Professor Scorenton had already stopped ahead of them and was speaking to a large, unshaven man at the gate. The Professor seemed a bit confused, but the man was smiling and motioning for him and the rest of the class to come in. Aiden risked a quick look back and saw Captain Stelios. His eyes had shifted over toward a small warehouse a few doors down from the compound but otherwise, he was maintaining a bored look on his face.
“Gavin, where are the guardsmen?” Aiden whispered, starting to slow and letting other students pass them.
“I don’t know. I also don’t know why Stelios isn’t raising the alarm. I don’t think Scorenton recognizes the man. Not sure if that means anything, but I bet you a blue shoe it's not good.”
“Quit looking worried, boys, and don’t turn around, either. Something is wrong.” Stelios spoke low and quietly, only a few paces behind them. “When we get inside, I want you to wait until I give the word, then bolt toward the end of the pier. Go all the way out, no matter who is there. We’ll be right behind you.”
Aiden and Gavin both nodded, sweat breaking out on both of their brows as they passed through the gate. It took a supreme effort, but Aiden managed to avoid looking at the large disheveled man standing there, staring at them as they passed.
The interior was large with numerous shipping crates, barrels, and boxes both empty and full filling the courtyard. A large paddock with several udines filled the southwest corner, part of which dipped into the bay itself. The udines weren’t exactly water babies, but they did enjoy the occasional soak in shallow water. Rounding out the complex stood a long, wooden pier with several manual cranes to help offload ships. The docks provided easy access to a large warehouse with a gaping, black maw leading into its dark interior.
There looked to be eight or ten rough-looking men working around the courtyard with more probably within the warehouse itself. Some were making a show of moving boxes or crates, but others weren’t even trying to appear busy, instead simply lounging near the front entrance and watching the students as they passed. To a man, all of them had the looks of predators.
Professor Scorenton was oblivious to all of it, instead chatting away about the benefits of consistent trade, supply, demand, and the various methods used to bring resources from various places around the Dukedom to where they were most needed. After all the students and guards had passed, the man who had let them in re-secured the heavy gates and moved up front, speaking to the Professor with that same, fake smile on his face. It was obvious from his hand signals he meant to lead them toward the dark warehouse, and the Professor looked more than delighted at the offer of a personal tour.
They were about ten steps from entering when Aiden finally heard Stelios cry out behind them. “Gavin! Aiden! Go now!”
As they both bolted for the docks, they could hear the sound of swords being drawn from their sheaths. There was no mistaking the sound of a man crying out after being stabbed and crumpling to the ground. Not daring to turn, Aiden kept his eye on the pier as they ran for it.
Fortunately, most of the thugs had stationed themselves either in the warehouse, or to block the gates so there was no one in their way as they ran. Their furious footfalls were first ground dampened, then rang hollowly as they fled onto the wooden planks of the docks. Aiden risked one glance back and was glad to see Stelios and his two guards following, one with a blood-kissed sword but immediately quailed when he saw the large group of men coming up behind them. There must have been twenty of them, most armed with clubs but a few had gleaming daggers as they advanced.
“Keep going! All the way to the end!” Stelios shouted. It wasn’t an overly large pier, being only about twenty-five meters long, but it seemed like forever until they reached the end. Aiden himself took cover behind one of the manual cranes, watching the group of thugs through the guard's too-thin ranks as they slowly approached. The foul-faced leader was grinning maliciously as he reached about halfway down the docks and stopped, fingering a long dagger.
“Why don’t you hand the boy over, Captain,” the man called over the distance. “If you do, we’ll let you and the Duke’s son go, slick as you please. No harm, no foul.” He paused dramatically, looking down at the wicked blade of his dagger. “If not, then it won’t go well for you.”
Gavin scowled, looking around on the barren end of the pier before calling forward to the three guardsmen. “Do you have a short sword or dagger? There’s not even a loose board here.”
Stelios and one of the guardsmen quickly pulled daggers, handing them back, but the third woman kept hers, keeping it in her off hand. All of them looked grim and determined. Gavin took the daggers and handed one to Aiden, not taking his eyes off of the group of men at the other end of the docks.
“What are they waiting for?” Aiden asked nervously. “There’s enough of them to overpower us. Why don’t they charge?”
Stelio’s large shoulders moved up and down though he didn’t look back. “Other than being afraid of my good looks, I’d bet they have a boat on its way filled with men. They’re probably waiting for them to get here so we’ll be surrounded. Then again, I am good looking.” The two other guardsmen chuckled darkly but none of them took their eyes off of the thugs in front of them.
Aiden and Gavin both looked back and easily sighted the ill-kept schooner beginning to make its way toward them. It wasn’t a large ship, but there seemed to be more than enough men on her decks to make things even more difficult for them than it already was.
“Well,” Gavin said, frowning, “I hate to say it, but it's not a boat full of tourists, Stelios. It's about ten minutes out.”
