King Daingal shivered in pain as he looked at the blood dribbling down his arm. He raised a shaking hand to the blade and gripped it nervously, breathing rapidly as he mentally prepared himself for the torment that was to come. The King gripped the dagger as tightly as he could, the blade slipping through his fingers a couple of times until, at last, he latched onto it tightly enough to wrench it free with one sickening tug. A spasm of fiery pain caused the monarch to cry out. While this gruesome display was unfolding the Assassin approached, his heels clicking on the marble floor as step by inexorable step, he closed the distance between himself and his victim until he was staring down into Daingal’s pale features. Most of the assembly had fled by this point though a few remained, frozen in horror. The servant scrambled to his feet and sprinted from the chamber while the King sat up and pushed himself away ineffectually. The Assassin bent and scooped up the dagger.
The thundering of feet distracted the Assassin from immediately plunging his dagger into the pale-faced King and he wheeled about on the spot. Across the room four Ciphearyn guards burst into view and they immediately withdrew their blades and advanced on the Assassin. He grinned maniacally at the armoured men as they stepped closer, their swords held with menacing purpose as they marched toward him. As they rounded on their prey the attacker ran his finger along the edge of the stiletto.
“For Ythelia!” the Assassin shouted.
Suddenly, the Assassin pounced with cat-like agility and flew towards King Daingal with a high-pitched wail of defiance. He fell upon the prone monarch with wild abandon and slashed madly. The blade sliced and diced into the King’s arms as the monarch raised them over his head in a feeble attempt to fend off the assault. From behind, one of the guards thrust their blade deeply into the Assassin’s back, the metal poking through his chest. This caused the King’s assailant to stop his frenzied onslaught, juddering forwards as the sword was yanked free. Gazing down at the wound to his chest before cackling wildly and lunging at the King with one final desperate attempt to bury his blade somewhere more vital. Before he could make the killing stroke, all four of the royal protectors attacked simultaneously and they preceded to cut the man to pieces. He fell to the floor at last, dropping his weapon as he crumpled into a sodden and bloody heap. An alarmed Daingal lurched to his feet and looked at the scores of shallow cuts to his forearms and cursed wildly.
“Ythelia will not mourn my passing. I am only one of many,” the Assassin whispered between pained gasps. He coughed once more before his eyes rolled back into his skull and he died with a long sigh.
“Are you alright sire?” one the guards enquired.
“Yes, fine,” King Daingal replied testily. He hovered over the fallen Assassin’s body for some time, tracing every detail of the man’s face and burning it into his unconscious mind. After some time, he looked up to speak again. “Find out how deep this plot against my life goes. It will not go unanswered and the Gods help whoever had a hand in this,” he roared, turning on his heel and storming from the assembly hall.
***
Ydari walked down the stairs to the entrance hall of the Tirgaalian Palace. He looked about for a few moments until he spied a familiar figure leant nonchalantly against a pillar and idly chatting with a servant. As the Captain approached, the servant laughed uproariously from a joke Kael had made and clapped his hands enthusiastically. Meanwhile, a huge lopsided grin decorated his roguish features and Ydari groaned inwardly at this since he knew this would buoy his swagger and confidence to heights that would rival the Gods and it would open the joke floodgates. Further along two more servants went about their duties.
Ydari strode towards the exit as Kael stood back up and fell in beside his brother. The two men remained silent as they repeated the arduous process of talking to the perimeter guards and being escorted through the main gate. The Captain stopped for a moment, looking around him into the faces of a dozen or so travellers and denizens of the city before walking forwards in huge powerful strides. At first Kael had to jog to keep up with Ydari but he swiftly matched his brother’s rhythmic steps and they soon left the Palace far behind. Every so often Ydari would pause and look about as if he were checking that they were being followed; darting down a quiet side street here or an alley there. Eventually the two Ythelians found their way to the tavern that they were staying in: the Drunk Baron. Wordlessly, the two men entered and, after nodding briefly to the bartender in greeting, they made their way upstairs to the rooms they had rented.
