure get stopped, and then, well, I wasn’t exactly sure how we’d be made as imperials, but I had a bad feeling it would be because of Yuri. Osterstadt had a rather dim view of non-humans. I took one more second to listen, and then made my best guess.
“This way,” I said.
“Other way,” Bear snapped.
“That’s what I meant,” I replied, and we were off.
The city was awake, almost strangely so. People mostly stayed in their posh homes around us, but they peered out through their windows and, on occasion, stood out front with weapons. The streets were largely devoid of people. Except for the groups of armed men and women, most of whom had the look and feel of professional soldiers, only with any identifying elements conspicuously absent.
We made it down into the next district without trouble, but getting through the nice neighborhoods didn’t worry me. We moved on the side of the roads, myself in front, then Eliza, Priscilla, Emeline, Yuri, and Arno pulling up the rear. I wished we all had big dark cloaks like Yuri, clothes we could hide in.
As we got closer to the main avenue, we saw more people in the streets, and heard loud and ridiculous shouts from the growing mob. Lots of calls for the Empire to pay for bringing vampires. And calls for the people to take down the Legion. That all the imperials in the city needed to die. Apparently it was also a good time for looting, since people were breaking into stores and liberating them of their goods.
