Princess of Blood

by Tom Lloyd

  The Cards all moved forward to the far side of the square. A short street no more than twenty yards long met another running across, tall expensive houses rising all around. Somewhere to the north there were explosions, presumably Vigilance’s additional distractions. A small number of troops could make a lot of noise and confusion, slowing any response to the main threat. And given the main threat was the Red Scarves, who in turn were serving as distraction to let the Cards drive deep behind Charneler lines, it would likely confuse them enough to work.

  Up to the point some fucker decides to tear the city apart with burners, Lynx reminded himself. The Charnelers have done it before – lost patience when on the back foot, so they’ve destroyed everything in sight as they retreated.

  ‘That street runs parallel to the canal,’ Suth said. ‘The boulevard is just the other side. If we skirt right we’ll be not too far from—’

  ‘Or we go through,’ Anatin pointed out, glancing at his sergeants while he spoke. ‘People always forget the value of a straight line.’

  ‘Through?’

  ‘Aye – not civilised I grant you, but it’s fucking war. Likely they’ll be waiting for us at the side streets, but houses tend to back on to alleys and other houses. A few hefty kicks from our own man-mountain and most doors open. We can blow any that don’t and break down walls in between.’

  ‘Getting off the streets would be good,’ Payl agreed. ‘If there’s a reserve force somewhere, we’ll be badly outnumbered.’

  ‘Reft,’ Safir said, ‘I believe this is your department.’

  With one look around the corner, Reft crossed the street at a run. The far side was a row of near-identical townhouses, four storeys tall with ochre roof tiles and wide windows. Reft ran up three steps to the nearest and slammed a boot into the front door. It shuddered and there was a splintering sound, but it resisted the huge man’s strength. A second kick burst the door open and Reft marched straight on to shouts of alarm from inside. A white-haired man was shoved aside as he rushed towards Reft, seemingly trying to push him back out the door.

  ‘Health inspectors!’ Deern called cheerfully, following close behind the big mercenary. ‘Oh shut it, you old sod – the city’s infested with Charnel-rats, ain’t you noticed?’

  Teshen led his suit down the side of the house and kicked in a heavy side gate. Lynx saw Varain do the same further down, the Cards spreading out so they wouldn’t be bunched through one entrance. It was a narrow passage Teshen led Tempest into, but they came out into the rear yard a few seconds ahead of Reft. Vegetable plots and raised herb beds flanked a chicken coop, a paved path leading down the middle of the yard to a rear gate.

  That came off its hinges easily enough and then they were in a dark central alley between houses. Lynx caught a glimpse of Lastani as he passed through to the yard that backed on to the other side. Her tattoos seemed to shine in the dull light of an overcast morning and his own tingled in response.

  Teshen checked before heading through the gate on the far side. He slipped the bolts open but only peered through the gap, trying to get a sense of what they were emerging on to. Lynx found himself craning up to try and see past the man, but all he could make out was the exposed bone-white trunk of a tree that had shed its bark.

  ‘How’s it look?’

  ‘Not bad,’ Teshen whispered back, ‘not great.’

  ‘What’s the plan anyway?’

  ‘The general.’

  ‘Aye, but kill or capture?’

  Teshen gave him a blank look. ‘Whatever we can manage.’

  ‘Does it look like we’ll manage either?’

  ‘Think I’m going through this gate if we can’t?’

  ‘You ain’t gone through yet,’ Llaith pointed out, ‘you’re hiding behind it.’

  ‘Shut up.’

  In the distance, the sounds of battle took on a new intensity, rolling like a thunderstorm up from the south. Lynx paused to listen. It sounded more distant and punctuated – catapults hurling mage-spheres. The clatter of gunshots remained but that was the Red Scarves and the Charnelers, this sound was new and the Scarves didn’t have that sort of artillery. It had to be the Jarraziran regiments renewing the fight.

  ‘Sounds like the Monarch’s seen our signal,’ Lynx commented with a lightening heart.

  ‘Just as well. If this lot get reinforcements we’re screwed.’

