by Sam Ferguson
Kelden swung his feet over the bed and set them on the floor. He twisted his neck and stretched it. “How long was I out?” he asked.
“Not long,” the physician said as he finished packing up his bag.
“You were out for most of the day as best we can figure,” Cullen put in.
“That isn’t long?” Kelden questioned.
The physician shrugged. “It could have been longer, if you catch my meaning.”
Kelden nodded. “Thank you,” he offered.
The physician responded with a crooked smile. “Your wounds aren’t serious, if you can get through the pain. The medicine I gave you should have counteracted all of the poison. You might be a little dizzy or light-headed for another day, but otherwise you should be fine.” The physician rose to his feet and left the two alone, grumbling as he exited the room.
Just then Karmt walked through the doorway. “Good heavens, Cullen, what in Basei’s name is taking you so long?” Karmt then glanced to Kelden and his eyes focused on the bandage. “You alright?”
“I’m alright,” Kelden replied as he slowly forced himself to stand. “They said I should be on the mend in a day or two. Just a superficial wound.”
Karmt nodded his head.
Kelden slowly rose to his feet and started looking around for his clothes. Karmt helped Kelden into his uniform. A blue tunic, with a golden dragon embroidered just above the left breast went on first. He then put on a pair of black trousers and slid his feet into his boots. Kelden walked over to his dresser and grabbed his sword-belt. His body protested in pain as Kelden took the weight of the sword with his left arm. Gritting through it, he quickly fastened its buckle, in the shape of a shield, and then reached for his wrist bracers.
Kelden examined himself in the mirror. The symbols of the dragon and the shield were more than just decoration on his uniform; they represented the values of freedom and justice. These were the values which Kelden was proud to uphold, but of late he felt unworthy to wear the symbols on his uniform. He wondered whether his recent actions devalued the virtues he swore to uphold. He thought of Pendonov’s questions from the night before and pondered whether there may have been some truth in Pendonov’s words. Kelden shook his head and sighed at the man in the mirror.
“You have to trust that you did the right thing,” Karmt said quietly. Kelden turned a questioning gaze to him. “I can see the questions in your eyes,” Karmt explained with a shrug. “You question whether the lives you took were worth it; whether the end truly justifies the means.”
Kelden shook his head. “I have killed men before,” he countered. “It is never pleasant, but it has not been a problem.
“Bah,” Karmt groused. “Killing an enemy on the battlefield is different. You and I both know that what you did to save the queen was much more personal. You risked not only your life, but pieces of your soul.”
Kelden stood silently. “I did what I had to do,” he said flatly.
“Aye, that you did,” Karmt replied. “And I suspect you may have gotten along just fine had everything been over after you foiled Theodorus’ plans.” Karmt shook his head slowly and placed a hand on Kelden’s shoulder. “But, I suppose the new assignment you have been given has caused you to question things a bit more. Now that you know more is expected you wonder how far you will be asked to go for the so-called greater good of the kingdom.” Karmt pursed his lips and stroked his chin for a moment, squinting at Kelden and nodding silently to himself. “For what it’s worth, I believe the queen chose the right man for the job. You’ll recognize that in due time too, I suspect.”
“It isn’t an easy question to answer,” Kelden admitted.
“Nor should it be,” Karmt replied. “If it was, then you would probably not be the right man for the job.” Karmt pulled a parchment from his pocket and handed it to Kelden. “Cullen was supposed to hastily get you ready so I could give you this.”
Kelden opened it. The orders were clear, he was to find and bring to justice those responsible for the murder of two city guards, the murder of one merchant, and the theft of a merchant ship known as the ‘Isabell’. The queen was authorizing the use of three naval scout ships, and their crews to aid in Kelden’s investigation. At the bottom of the parchment was the name of a fisherman, who was waiting at the docks, who had said that he had seen where the ship was headed.
He shook his head. “I have other matters that need my attention here,” he said. “Queen Dalynn should realize this.”