Kael had paid for the two biggest and most luxurious rooms in the Drunk Baron, the vagabond being surprisingly generous with his coin in this regard and it had helped to improve the mood of the group considerably. Ydari and Kael pushed their way into the largest of the two and Teobrin looked up from the bed. The young watchman cheerfully sprang to his feet in greeting and almost ran over with outstretched arms as if he were about to hug them. Ydari’s arm shot up and the eager youth stopped dead in his tracks. On the other side of the bed Lothram sat on a stool running a sharpening stone along the length of his sword, the occasional scrape accompanying his work. Ydari began to rip the nobleman’s clothes from his body, swapping them out for his own considerably more comfortable travel-worn garments and scale armour. Kael too exchanged the stuffy attire for the ragged robes that usually hung to his body until, at last, they had both transformed into something a lot less respectable.
“Do you want me to fetch Raelynne and Idrahil?” Kael enquired.
“Please,” Ydari responded, “we have to consider our next move. Before you go, what did you say to that servant to make him so friendly with you?”
“Just spoke to him, working man to working man. It’s always a good idea to ask the servants to learn the dirty secrets that men above their station wish to keep private,” Kael said sagely. “They hear the most and are seen the least,” he finished with a nod before exiting the room.
“I’m guessing you had fun on your adventure?” Lothram groaned from the back of the room.
“Oh boy, did I!” Ydari replied in a sarcastically dry tone.
“I bet it was. I wish I could have gone,” Teobrin added with innocent enthusiasm.
“Indeed,” Ydari said simply. Mercifully the door opened and Idrahil and Raelynne entered with Kael following up at the rear.
“What have you found out?” Raelynne asked hurriedly before anyone else had a chance to speak.
“As you know I suspected that the Draconis Legium was making a move to kill Prince Ferilan and while we were at the Palace Kael snuck off to eavesdrop on a conversation between Arlydd and Adaryn. So, I’m hoping he heard something useful.”
“Actually, I did,” Kael began. “I think it’s a real possibility that Adaryn is planning on killing his nephew. He wants to eliminate any threat between him and the crown and the Legium are going to carry it out for him.”
“Azreus’ beard,” Raelynne swore. “I was hoping that it wasn’t true.”
“And the question remains, what are we going to do about it? We don’t know if that is the entire plot or only part of a bigger plan,” Ydari pondered.
“We should do something,” Idrahil said. “A boy’s life is on the line and I for one am not going to sit back and let him be murdered. Not if we can do something about it.”
“Agreed. The Legium pose a bigger threat than we realised, especially if they can meddle in the affairs of multiple nations,” Raelynne chimed in. “We have to disrupt them in any way we can.”
“Ok, it is decided. We’re going to where Ferilan is being held and get him out of the city, tonight. Did you arrange passage on a ship like I asked?” inquired the Captain.
“Yes sir,” responded Lothram. “The ship is sailing tomorrow morning but I’m sure I could persuade the Captain to let us hide the boy there for the night. And then we leave on the morning tide.”
“Good. Kael, did you happen to hear where Adaryn has Ferilan at the moment?”
“Yes, they mentioned he is staying at the old
Palace on the city’s outskirts.”
“It is agreed then. We’ll go to that old Palace tonight and try to get the Prince out of the city. I think it’s best if we split up. Three of us will go to the docks and wait for news and the other three will help to free Ferilan.”
“I’m with you,” Kael announced loyally.
“Well, count me out. I’d prefer to say nice and safe at the docks even if it means I have to put up with him,” said Lothram, pointing a thumb at Teobrin as he did so.
“I’m coming with you,” Raelynne added fervently. “If that mage is going to be there, she and I have unfinished business to settle.”
“Very well,” Ydari remarked. He nodded in response and with that he and his companions began to go their separate ways. “I’ll meet you all back here tonight. Don’t do anything foolish in the meantime.”
