El-Vador stared back at him, uncertain of how to proceed. 'What am I?'
The boy nodded, as if his question were the most natural thing in the world. 'You look different from the others, you are pale and have strange ears and eyes, I don't like them.'
He forced a semblance of calm upon himself, only now realising how rattled the crowds had made him. 'I am an Elf from the mountains in the north, not many of my people venture down here.'
Eihblin stepped forward, clearly not in the mood for such petty distractions. 'We are looking for a man, perhaps you have seen him?'
She described Anacletus, but the boy shook his head. 'Can't say I've seen him.' Then he turned back to El-Vador once more. 'Why do you look all pointy?'
'It's a terrible curse laid on me for asking too many questions when I was a boy,' El-Vador said. 'You don't want to end up looking like me, do you?'
The child looked at his El-Vador's ears sceptically and then shook his head.
'Keeping your mouth shut is the first sensible thing you've done.'
The clink of a coin purse immediately drew the boy's attention back to Eihblin, who reached into her pouch and brandished a single copper coin. She flipped it at the boy, who caught it deftly.
'If you see this man, come and find us, there will be more coppers for you if you can bring us to him.'
The boy's eyes lit up at the thought of more money. 'I shall go and look instantly mam!'
'Wait just a minute,' Phaedra interrupted. 'How many ways are there out of this city?'
The boy looked at her and caught sight of her face under the cloak, his eyes widened and he dashed off without answering.
'It would appear that the boy saw something he didn't like,' Eihblin quipped. 'Let us hope our copper proves more profitable than another that would loosen his tongue with money to hear of your whereabouts.'
They both knew that she was talking about Sarvacts, his fortress wasn't far from this place and he could well exert some degree of influence for all they knew. They would need to tread carefully from here on in so as not to arouse any further suspicion. Come the morning, they would attempt to depart the city and make their way to the fortress, El-Vador felt trepidation grow once more in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea how they were going to gain access to such a structure, let alone what manner of beasts that would await them inside.
XX
My early years were so fraught with uncertainty and fear, yet never had I an opportunity to express these things. Bottled up inside they remained, either for the benefit of those travelling with me or so that an enemy could not leverage them against me.
Had I known then what I do now, the fortress would have been torn apart by its roots and hurled across the mountainside. Such flights of fantasy and grandeur are ill-becoming when gazing back at the past.
'I see an inn ahead of us,' Phaedra said.
El-Vador stared into the darkness. His Elven eyes were unusually sharp even for his kind, yet they failed to see any inn through the moonlit night.
He felt more than saw the woman smiling next to him, more than a hint of irritation rose within him at that.
She led them down the narrow street, and before long they came to the inn, a large stone building much like any other he had seen in the city, except for the sign hung over the portal. It was an unpainted wooden plank that had the effigy of a snake burned into it. It wasn't the first time he had seen such symbolism since arriving here. The language beneath it was foreign to him, only reinforcing how out of place he felt in this strange land.
El-Vador dismissed the subject from his thoughts, now was not the time to be concerned over his own sense of alienation. He had to remain alert and getting distracted by scenery wasn't going to aid his attempts at doing so.
'It would be fateful indeed if Anacletus was staying in this very inn,' Eihblin mused. 'I have seen no signs of him since entering the city.'
El-Vador shrugged. 'Whether he is inside or not, we must find a place to rest. I do not trust to camp out in these streets.'
A number of heavy-looking lanterns hung from the rafters of the inn, tinting everything with a yellow hue. A small crowd of customers were present but nothing compared to the rush of the main street mere hours ago.
Phaedra moved to a table near the fire, Eihblin and El-Vador following. The room's occupants didn't offer them a glance and for that the Elf was thankful.
The innkeeper motioned to their table and a server soon approached them, apparently business was slow.
'A pitcher of water.' El-Vador said, 'what food have you?'
'We're not due any new stock until the week's end,' the server said, paying no heed to the appearances of those at the table. Apparently the establishment didn't care so long as you had coin. 'There are some pickles and bread left, all the cooked food has been eaten and the chef's away to bed.'
El-Vador felt a pang of hunger for a hot meal, he hadn't savoured a proper one since the keep. 'Very well, pickles and bread it is then. '
The server soon returned with what could charitably be called a meal, several limp pickles and a stale-looking loaf of bread. 'Two coppers before you tuck in,' he said.
'Have you any vacancies as well?' the Elf asked, looking distastefully at the pickle.
'There's one room available if you don't mind sharing.'
That wasn't to anyone's liking, El-Vador could tell. 'Very well then.' he replied, placing two more coppers in the sweaty palm of the server.
'You look like it's going to reach out and bite you.' Eihblin said through a mouth of bread.
Looking up at his plate, he realised that Eihblin had tucked into the rest of the loaf with gusto. Phaedra seemed measured in contrast, sipping at the water but not deigning to take a bite.
'We do not have these pickles in the mountains from whence I came.' El-Vador finally replied.
Eihblin smiled at him, 'Try it, it's delicious.'
Hesitantly, he finally lifted the offending vegetable up by two fingers and took a bite out of it.