Karmt nodded and shrugged. “What the orders don’t say is that the man murdered was a merchant by the name of Agorian, have you ever heard of him?”
Kelden shook his head. “Should I have?”
“Let’s just say that he is an acquaintance of the court. From time to time he offers valuable advice and… services of a unique kind.”
“I don’t follow,” Kelden said.
Karmt sighed and leaned in close. “Agorian was a mage. I can’t get into all the details now, but he occasionally fulfilled special missions for Queen Dalynn.”
“A mage?” Kelden asked incredulously. “How is that even possible?”
“That doesn’t matter now,” Karmt replied sternly. “What matters is that he has been slain and his ship has been stolen. We need to know who is responsible, and they must be dealt with.”
Kelden nodded. “I understand.”
“One more thing,” Karmt said. “The ship is equally important. Agorian was transporting something in the hold of his ship. Queen Dalynn is expecting this artifact to be returned along with the ship. This is of the utmost importance.”
“What am I looking for?”
Karmt shook his head. “It’s a cube. Don’t worry you’ll recognize it when you see it. You must hurry, track down the ship, and bring it back. The men who took the ship are sentenced to death. You know what you must do.”
Kelden nodded grimly and started for the docks, grabbing his black cloak as he exited the room. He wasn’t sure how he could get a message to Yeoj, but then he saw Cullen waiting for him just outside. The night air met him with a cold, salty breeze as he stepped out onto the street. He motioned for Cullen to join him as he began walking.
“Can you do me a favor?” Kelden asked.
Cullen said nothing. He just looked at Kelden with a questioning gaze.
“Listen, I need you to go back to the main barracks and wait for Pendonov. He should be there before first light. I need you to tell him that Queen Dalynn is sending me out after a stolen ship. Can you do that?”
“Sure,” Cullen replied.
“Tell him that he should take charge of all of my duties until I get back.” Kelden looked into Cullen’s eyes. “Tell him that exactly.”
“Alright,” Cullen said. “I’ll tell him he takes over for you until you get back.”
“He takes charge of all of my duties,” Kelden emphasized. Cullen nodded again. “Alright, now go, I have work to do.” Cullen turned in the opposite direction and left.
Kelden sighed and wiggled the fingers in his left hand. They tingled and burned slightly. Maybe he should have simply introduced himself to Sebina like Yeoj had said, then he wouldn’t have been bitten by the rock-jumper. Either way, he felt the fool and his body reminded him of that fact every time he moved his fingers.
The rest of the walk to the dock was uneventful, but then again that was to be expected. It was nearly three in the morning and crimes were rare in this part of the city. It had not always been so, as Kelden well knew for himself.
Kelden’s early years before he was accepted into the Merchant Guard were actually spent as a city guard. He patrolled at night, when most of the crimes took place back then. As a result of this he had encountered many criminals.
As he walked through the streets, occasionally cupping his wound trying to hold the pain at bay, he recalled another close encounter. That particular occasion had been a life changing event that won him recognition from the queen, and ultimately led to his ascension to th
e Merchant Guard.
The night had been much like this one; dark, a cold breeze, and not too many people on the streets. Kelden had spied a man acting suspiciously in front of a jeweler’s shop. He walked by the man pretending not to notice. Then he snuck around the back of the store to investigate closer. Once at the rear entrance he had found the door was open, but it had not been forced open. The lock had been opened with its key. Kelden had slipped inside and found two hulking men with swords coercing a small wiry fellow to open a large safe. He presumed that the small man was the shopkeeper, and had been held against his will and forced to open the store.