  That cut the conversation short and the handful of soldiers simply stood and waited a few more minutes until at last Lynx heard a muffled shout of ‘Cards!’ from one of the buildings off to their left. Teshen wasted no time in yanking open the gate and they trotted out towards the canal. The boulevards flanking it were open and largely deserted – a handful of uniformed soldiers escorting grey-liveried auxiliaries with laden carts. They didn’t stop to fight – as soon as the Cards emerged en masse, both auxiliaries and soldiers abandoned the carts and ran like mice.

  Lynx looked left and right. The boulevard was chewed up pretty badly, both banks bearing the wreckage of the previous day’s fighting retreat with most of the buildings in one stretch completely destroyed. There was a fight happening half a mile away given the flames and movement he could see – that had to be the Red Scarves. What he couldn’t see was a relief force being held in reserve anywhere nearby. There were knots of black-and-white Charnelers scattered up and down the canal, but those who’d spotted the Cards clearly weren’t keen to fight.

  ‘Where’s the general?’ Teshen demanded of the city at large as he prowled back and forth. The trees ran in a line down each side of the boulevard, punctuated by broken or burned stumps but affording a certain amount of cover from snipers.

  ‘There!’ called Kas from further down the boulevard. ‘Far shore, there’s a barge.’

  Suth ran forward to the canal-side trees. ‘Berthed at the amphitheatre,’ she announced, suddenly animated.

  Lynx was one of several who headed forward to get a better view. The barge was a large, low-slung affair with a crest of canvas running down the top which he guessed was a pair of small, folded masts. It bore typical Knights-Charnel markings, the spear-and-setting-sun repeated down its side, the hull was black with white hatches. It was a few hundred yards away, but hardly a hub of activity so far as Lynx could see.

  ‘Shit, where is she?’ Toil said.

  ‘The amphitheatre,’ Suth replied. ‘She must be using it as a command post. But why isn’t she moving out? Bade must have reached her by now – unless he’s double-crossed her?’

  Toil shook her head. ‘He won’t, the man cares more for his hide than any profit he’d make off those God Fragments. It must be the Crown-Prince – if he’s raiding their camp, she can’t easily escape without an escort.’

  ‘Better to withdraw the whole army,’ Anatin agreed, joining them. ‘If they’ve got what they want, why bother taking the city? It’s not like the Charnelers would be able to hold it easily. If I was the Monarch, before I got forced out I’d blow the sea defences – leave any conqueror open to the rest of Parthain. If anything can bring the Parthain states together it’ll be the threat of piecemeal conquest.’

  Toil snorted. ‘Why else do you think we’re here?’

  Lynx inspected the amphitheatre. It was a massive oval building that towered over those around it, two hundred yards long and six storeys high at the north end, sweeping down to only two at the south to embrace the afternoon sun. Each storey had great arched apertures around the outside, perfect vantage points for the general’s guards.

  ‘We’re not getting in there,’ he said, looking from the vantage points to the wide, open plaza around it. ‘Not unless Lastani’s as powerful as the gods.’

  ‘We don’t need to,’ Suth said, flashing a brief, mirthless grin. There was a hunger for revenge on her face now, the chance to find her partner’s killer. ‘We just need to make it as far as there.’

  Across the open ground at the north end was a square building with a sharp spire. At first glance it could have been some sort of sh
rine, but it lacked any of the details a shrine would possess.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘The players’ entrance – I’m guessing none of the Charnelers know about it, but that’s how the players go in. They can’t be allowed to see the labyrinth before the game starts.’

  ‘Another damn labyrinth?’ Deern moaned. ‘What’s with you people?’

  Suth shrugged. ‘Jarrazir’s always been known for the labyrinth beneath it, so one Monarch a few hundred years back made one the people could actually enter. The amphitheatre floor can be cleared for other entertainments, but it was built for the games – played through a maze that’s changed for each match.’

  Lynx charted the route in his head. They would first need to cross the canal, the nearest bridge being two hundred yards north and guarded by a handful of Charnelers at each end. If they met any serious opposition they would be horribly exposed, it was probably only their numbers that had prevented the bridge guards from picking a fight as soon as they saw them.

