Book 2 Dead Man's Hand: The Knights of the Golden Dragon

by Troy Reaves

  “Boremac, my time is my own, but I cannot in good confidence say the same for you.” Machivien handed back the dagger before continuing. “You have already angered the prince of Alchendia’s Path and won the favor of the greatest mercenary I have ever known. It would be difficult to know which of the two is more dangerous for you. Rinoba has powerful allies and is cunning, while the Huntsman has made many enemies as a bounty hunter. Verson already buzzes with your arrival. I understand you impressed the Huntsman as a young pickpocket long ago. It might surprise you to know he has gone to some lengths to guide your path. I will be interested to see if you live up to the stories I have already heard. Jun will be your representative here. He is the best in the city and will assure you get contracts you can complete. Do not doubt he will challenge you. Jun represents the best bounty hunters, growing wealthy for it, and those that fail completion of the contracts are usually killed by their bounties. It is the nature of our business. You should be fine.” Machivien smiled at the last statement, showing all his teeth in the process. Boremac was not reassured. “Let us test your luck with Alchendia. We will choose your first contract by chance.” Machivien pulled a Dead Man deck from his pocket and handed it to Jun to shuffle. “It will be a one card pull. I win and I choose your bounty. You win and your payment will be doubled on whatever bounty you wish to choose. You may cut the deck as often as you like before selecting your card. I will allow you to cut for me as well and take the top card. Sound fair?”

  Boremac smiled, replying with only a brief nod as Jun handed him the deck. Boremac made several rapid cuts and drew his card from the top, laying it face down before him on the floor. He cut it only once more before holding it out so Jun could pass it to Machivien. The master drew the top card and did as Boremac had done. Machivien tapped his card distractedly and spoke. “Boremac, I see great things coming for you in time, but I will challenge you if I win this turn of the card. I offer you grace. We put the cards away and you take whatever Jun sees fit for your first contract. Do you concede?”

  Boremac smiled wolfishly before replying. “I would not dishonor you or Alchendia with such a poor default to your challenge. May Alchendia give you luck.”

  “Excellent! May Alchendia always find you amusing. Please turn your card first.” Boremac did so and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the dark card portraying Alchendia looking up at him. Only the king or Death could beat him. Boremac was sure he was safe. Machivien did not bother to look at his card as he turned it up and set it across Boremac’s own. Death had beaten the Mistress of Thieves.

  23

  Bone Soup

  “ ‘The Cannibal’, my first bounty is someone called ‘The Cannibal’?” Boremac had found a new skill he had been unaware he possessed. He could wring his hands quite effectively under extreme duress and not strip the skin off, much to his surprise. “I mean why ‘cannibal’? He cannot actually eat his victims. That is insane!”

  Jun nodded sagely. “Quite insane, but he is a special individual. He is not all that intelligent, mostly due to him being half-orc, but until recently he was largely unremarkable. He is obsessed with Dead Man’s Hand and is a solid player, from what I have heard. He has been in a couple brawls over losing, but that is not surprising considering his parentage and the places he used to frequent. Nightly altercations were more the rule than the exception.” Jun smiled at Boremac before continuing, and Boremac felt even more ill at ease. The fact that it appeared to be genuinely warm gave him no comfort at all. “It has been assumed that he is eating his failed hunters just because none of them have returned. No proof. Even the whole reason that he was marked is somewhat questionable. He supposedly accused three men of cheating him at cards and beat them to death. Rumor has it he mentioned the poor souls were not fit to be buried. Witnesses said he carried them out of the tavern and that was the last time the bodies or the man were seen. Cannot put much into the accounts. Most of the witnesses were drunken local farmers and the inn keeper, all of which were hidden under or behind whatever they were nearest. All I can tell you for certain is where to start looking for him. There is a small village a bit north called Canter Way. This is where everything happened. I wish you luck, Boremac, with all sincerity. You are going to need it. Oh, and I cannot recommend trying to take him by force while he is awake. I understand that stabbing him just makes him angry. The town folk living near the inn tried to take him, some with blades and most with pitchforks. They got some solid strikes in from what I understand, until he snapped one of the pitchfork handles and broke most of their legs with it before fleeing. The ones who could move did not pursue.”

  Boremac looked at Jun, trying to force down the fear that had stirred in his belly and made its way through him. He was pretty sure that Jun could hear the trembling in his voice despite his best efforts to conceal it. “Any reason to delay leaving? Any reason at all would be most appreciated.”

  Jun quirked an eyebrow before replying. “There was a lovely young woman that seemed very alarmed when you were taken to the fight ring. Perhaps you should see if you can find her before you go. I believe she is frequenting The Worthy Blade on this trip into town.”

  Boremac was at once taken aback and more than a little pleased. “What is her name? What do you know about her?”

  “Considerably more than you do, Boremac, but I will leave the mysteries of the woman for you to discover. All women have secrets but she is singular in Verson in many ways. Do be careful.” Jun’s show of concern with the last statement took Boremac by surprise, which of course increased his desire to see her all the more.