Suddenly, they heard an odd, heavy sound as if something was striking wood with a mallet and the docks seemed to shake slightly. Even as they watched, four men who had been standing to the rear of the crowd of thugs sailed off of the docks and into the water, crying out in dismay. The other brutish men spun, looking around behind them but there was nothing to see. Nothing but their now flailing compatriots in the water to the side of the pier.
Their leader at first looked just as panicked as his men, but quickly he yelled them down and turned back to Stelios, squinting at their small group suspiciously. “Alright! What trick are you playing you stinking bas…”
He didn’t finish when the sound struck again. A loud, hollow thumping that even from where they were, Aiden could feel thrumming through the wood. Again, several men were thrown in the air, though a few managed to land on the deck and not go into the water directly. It was enough. Many of the thugs quickly began to backpedal and run off of the docks, looking around wildly.
The leader of the gang and his few remaining men didn’t look all that far behind when suddenly a massive, dinner plate-sized hand slapped wetly on the wood in front of them, followed soon after by a terrifying apparition rising from the water. Even without armor on and standing at waist height next to the docks, Oya Dihya was an imposing sight as she rose from the deep. Four meters tall and with muscles rippling under the water cascading off of her, she easily levered herself up before rising and towering over the men in front of her. She didn’t say anything, but simply hefted the massive sword in her hand and gave the thugs a look.
It was more than enough to send them all running. The leader wasn’t quite quick enough, being swept off of the docks by the flat of her blade. Since the metal was easily as large as the man himself, it carried him several meters out over the water, screaming a long cry of despair until it was cut short by plummeting into the bay itself.
Aiden and Gavin had stepped forward, forgetting about their cover and gaped at the appearance of the tall Naiaden. When he glanced back, Aiden could already see the small schooner frantically turning and heading out to the ocean.
“Well, I’ll be,” Stelios said softly, shaking his head, “Momma was right.”
“What’s that, Captain?” Gavin asked curiously, moving up alongside the man as they walked forward toward Oya Dihya.
Stelios let out a relieved laugh, smiling wa
rmly at Gavin and clapping him on the back. “Momma always said it would be a woman who saved me.”
The rest of them laughed before quickly gathering the rest of the terrified students and teacher and making their way back to the school. Oya Dihya refused to speak, instead turning her head only occasionally to listen to the evening air as she left large, wet footprints on the cobblestones. Aiden wasn’t sure what she was listening for until he heard a faint, distant scraping sound that sounded like it was on a nearby rooftop. For some reason, it sent chills down his spine.
Chapter 3
Duke Valeran Terek was usually known for his calm demeanor in the face of adversity but even so, Aiden expected a fiery, stormy meeting when they met in one of the castle’s many above-ground halls later that evening. However, nothing of the sort happened. In fact, he was sitting calmly in his seat with Duchess Ahnarad, Oya Dihya, Captain Stelios, Chari, and Ashrak all sitting at other places around the dinner table. It looked like servants had recently laid plates holding succulent slabs of meat in front of them all, and Valeran was just carving into a juicy steak when the boys trooped into the small dining enclave just off the throne room.
“Cutlery seems to be of better quality,” Valeran said, turning the knife in his hand and eyeing it appraisingly. “Odd. It looks exactly like the other stuff. Is this one of yours, Aiden?”
It didn’t take long to stretch his mind toward the piece in the Duke’s hand. He’d made so many forks, knives, and spoons over the past few months it almost had to be, but he didn’t want to just guess. One aspect of his labors over the creation of literally hundreds of sets was his ability to sense glimmer steel over a distance had improved from touch to about three meters. “Yes, sir. Do you like it?” he asked, picking up his own utensils. “I’ve certainly had enough practice making them. Not much else, though.”
Valeran smiled at him wryly but didn’t answer. Instead, he gestured to their plates. “We’ll talk about that later, but for now, go on and dig in. I know you’ve had a rough evening so you’ll want to settle your stomach before disturbing it again.”
Aiden himself didn’t feel like talking after their close call, but it was good to see his other friends and all of them shared small talk while they focused on their dinner. Oya Dihya was perhaps the most interesting to watch. He’d never seen her dine before, and for her comfort, it not only required a separate, far taller table but about eight times as much food as a normal man might eat. Still, she ate with an almost detached, drifting air as if she were focusing on each bite, chewing deliberately before picking up her silverware and taking another piece from her plate.
Aiden did not stare but watched her occasionally out of the corner of his eyes. It was difficult not to because apart from being so tall, her beauty was unmatched. It was almost too perfect as if she’d been carved from marble, then made to live. For one such as she to remain reserved and so comfortably quiet almost drew the eye more than if she’d been loud and boisterous.
Finally, at the end of the meal which Duke Valeran had finished far before any of them, he put his hand softly on the table before taking a deep breath and waiving the servants out of the room.
“Stelios. Please make sure the room is secure.”
The unusually reserved Guard Captain stood, making his way to the large door and whispered to the guards outside to keep anyone away before closing it and resuming his seat. While they waited, Ahnarad had put her hand on Valeran’s arm, looking at him with concern and support while he let his eyes meet each of their own.