  ‘Move out,’ Anatin barked to the company, clearly of the same mind. ‘Spread groups, hold your shots until they fire. We don’t want to draw any more attention than necessary and I’m betting those guards will run as soon as we close.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Lynx muttered darkly, ‘what with them having an army nearby, they don’t need to fight. Letting us run straight into trouble will be easy enough.’

  ‘You got a better idea?’

  ‘Depends,’ Deern laughed. ‘Is it too late to join the Knights-Charnel?’

  ‘For you, I reckon so,’ Anatin said gravely. ‘I seem to remember a priest of Insar in some town on the shore of Whitesea.’

  ‘Ah, yeah. Well I’m sure he saw the funny side eventually.’

  ‘I really doubt that.’ The mercenary commander gave a weary shake of the head. ‘And you wonder why I don’t let you have tattoo needles any more.’

  ‘Enough chat,’ Toil growled. ‘Let’s end this.’

  ‘Aye, time to be heroes I suppose.’

  Toil looked around at the arrayed faces of the company. ‘Let’s not go overboard,’ she muttered as she set off.

  Chapter 37

  Staggered runs took them to the bridge, Blood and Stars taking one side of the boulevard, Tempest and Sun taking the other, while Safir’s suit of Snow was rearguard. The guards on the bridge were alert to the danger, but weren’t keen for a protracted fight. With two hundred yards of ground to cover, the Charnelers opened fire as soon as they had a clear shot, but the Cards continued their steady progress. At least one suit returned fire while the others advanced behind the patchy cover of abandoned market cabins and stalls.

  The bridge was a high-sided stone affair – easily defended up to a point, but near useless beyond that, given it was built for carts to pass easily. A hundred yards out, Teshen led his suit at a crabbed sprint while the others kept the enemy’s heads down. One sparker and they’d probably all be dead so they didn’t wait to test the theory, having no such firepower themselves. It didn’t take the Charnelers long to realise the danger and they retreated.

  They were long gone by the time Teshen had secured the far bank and signalled for the rest to follow, though the gun battle had drawn more attention that anyone was comfortable with.

  ‘Into the back streets,’ Suth called as the main group caught up with Tempest. ‘Leave them guessing which way we’re coming at them.’

  ‘Aye – give ’em a good reason to hold back and let us run at their guns,’ Anatin agreed. ‘That way then.’

  The Cards ran in a disordered group down the nearest street, cutting left into a covered arcade of hastily abandoned carts and worktables. Anything of value had been plundered already so even Deern didn’t linger long as they made their way to an alley and Suth checked the road ahead.

  ‘We all going?’ Teshen asked in a voice that made his opinion clear.

  ‘Why not?’ Anatin said.

  The long-haired Knight shrugged. ‘We’re trying to take the general, a small group can do that just as well as all of us.’

  ‘Volunteering, are you?’

  ‘We need the mages,’ Teshen pointed out, ‘then just a few others good in close quarters. The rest spreads out, distracts the guards and buys us the space. Hells, might be Sitain can end this all herself?’

  The young mage looked startled as she was brought into the debate, but didn’t waste much time in shaking her head. Lynx could see the bags under her eyes, the weariness that hadn’t been there before she’d quietened the barracks.

  ‘Something that big? No chance.’

  ‘But Lastani can shield you, while I watch the rear,’ Atieno said confidently. ‘It might give you enough time to take her or give your terms.’

  ‘Let’s do that then,’ Anatin said. ‘All you tattooed freaks come with me. Payl, Reft, Estal, take your suits and make some noise out that way. Estal, take the leftovers of Tempest, Reft you get Snow. Take a few potshots at the guards up around the amphitheatre walls. Don’t get caught in a fight, but get ’em looking long enough for us to get in place.’

  The three mercenaries nodded and beckoned to their respective suits, creeping back the way they’d come to skirt another way round. Up ahead, the streets all led to the open plaza that the amphitheatre looked out over.

  There was only one safe path, a narrow alley which took the Cards to the large, odd building housing the players’ tunnel. It was a block significantly larger than a normal house with an imposing gate on the nearer side, bulky enough to obscure the view from the amphitheatre’s arches. Lynx followed the rest until they were stood right outside the gate, shoulders hunched against the anticipation of a gunshot, but none came. Suth was about to break the lock on the gate open when Atieno stepped forward and placed his hands over the metal instead. The tattoos on his dark skin pulsed briefly white, a tingle of the magic echoing through Lynx’s own skin, and when Atieno removed his hands the iron had corroded, flakes of rust falling away under the breeze brushing past.