Eihblin let out a laugh at his soured expression and even Phaedra cracked a faint smile. The Elf's bravado forced him to swallow it. 'I don't understand how you can eat such things.' he replied, eyeing the offending vegetables with distaste and taking a quick gulp of water.
'You will have to learn the ways of humanity if you choose to live amongst us.' Eihblin remarked, the smile not leaving her lips. 'Pickles and all.'
El-Vador tore a hunk of bread from the loaf and stuffed it into his mouth, hoping to mop up some of the sour taste off his tongue. It was decidedly better than the green things his senses had just been assailed by so he munched upon it with ravenous abandon.
When the meal was finished they were shown to their room, a small place with one bed and a basin of water in the corner. It was barely worth what they paid for it but it would have to do.
'I do not require sleep at this time.' Phaedra remarked, standing next to the basin and staring into the air in a disconcerting fashion.
Eihblin looked at El-Vador, they were in agreement about how the night would progress then.
'Will you take the first shift?' she asked him, eyeing Phaedra once more with suspicion.
The Elf nodded, and that was that.
Anacletus slept lightly that night, waking every hour or so and checking the cold surroundings of the rooftop to ensure that he had not been sighted. He had no desire to draw attention to himself any further after his murder of the guard, as a result he had skirted up the side of a tall building and settled himself upon the flat roof for the night. He doubted that anyone would discover him in this location but constant vigilance was a small price to pay for staying alive in his line of work. It would not be long until he received his payment from Sarvacts and could get back to a life of leisure for a time. The intoxicating dens of his homeland seemed a far off memory and one that he wished to return to beyond anything else.
With the dawning of a new day, Anacletus would depart from the city and continue
leaving a trail for his pursuers to follow. He might even double back to make sure they had made it out of the city successfully, though he did not expect the bitch to stall in pursuit of him, she had not done so before.
With thoughts of the chase playing on his mind, he slipped back into an uneasy slumber.
He awoke to the sound of arms clambering up the side of the building, it was an unmistakeable noise. Surely the only reason for such a thing happening would be to come after him?
He readied his blade and stalked over to the side of the building, away from the scrambling noises yet still within viewing distance of the efforts. Whoever it was made no pretence of stealth in their efforts, a long and laborious process with much stalling, as if the owner of the limbs was not familiar with scaling objects.
Anacletus peered over the edge at the newcomer but in this darkness it was hard to make anything out. Better safe than sorry, he proceeded back to where the potential assailant was climbing to and prepared to stab downward at the first sight of flesh.
A hand eventually crested the lip of the building and he thrust his dagger into it, fully expecting a cry of pain and a long trip down for his unfortunate opponent. Instead a second hand gripped the edge of the roof and started pulling itself up. In response, Anacletus withdrew his blade and stabbed the other offending limb, again there was no cry from this strange figure.
He backed away a little, preparing to make his escape. There was no way that such a one-paced climber could hope to match him on the rooftops, perhaps he was too high on a cocktail of drugs to even notice his hands had been stabbed.
The man finally hauled himself up to standing on the edge of the building but made no further movement in Anacletus' direction. Surprised at this, the assassin decided not to flee.
'I come from my lord Sarvacts with a message.' the figure said, 'We have much to discuss.'
Syvembile slipped into the room unnoticed, laying himself down upon the bed with a sigh. His questions had determined the creature that had slain two of his brother priests had indeed sought refuge in this city.
The thing that called itself El-Vador was the one responsible for the deaths of Harlven and Friedweld, of that Syvembile had no doubt. It was too coincidental that this mysterious character would show up and depart in the short space between the murders. Every other innocent visitor had remained for questioning, why had this one vanished if he was not guilty?
That he had been bested by this creature so easily in front of his master when in combat made it even worse, this was the only way he could redeem himself from such a fluke. He had been quick to volunteer to join the search for the man responsible for their deaths, he did not voice his opinions though lest the priests deny his wishes. When next he met this Elven foe it would not be a practice bout, he would make him suffer.
Yes, the Elf must die not only to avenge his fallen comrades but to put an end to the burning shame his master had placed within him for losing the bout. He would find the conspicuous Elf within these walls and do away with him and any followers.
His dreams that night were of the Elf's face, contorted in pain and begging for mercy.
XXI
It is far less painful and miserable to go through life having a great deal in common with those surrounding you. Wherever I went I was the only Elf in sight, I was always a foreign agent and such difference attracts its dissenters. There was never any shortage of people willing to make an issue of my difference, the state of constant readiness for this reality was exhausting.
Anacletus awoke alone on the rooftop to the dawning of the day, the automaton had left him to sleep fitfully as it had promised.
It was then that he realised that he was not alone. He edged himself toward the intruder upon the rooftop with his knife drawn, cursing himself for thinking the place would be clear of people at this hour. As he neared the edge he gripped the hooded head of the man and jerked it back, exposing the throat to his blade.
The man showed no trepidation at such an occurrence, perhaps threats such as these were common in the city. It was a young boy underneath the hood, yet had he caught Anacletus sleeping he may well have stolen the heirloom and buried a dagger in his guts for his troubles.