  Boremac found The Worthy Blade easily enough, however spotting his quarry was a bit more difficult. He had taken time to return to his own quarters at Landal’s inn and prepare to leave Verson in the morning. Jun had taken some time to make him a basic map of the area to the north, highlighting some potential hiding spots ‘The Cannibal’ may have chosen, and Boremac had made requests for a few specific items that Jun assured him he could acquire by morning.

  It seemed that The Worthy Blade not only employed, but also attracted the loveliest women in Verson. Boremac felt the odds favored him in not having to spend his night alone, even if he could not find the mysterious woman. He had cleaned up before coming and it appeared few of the other men there had made such preparations. There were several card games in progress around the tavern so Boremac thought he would see where his luck was leaning while he looked. It took just a few moments to find a friendly table and insert himself into the current game. The men at the table all recognized him, some of whom chastised him for costing them money at the fighting ring, and they were happy to have him among them.

  Boremac played straight cards with the group, not wanting to attract attention with too many wins, and was taking just a bit more than he lost. He was mildly surprised when he felt the delicate touch of an obviously feminine hand at his shoulder. He had expected to attract the favorable attentions of at least a couple of the tavern servers, as much from his tipping as his sly flirtations, but he was openly shocked to see the young woman from the stream looking down at him when he turned to inspect the cause of the interruption. One of the men at the table spoke up for Boremac, sharing his own thoughts as if the man had read his mind. “I guess you will be cashing out then, Frosstel. That one is too pretty to be ignored.”

  The new arrival at Boremac’s shoulder contradicted the man immediately. “Actually I was hoping you bunch might find room for one more at the table.” Her words brought an immediate shifting of chairs and a space opened up next to Boremac as if by magic, a chair from another table slid into the spot without hesitation. Despite Boremac’s lack, the others at the table were familiar with her. It appeared they were also honored by her presence.

  The man who had predicted Boremac’s departure spoke directly to the new arrival, giving Boremac at least one answer to his questions concerning the mysterious woman from his bath. “Jasmine, you of all the ladies here should know we would not turn you a
way from a game. Of course, you profit from the distraction of your beauty more often than not. We are blessed, I think, to have two personalities with us, one known and one new, at the same table tonight. It should prove for an interesting bit of play. Jasmine, I would like to note that Frosstel is sharing some coin with the table and I hope you will do so as well. I think the whole of the tavern has lost enough to you over time to have you play a little less skillfully than usual.”

  She grinned at the table in general as she placed a pile of coins before her, addressing the man. “Herof, you should be so lucky. You know I will take as much as I can, though I must admit the new player does intrigue me. Perhaps he will be a bit more of a challenge than the rest of you.”

  Herof nodded by way of reply. “We are dealing straight Dead Man with the lady handling the cards at her option. Will you take the deal, Jasmine?”

  Jasmine replied immediately, giving Boremac the impression this was an old exchange between the pair. “Only if you promise to cut cleanly, Herof.” The smiles shared between the two made him certain she was well known in the tavern. Boremac thought it was too early to assume much, but his mind went in many directions on its own anyway. How did Jun know about her? Only one thing made sense. Jun may have sent her to him when he was on the way to Verson, but why? If Jun had gone to such lengths to welcome him to the city, what exactly were his plans for Boremac? More pressing at the moment, how was he supposed to get Jasmine alone? His best bluffing face covered the grin that tried to curl his lips at that thought. A man had to have his priorities but there was no need to show his hand just yet.

  Jasmine called for the ante and started dealing like a seasoned professional. Boremac was only mildly surprised to see a poor card complimented by a turn up of an even worse one when he risked his blind draw. The only condolence was that the betting had been light, and he doubted anyone was taken off guard when Jasmine drew in the winnings from the first round.

  A great many rounds later, Boremac weighed his pile of coin against Jasmine’s with his eyes and found them relatively the same. As the night had lengthened and the others at the table had made donations to the pair, the table had slowly emptied. Only Herof remained to face them and he was close to out. The man would need to take this round with Death or walk away empty handed for the night. Boremac was certain Herod was out. The rogue was holding Death and would take this round. He pushed just enough coin to the center of the table to leave Herod with a single coin. Boremac saw no need to entice all of his coin from him, and if Herod was paying attention, he would walk away rather than risk his scant remainder.

  Boremac allowed an open friendly grin to appear as Herof addressed him, flipping his play card onto his blind draw. “You are a fine man and I thank you for letting me walk away with coin for tomorrow. Watch this one, Jasmine. I think you have met your match.” Boremac did not miss the wink Herod threw to Jasmine as he swept up what remained of his monies and left his chair.

  Jasmine would have made a courtesan blush with the way her lips pouted before she spoke to Boremac. “So, Frosstel, it is just you and I. Looks like the bar is relatively clear. Do you mind if I call you Boremac? That is the name we will all know you by soon enough, is it not? Frosstel is a passable cover name but Boremac rolls off the tongue easier, I think.”