Kelden smiled as he recalled how garishly he had faced those men. He simply walked in with his sword drawn and ordered them to drop to their knees. That was his way of handling things back then, bold, daring, and loud. The two men had turned on their heels expecting to see a large number of city guards, but their courage bolstered when they saw only Kelden. They both rushed him as the small shop keeper cowered in the fetal position on the floor. That was their last mistake. Kelden had disposed of them easily enough, but he had also made a mistake. He had forgotten about the third man that he had seen outside. As Kelden sheathed his sword and walked towards the shopkeeper, he heard the twang of a crossbow firing. He’d caught that bolt in his shoulder. Kelden had spun around and attempted to draw his sword, but the third man was already upon him. The two rolled on the floor and exchanged blows for a few seconds. Then a knife blade sliced across his stomach.
Kelden reached his hand over the old scar as he recalled the events. It had been one of his few mistakes, but luckily he had been able to correct the situation. After he grabbed the assailant’s hand, he forced the blade into the man’s chest, killing the criminal with his own knife.
As luck would have it, the wiry shop keeper turned out to be Queen Dalynn’s nephew. After the news got out about the brave guard who had saved the queen’s nephew, a royal escort was sent to invite Kelden to dinner with the queen. That night changed the course of his life. The queen conversed with him for several hours, beginning by expressing her gratitude for her nephew’s rescue. Gradually, the conversation progressed and the two of them learned quite a lot about each other. The queen asked Kelden many questions, and asked to hear of his home and family. Afterward, she spoke of her late husband, the king, and of her son.
Kelden made such a good impression upon the queen that she offered to make him an officer in the Merchant Guard. He, of course, had accepted. Through the years Kelden had seen many things, yet he always felt happy with his service. The Merchant Guard was not like serving in the army on some border patrol. The Merchant Guard was more personal, with interesting clients in need of protection to ensure their services and goods could reach the customers. Within a few months he rose through the ranks and was given investigations. They started out as basic burglary investigations, but over the years they grew more complex as his skills expanded. He had always felt satisfied upon closing his investigations, especially the more complicated they were. All of that changed with Theodorus’ execution.
Kelden had felt happy that the queen was safe, and knew he should feel fulfilled at its conclusion, but he didn’t. He had dealt with corruption before, it’s unavoidable for officers in the Merchant Guard, but this was far beyond anything he could have prepared for. It demoralized him, and made a mockery of the values he had struggled so hard to serve and protect. He was disillusioned with all of it. He was tired of the politics, the greed, and the betrayal. Yet, something propelled him forward, even as he was in the beginning stages of a new investigation that could very well cost him pieces of his soul, as Karmt had said earlier. He didn’t know what it was, but he could feel that something dark loomed over the horizon, and it was coming soon.
Kelden cast his thoughts aside as he neared the dock. He saw a man standing, speaking with two city guards. This was probably the fisherman. Kelden strode over to him and extended his hand in greeting.
“I presume you are Jacs?” Kelden asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Jacs replied.
“Good. My name is Captain Kelden Ferryl. I have been assigned to this case. Could you please tell me what you saw tonight?”
“Yes sir, of course. I was out in the bay with my boat, I was fishing, and I saw a ship sail past me. At the time I didn’t think anything of it. I could tell from their course that they were headed to Bluewater.”
“Are you sure?” Kelden interrupted.
“Well, yes sir, where else would they be intending to get to by that type of heading? There isn’t anything else out that way. South by south-east gets you to Bluewater. I sailed the route myself as part of a merchant crew in my younger years.” The fisherman paused as he looked back toward the waters by the dock and rubbed his balding head. “Well, about an hour or so later I came in, I was getting chilled and weary, and I had already pulled a good haul of crabs. On my way in I saw a body floating in the waters. I pulled him into the boat to see if I could help him, but when I got him in I saw he didn’t have a head. So, I rowed to this dock hoping to find some guards… but what I found was these two dead guards. I ran around looking for help immediately.”
“You don’t seem to be overly excited about it,” Kelden pointed out.
The fisherman shrugged. “Before sailing with merchants, I fought along the borderlands. I’ve seen my share of blood.”
“He is right,” interjected one of the guards on the scene, “I heard him yelling for help and that is when my partner and I came running and found him, we put in a dispatch for help about an hour ago. Afraid that is all we know so far captain.”