'What are you doing on these rooftops, boy?' the assassin asked.
The boy's eyes widened now, fear beginning to sink in at the realisation that this was a stranger. 'I was just scouting the rooftop sir, I did not realise that this was your territory.'
'If you are lying to me I will slash your throat here and now, understood?' Anacletus replied, pressing the blade closer so that a trickle of blood would punctuate his question.
The boy started to shake uncontrollably, wetting himself in the process. Big tears streaming down his face and snot seeming to pour from his nose at will.
'Damn it all!' Anacletus exclaimed, removing his blade and hefting a kick at the boy that sent him sprawling across the rooftop.
The fool boy eventually rose and limped off across the roof and away from him, looking back as if to see whether he would be followed or not.
'Get out of here!' Anacletus yelled at him, 'Stupid child.'
With that the boy was gone, limping across the rooftops at a speed that belied the injury Anacletus' boot had given him.
So much for the roof being a safe hiding place then, Anacletus thought to himself. Not only had he been interrupted by a servant of Sarvacts intent on finding the previous automaton, he had also been troubled by the local vermin.
Ensuring that the heirloom was still in his possession, Anacletus made his way down from the roof and into the early morning bustle of the city.
As the foreigner left the rooftop, the boy eased his way from behind a wall. A smile touched his features and there were no tears in sight, he had found the man he had been tasked with looking for and could now report back to his masters. There was no snivelling or limping on the boy's part now as he glided toward the alleyway to impart his information for vital coin.
Out of the dusty gloom came a blind beggar in rags, who cocked his head as if waiting for the boy to speak.
'I have news for the spy master,' the boy whispered into the alleyway. 'Tell him that servants of Sarvacts have decided to penetrate his walls, and that an Elf has entered the city, possibly also in the service of Sarvacts judging from the company he keeps.'
'The spy master will not be pleased to hear of this encroachment,' the beggar replied.
The boy nodded. 'The swifter this news is brought to him the less likely he is to take it out on you.'
The beggar grunted back at him in acknowledgement and shuffled off into the alleyway.
Anacletus had little time to waste, he needed to exit this city and make a suitable amount of tracks for the Elf and his followers to read. Ones that would not be muddied by the comings and goings of the inhabitants of this city.
It was as he was preparing to make his way to the southern city gates that he felt a sense of being watched.
Though it was not a magical talent in particular, the sense he had cultivated over the years of work had yet to let him down, something was out there and it had an eye on him and him alone. Even in this crowded area where any number of people could be watching him, he wasn't going to discount the feeling. He slowly looked about him, trying to determine who it was that had taken an interest in his activities.
After taking some time to survey the scene, he spotted a shopkeeper that kept flicking his eyes toward him when he thought that Anacletus wasn't looking. The man made a fine effort at serving his early morning customers but there was no denying that he had more than half an eye on Anacletus' activities. True, this could mean absolutely nothing, perhaps the man was scouting out a potential customer for all he knew. He doubted that such a naïve explanation was the truth.
He had never seen this particular shopkeeper before, having never been in this city prior to now. Why would anyone take an interest in what he was doing? Perhaps there existed some unseen network of observers that gaze
d at every movement within the city. Why then had he not felt this before?
Anacletus shook his head, perhaps he was imagining things after all.
The shopkeeper continued to watch him.
A thud woke El-Vador instantly, Eihblin and Phaedra already had weapons drawn. He leapt out of the bed and readied his own blade, something was trying to get into their room.
The door splintered open and the man behind it trudged inside, his eyes directed straight at Phaedra's as if the other occupants were of no consequence.
'You have disobeyed Sarvacts for the last time, you must come with me.' he made a beckoning motion with his pale hand and to El-Vador's surprise, Phaedra started to walk slowly toward him.
'Phaedra?' Eihblin asked, wondering much as El-Vador did why she was walking toward this man.
'I am compelled against my will,' she said, 'you must stop him!'
That was all the invitation El-Vador required, thrusting his sword at the man's heart.
Only now there were two men facing the Elf, his sword passed between them both and ineffectually struck the wall.
'Eihblin, take left, I'll go right.' he said, remembering his companion and sincerely hoping she wouldn't turn on him a second time when things got heated. She advanced to his side, seemingly to aid him now that there were no easy escapes from this conflict.
'They have no weapons,' El-Vador said, moving closer to the creatures.
'They probably weren't expecting me to have company.' Phaedra observed, holding back due to the lack of space.
It was the sound of the woman's voice that finally stirred his foes into action, they seemed to ignore Eihblin and advance upon El-Vador.
In response he bounded forward, swinging his blade at them and hoping to force their retreat.
Eihblin joined him in the assault and it appeared to work, these servants of Sarvacts had not expected an armed response and had come poorly equipped for such a fight.
The first opponent dove in with surprising quickness, bypassing El-Vador's sword and aiming a chop for his head. The Elf narrowly evaded the pale hand and thrust out again with his sword in response. The thing kicked at El-Vador's knee and leaped back before the point of the steel impaled it. These creatures were faster than he had expected, they may not have weaponry but perhaps they did not need it in this encounter after all.
El-Vador's Travels Page 17