“Well, as I’m sure you might have guessed, things have changed,” he said, letting his frown deepen as he turned to Aiden. “From what you and Ashrak had said, Feldar was doomed to get involved directly and it appears our delaying tactic has finally run its course. We found the guard detail hidden in the warehouse, all unconscious. We’re still not sure what caused it, but Reivus thinks it may have been some sort of gas. The ones sent to fetch you were taken under fire from the rooftops. Seven of those men, including two regular town guardsmen who were nearby, were killed by what we think are bolts dipped in some sort of poison. It appears they were unlucky enough to stumble upon the ambush.”
Chari, Gavin, and Ashrak all looked grim, their faces turning down into serious frowns but Aiden felt his go pale. A wash of sickness flowed over him and he could feel his stomach trying to flip as he heard about the death. Glowby floated near his face, flickering in muted blues as he shared in Aiden’s distress.
“What do you mean, you think they were bolts? Didn’t we recover any?” Gavin asked slowly.
“They all disappeared,” Stelios supplied. “Dissolved. There’s no trace of them on the street or in the wounds. I’ve personally never seen the like but there’s no doubt in my mind what used them. Besides, the men that survived testified to the fact they were bolts, if oddly shaped.”
Valeran nodded, once more meeting all of their eyes with his own crystal blue ones. “Scratchers.”
Aiden heard Chari and Ashrak both gasp, sharing glances of concern. He felt a distant part of his mind reflect that the two were spending more time with each other, but in light of the current conversation, he was too distracted to dwell on it. Instead, his mind turned to the word, turning it over and over as he tasted it and did not like its flavor. Scratchers. The Mourning Lord had all but ordered Duke Feldar to use them when they’d spoken in his study, but Aiden still had no clue what they were other than some terrifying spider from underground.
“Why are spiders so dangerous?” he finally asked, looking around at the concern on everyone else's face. “I mean, if they are giant or something, I can see why no one would want them crawling around, but how can they use crossbows, or whatever it is they used to shoot bolts with?”
“They are not spiders,” Oya Dihya finally spoke in her smoky alto. “But they do traffic with them, and indeed have the ability to communicate with some, particularly intelligent species. They also share some physical characteristics to include extra limbs, venom production, a sensitivity to vibrations, and the ability to cling to sheer surfaces. Their race name is called Ulcoreth. It made them excellent miners, but under Duke Feldar’s ancestors, they’ve become even better assassins.
Aiden watched as Chari shivered. “Why are they called Scratchers?” she asked. “Is it because they can sense vibrations? Do they use that to communicate?”
Oya Dihya nodded, her dark curls moving gently around her head at the movement. “Exactly as you say. It is an effective communication tactic over long distances underground, but they also have been known to use it to herd their victims to more favorable areas for an ambush.”
“And my father and the rest of those fools said they were killed decades ago,” Valeran growled angrily, slamming his hand down on the table. “We should have all gone and made sure they were wiped out rather than taking Feldar’s word for it.”
“It is too late to look backward now, dear,” Ahnarad said softly. “Besides, I don’t think I’d enjoy killing an entire people, no matter how dangerous. Would you really wish to be part of something like that?”
The Duke looked slightly shocked at the question, but after a moment shook his head and let out a subdued sigh. “Meh, you’re right. I don’t think I could stomach it no matter how terrible the stories. I’d still want to find out for sure if they deserve it or not, and how could an entire people be that? Guilty of everything? No. But for the ones that are in my city, I’d say they should hope I don’t catch them.”
“But how did they find out about the plan with Aiden and me?” Gavin asked, chewing his lip. “It’s like they knew everything we were going to do. Well, except for Oya Dihya. I must say, I’ll remember the looks on those thugs faces forever when they went sailing into the water. How did you manage that by the way? I couldn’t tell what was causing them to fly into the water.”
The massive warrior looked like she wasn’t going to answer at first but finally, she dipped her head once and spoke. “The dock planks are
just wood. As solid as they appear to you, they will still bend if there is enough force applied to them. I simply struck them from below. As for how the Ulcoreth learned of our plans? Have you noticed how many spiders are around the castle lately?”
The occupants of the table exchanged nervous looks before not a few of them surreptitiously examined their immediate surroundings. They had all noticed, in one way or another, quite a few spiders about. Though they couldn’t detect any, it was clear to all of them the many spaces and crevices they could find to hide. With a start, Aiden remembered the bugs in the underground hallways that had been detected. “The bugs!” He exclaimed, looking at Stelios, Valeran, and Gavin. “They heard everything we said earlier today.”
The Duke nodded grimly. “Yes. Everything. Not to mention exposing Count Viridian. Things are going to go hard for him when word gets to the other lords he’s been fleecing in my name. I’m not overly worried. The man’s been around for quite a lot longer than I even knew, but even with his political gymnastics, I can’t imagine it will go back to the way it was.”
The Glimmer Steel Saga, Boxed Set, Books 1 - 4 Page 35