The rest of the day passed agonisingly slowly for Ydari. The Ythelian Captain spent most of the afternoon staring out across the city. From his vantage point he could see the main square through which all the major roads through Tirgaal City converged. Much like other major cities across the continent, a huge church had been erected here to honour the Gods. Unlike the rest of Efealtor though, here was where the major banks and traders operated. What had started as misguided superstition, that the Gods would watch over their endeavours, had become the hallmark of finance and the lifeblood on which the city had thrived.
Ydari paid little heed to the people that drifted back and forth in the streets adjacent to the Drunk Baron. Instead he kept his gaze firmly levelled on the horizon and let his mind wander. The Captain’s self-imposed vigil was only interrupted when Kael had noisily returned from whatever venture he had set out on and noisily burped his intent to eat, much to Lothram’s chagrin.
The conversation over dinner was muted and Ydari’s silence was conspicuous as he settled into a corner and picked at his food. Once or twice a question was posed to Ydari who simply shrugged in response and soon he was left to eat in silence whilst the rest of his companions conversed with one another in hushed tones. The world outside the Drunk Baron continued much as before until the sun had set and the need to get moving weighed heavily on the minds of Raelynne and the Ythelian Watchmen.
Ydari and his companions shuffled out of the Drunk Baron into the frigid air of the evening. As they confirmed their plans the group split into two. Idrahil, Lothram and Teobrin headed off towards the docks whilst Ydari, Kael and Raelynne watched them go. Ydari waved an arm at his brother to lead the way. A few patrons of the Drunk Baron milled about outside, sloshing drinks or squealing and clapping in delight at some comment or joke as Raelynne and the Ythelians padded down the road. Torches lit their path and they followed the road for some time until the buildings gradually became less grandiose and more tightly packed, a testament to the fact that they were leaving the wealthier quarters far behind.
Every so often Ydari would catch a glimpse of a shadowy figure stealing down a darkened alley and as the torches grew fewer and fewer in number he found his hand hovering near his hilt with more frequency. Kael was almost invisible to the naked eye as he ushered them on to follow him, the light now dimmed considerably until it almost became non-existent. This portion of Tirgaal was avoided by the upper-class citizens and many unwary travellers had been robbed or gutted in these twisting passages and left to die a slow, miserable death. During the day the city guards rigorously patrolled these streets but at night it was abandoned and the wolves of the underworld were left to hunt.
Much to Ydari’s surprise they remained unmolested on their journey. Encountering another person quickly became a rare occurrence, save for the occasional beggar who would moan despairingly. Kael’s knowledge of the city proved invaluable as he led Ydari and Raelynne on a long, circuitous route that avoided the areas of the city that were a hotbed for crime. After a few minutes of trekking through the unending gloom the twinkle of torchlight became visible once more and raised voices of drunken revellers drifted to their ears. The three of them stepped out from a dimly lit alley into a wide thoroughfare with numerous signs of alehouses and inns poking out invitingly. Raelynne looked at her surroundings, a bemused look plastered on her features.
“Why did we schlepp through a maze of dark alleys and lanes to end up here?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Excuse me for trying to help,” Kael replied in an injured tone. “I thought it was part of the plan to make sure nobody was following us.”
“He’s got a point,” Ydari conceded. “That was what we agreed.”
“Thank you,” the vagabond responded with a mocking bow.
The mage rolled her eyes behind Kael’s back as they set off once more. Thankfully the streets were still relatively quiet and the muted shouts and drunken revelry could be heard through the walls of the many bars and taverns they passed. A couple of bleary-eyed guards patrolled up and down and paid them no attention as they walked by. Another ten minutes whittled away until at last they stopped outside a grandiose structure that was ringed by an immense hedge. Ydari walked around the perimeter of the building for a few moments until he was able to catch a glimpse of the old Palace through a gap in the foliage. The main building was set back from the road and it smacked of royalty but somehow felt lacking compared to the official residence of Tirgaal’s King in the city centre. Lights were visible through the ground floor windows and it offered the only sign of habitation and, unlike its more opulent cousin, there was no sign of any guards.