  “Boremac took only a moment to recover. “Jun. So Jun did send you. How long have you been watching me for him?” He tried not to be angry and failed.

  “How suspicious we are. I approached Jun about you after we met at the stream. I recognized you when you were thrown into the fight ring against Hamil a few days ago and approached Jun after I saw the tavern workers take you to the temple. He and I are, well, acquaintances. I do not know if Jun keeps anyone close enough to be called a friend. He knows much more than he ever says and can lead one in any direction he desires. I would not be surprised if he sent you here. Jun has an interesting sense of humor. He laughed quite a bit when I told him how I saved you. It was nice to surprise him for a change. He knew immediately who you were when I described your… scarring. Jun seemed very excited by your arrival in Verson though he would not say why.” Jasmine looked puzzled for a moment and then looked into Boremac’s eyes, holding his gaze a moment longer than he thought she would before looking at her cards.

  “I feel I am at a loss knowing so little about you with you appearing to know so much about me. Let us make this hand interesting. I will go all in; will you?” Boremac held a blank face just long enough for her to start pushing her coin to the center of the table. He reached over and stopped the coin pile before addressing her. “You are either daring or holding a strong face card. Let us make things a bit more interesting. You win and walk away with all the coin before me. I win and you allow me to take you for breakfast at the stream where we first met.”

  She paused longer than Boremac expected but answered just as he knew she would. “Done.” She flipped her Queen up and smiled.

  Boremac returned her look and placed Death over her Queen. “See you in a few hours, Jasmine. I will bring the food.”

  24

  Incandescent Obsession

  The weather was as pleasant as Boremac could have anticipated in the morning. Jasmine had been as good as her word, even better, as she sat near the stream where they had first met. She had brought a blanket to protect them from the morning dew, something Boremac had not thought of in his preparations. He had thought of everything else, however; wine, various cheeses, a loaf of bread that was almost still warm, a small block of butter, and a couple of very small jars of jams that had cost him more than all the rest. Most of the items had been obtained readily enough, with Jun’s aid and the waking of a rather grumpy baker who complained incessantly until Boremac had placed his intended payment on the man’s counter. It was more than enough to let the merchant sleep in the rest of the day if he wished.

  Jasmine released a small sigh as Boremac laid out the spread between them. Her words initially wounded Boremac, though she spoke in a hushed tone. “Do you treat all your women so well, Boremac? Do not deny the truth of my assumption. Rumors of you have already graced the knitting circles as well as the taverns. I can’t see a man of your talents not taking advantage of so much excitement. I would not hold it against you.”

  Boremac saw her point but was moved to argue against it, none the less. “Maybe what you say is true. I have seen little to indicate the thoughts of the women of Verson one way or the other. Two tavern servers seeking to inspect the new arrival should hardly condemn me to being treated like a scoundrel. You chose to approach me at the table, though I will not say I was offended. I had placed myself at the tavern to find you, if only to thank you properly.”

  “This meal should be enough to consider our debt settled.” Jasmine’s smile, full of promised mischief, undid Boremac’s initial thought for his reply. She continued in manner much more to his liking. “It will be interesting to see how our friendship develops. Something tells me you will be around more than most men and quite likely more than I would appreciate. Let me ease your mind on one point. Feel free to pursue other interests. Just do not bring them to me when we meet.”

  Boremac returned her smile in kind before he spoke. “You must be quite a gifted seer. Tell me, will I return from the mission set before me by the leader of the guild house here in Verson? He has set my first contract and I am going after’the Cannibal’. I assume you have heard of the man.”

  “Actually I have more than heard of him, I have sat across the table from him playing Dead Man. He is quite a brute but plays a solid game. You just don’t want to cheat him.” Jasmine shook her head. “I guess one of the people he killed and carried off must have made that mistake and he took it to mean the group were together on it. Just assuming, of course. He is a dangerous man to upset, but did not seem to mind losing so much as his crimes would indicate.”

  “You appear to know a great deal about him.” Boremac frowned, although he knew any information would be good to have. “
If he is ready to kill over cards, what do you think my chances are of surviving an encounter with him?”

  Jasmin only shrugged. “Poor at best, but he will probably kill you quickly and I doubt he will eat you. He is only half orc and more civilized than most of them. I have honestly found this whole series of events with him mystifying.”

  Boremac looked into her eyes, looking for some reassurance that she was playing with him. He did not find it. “Well, since it appears I am doomed to failure, or death, can you see your way clear to grant me a last request? Even the condemned get a last meal and I have committed no crime against Verson or you.”

  “I already know what the request would be and I have to decline.” She patted his hand gently as she returned his gaze. “Stay on another night and I am sure you can find someone to help you with your last request.”

  The two rose in unison a short time later after finishing the meal, almost as if by some unspoken signal. Jasmine had offered little information about herself, only gently drawing some of Boremac’s history from him as they had eaten.