“I see. So, an hour ago you put in a dispatch, and two hours before that is when you saw the boat leave, so now they have just over a three hour head start on us. Alright, well I will sail to Bluewater and see what I come up with. You two escort this man to his home.” Kelden turned to face Jacs. “Thank you sir, you are a fine citizen. Upon successful arrest of these culprits you shall be rewarded.” With that Kelden walked away briskly, heading towards the ships. He was anxious to make up for lost time and hurry off to Bluewater.
“Thank you kindly sir!” the fisherman called out as Kelden disappeared from view.
CHAPTER TEN
The Rangers had barely settled in to their dining hall when a pair of senior city guardsmen stood in the doorway. Ranger Diggs could see them fidgeting with their hands and nervously shifting their weight on their feet; something was terribly wrong.
“Well, don’t just stand there men, tell us what’s on your minds,” Diggs instructed them.
“Ranger Diggs, I have some bad news,” one of the men started.
“Where is Captain Lador, does he need to be here for this as well?” Ranger Jimik asked.
The two guards glanced at each other and shrugged.
“Out with it,” Diggs ordered. The other Rangers sat in silence around the table.
“After you left there were several attacks. The governor was assassinated, Lador was murdered, along with all of the dungeon inmates, and several patrolmen have been injured as well.”
“Have you any leads?” Diggs asked.
“You need to ask?” Ranger Gainer growled.
“This was clearly Kai’s doing!” Jimik put in.
“Let them finish!” Diggs yelled as he pounded a fist on the table. “They said all of the inmates were killed.”
“The governor’s servant gave us a description of the man who killed the governor, but I don’t think you will like it,” the second guardsman said.
Diggs folded his arms and arched his left brow.
“The servant said he saw a man matching Kai’s description standing over Governor Gandle’s body in the library at Governor Gandle’s manor,” the first guardsman said.
The second guardsman spoke up, directing his gaze at Jimik and Gainer. “Several patrolmen were attacked by Kai at the dungeon as well, shortly after Gandle’s body was discovered.”
The first guard nodded and w
rung his hands. “After the fight in the dungeon, the patrolmen found Captain Lador’s body near the cells.”
“Khefir take that dog, I will eat his heart!” Jimik cursed.
“We have to find him,” Gainer hissed. “He must pay for this!”
Diggs brought his hands up to his face and pressed his fingertips into his forehead. “He will pay,” Diggs promised.
“You are in charge now, sir,” Redjak said from behind. “The rules are clear.” Redjak stepped forward and presented Diggs with the Ranger’s Charter, a small book with all rules governing the unit. “You are the senior-most Ranger, and you must now fill Captain Lador’s position.”
“Hail, Captain Diggs,” Jimik shouted quickly. The other Rangers followed suit.
“Who is acting governor?” Diggs asked.
Redjak shook his head. “Counselor Bhan is acting governor. He was Gandle’s senior counselor.”
Diggs nodded.
“This is a dark day,” another Ranger whispered. A hush fell over the dining hall.
Diggs thought for a few minutes before issuing any command. He looked over at the two guardsmen. “Alright, listen carefully. Send a patrol of ten men straight to Hart’s Bridge. I want them to get into the kingdom of Shausmat and make an inquiry after Kai. These men are licensed to kill Kai if necessary, but I would prefer him to be brought back alive.”
“There is something else you should know,” the first guard said.
Diggs arched a brow. “What else?”
“There have been attacks at Hart’s Bridge. After we sealed it, our men were slaughtered. They were brought back by a single survivor.”
“Kai,” Gainer spat.
“No,” the second guardsman was quick to put in. “This happened before Governor Gandle was slain, and before the attacks at the prison.”
“Then perhaps he has help,” Gainer said.
Diggs held up a stern hand, calling for silence. “What is the status of the bridge now?” he asked.