Ydari was joined by Kael who gazed intently through the hedge before looking around for a moment. Suddenly he thrust himself into the gap and struggled intensely to push his stocky frame through. After much cursing and snapping of twigs Kael managed to clumsily shove his way into the gardens beyond. He stood up and brushed himself off before turning around and offering a hearty grin to Ydari who grimaced at the gauche display. Raelynne returned the sentiment as she shared a few choice utterances that made Kael smile wanly as he threw up his arms in mock outrage. His spirit however was contagious and Ydari smiled in spite of himself. The Captain moved to one side, pulling back the hedge to make the already widened gap a bit easier for Raelynne to push past the bracken and, after a brief pause and a look of incredulity, the mage joined Kael. Ydari was left to scramble his way forward and thanks to the efforts of his compatriots, the going was fairly easy for him, slipping through with relatively little effort.
“Well, now what?” Kael asked as the trio turned to look.
“Something isn’t right,” mused the Captain. “There should be more guards, or something in the way of protection. If you were going to safeguard the future King, you’d take more precautions than this. Are you sure you heard correctly where Ferilan was staying?”
“Are you questioning me?” Kael shot back huffily.
“Yes, always.”
“Shut up you two and think about it for a second. It makes perfect sense if your intent is to kill him. Adaryn chose this place on purpose because it is hidden from the rest of the world. If he does make a move against Ferilan there will be fewer witnesses.”
Ydari considered this for a moment and then nodded thoughtfully. He waved for the two of them to follow as he stalked his way through the garden. They quickly made their way across the poorly illuminated lawn until they reached the exterior wall of the Palace. Ydari looked up and down and still saw no signs of activity. He edged towards a window and took a cursory peek. On the other side thin silk curtains billowed in the gentle breeze and faint laughter could be heard in the room beyond. The Ythelian Captain stuck his head in a little further and spied two men playing cards and they remained completely oblivious to his presence as they shared vile stories of their previous conquests, laughing at each sordid detail.
As Ydari took another cautious glance, two more figures entered the room. The card players had been joined by a man and a woman who were garbed in the customary armour that was common among Tirgaal’s Guards and they shone with professional splendour
compared to the shabbily dressed men who were camped around the table. Abruptly, a heated exchange started. Ydari was only able to hear a few words of their argument and he surmised that the newcomers outranked the loathsome oafs that had taken such a lackadaisical approach to the execution of their duties and were now reaping the whirlwind of their ineptitude. As the tirade continued, Ydari turned to Kael and Raelynne and nodded to them. Wordlessly, the trio snuck past and rounded a corner and headed to the rear of the building.
They moved in for a closer look and except for the occasional scuff mark on the ground and the slovenly guards they passed, there was still little in the way of human activity. The Watch Captain pressed a finger to his lips as he dropped to a crouch and slowly reached towards a door. He pulled it open without a sound and the three of them snuck in. The room beyond was lush but neglected. It looked remarkably similar to the main Palace, except here everything was covered in a fine layer of dust. On the ground multiple sets of footprints were visible which Ydari quickly pointed out to his fellows. Three sets vanished in different directions and they followed them for a time until they came to an entrance hall.
They heard voices once more, quietly at first but gradually they became louder and were accompanied with the creaking of floorboards underfoot. Raelynne, Ydari and Kael hastily withdrew to a darkened corner and waited with bated breath as they trotted past. One of the guards remained absolutely silent while his companion chatted his ear off mercilessly and even from his obscured position Ydari saw that the quiet man’s features were downcast as he continued to bear the brunt of his partner’s verbal assault. A few seconds later the two of them disappeared from view and the inane chattering faded. Ydari waited a moment longer to check that the coast was clear before signalling to Kael and Raelynne. They were at his heel as he scanned the dusty footprints, following them to the foot of a large staircase. Curiously, only one set le d to the floors above and a gut instinct tugged on the Captain’s synapses.
The Fractured Heartstone Page 22