  Suth’s eyes widened, but she wasted little time in pulling the lock apart and easing the gate open. It was dark inside and smelled of smoke and sweat. The lower floor was a plain single chamber with four racks of wooden sticks, presumably required for the game played, and two clusters of benches. Stairs led up on the left and right, flags bearing team colours hung from each banister and the landing above. What light there was crept through narrow slatted windows on the upper level.

  In the centre was a wooden staircase leading down – wide enough for four people to walk abreast, worn and old, without decoration. There were sconces for oil lamps lining the staircase, but they were all empty and the tunnel beyond was just a semicircle of black that began before the steps had even finished.

  Suth and Teshen each took a side stairway, stalking up almost silently before confirming the rooms up there were empty. That done, Sitain crept down the tunnel steps and peered into the darkness beyond a second gate at the foot of the stair. She spent a few moments looking for guards in the tunnel, but quickly waved the rest forward and they shuffled into the pitch-black tunnel as Suth fumbled at her pack.

  ‘Wasn’t expecting to be glad I was still lugging this around,’ she commented as the Monarch’s lamp illuminated a chequer-board of white and red glazed tiles covering the tunnel.

  ‘Just hold back with it,’ Teshen ordered, nudging Sitain ahead so the two of them were clear of the rest.

  The tunnel ran straight and clear, a damp smell the only obstacle as they slunk beneath the plaza and under the walls of the amphitheatre. At the far end was a half-open door. Sitain held up a hand to stop the rest of the Cards following, then crept inside with Teshen. Lynx heard nothing other than the slight scuff of a foot, but his tattoos tingled faintly before they were eventually beckoned forward.

  Beyond the door was a very large, low room perhaps fifty yards by thirty. It was broken into three sections by fat brick pillars with dozens of smaller wooden posts between them, all supporting a wooden roof. A
t the base of one pillar were two Charnelers, presumably out cold. Lynx noticed both Toil and Deern giving them a calculating look before moving on.

  In the centre of the room was a wooden platform with some sort of mechanism set to the side and a trapdoor above. A large lever stood next to it and Suth patted Anatin on the shoulder as she pointed at it, then the various narrow tunnels that led off the room in all directions.

  ‘Three groups on platforms here, down there and there, a mage in each,’ Suth whispered. ‘Pull the lever and you’ll ascend – fast, so don’t let the jolt throw your aim off. There were no games scheduled this week, so the labyrinth walls will be down and the floor should be clear. We’ll have to bet she’s on the floor with her prize, ready to head through the canal gate and board once the army’s moving up.’

  Anatin nodded and divided his troops up. Before they headed off to their assigned platforms Toil caught their attention and turned full circle as she addressed them all in a hushed voice.

  ‘Burners and sparkers in each group – mine goes up first. Take out any guardposts or soldiers in the stands to win some space to breathe, mages get ready to shield. Lastani, we’re first so you’ll be taking the brunt most likely. Whoever’s nearest the general takes her captive unless you’ve no choice, understand?’

  They all did and hurried to their assigned positions. Lynx joined Lastani, Anatin, Toil, Aben and Suth on the central platform. They drew and loaded their guns, taking their time to allow the others to get ready.

  ‘What if the walls aren’t down?’ Lastani whispered as her tattoos started to glow steadily brighter.

  ‘Then we’re about to look bloody stupid,’ Suth said, rolling her shoulders with one mage-pistol raised and her free hand poised over the release lever. ‘But we shoot into the stands anyway, see who we can kill – after that, I’ll have a bit of a think.’

  Toil chuckled quietly at that and nodded. There was a strange mix of tension and anticipation on her face. She had a mission that brooked no failure or distraction butting up against a vendetta that robbed her of reason – a need for a cool head grating against her reckless, savage spirit. A leaf shape blossomed into light on Suth’s cheek and Lynx felt his own tingle awake as the mages summoned their power.