by Jake Kerr
"Um, so it appears you all have done a good job, and things are going well." Ralan paused, expecting nodding heads or even some smiles, but everyone was quiet. Before he could attempt to get things on track, Zarl, the Captain of the wealthy Upper Triangle, broke in.
"Going well? Our Blade is missing, possibly imprisoned by the Harvest Guild. We don't know if our threat to the Guildmaster Merchant will be effective at him not trying to assassinate Guildmaster Polo, and, may I add, Karch just came through the Great Gate from the Outlands. Who knows what he has arranged with the Outlanders."
Murmurs from both sides of the table filled the room until a clear and strong voice cut through the noise: "I do."
All eyes turned to Ralan. He had only discussed his mission with Mio, so he was not surprised at the concern. "I know what happened with Karch, as I was there. At the bridge to Gaotteland, his guards were slain by a rain of arrows. Karch was spared by the Crown of the Outlands and fled on my horse. I passed him during my return on a mighty steed that was gifted to me by the Crown."
Murmurs of a different sort filled the room as Ralan paused. Telling the story filled him with a confidence that didn't exist when he entered the room. He had faced the Crown of the Outlands and not only lived, he procured a promise of a temporary peace.
"The Outlanders are not a concern, at least not now. They desire the trade route from Ness to re-open, and I promised to do that." More murmurs. "In the mean time, he has promised a temporary peace, which will reinforce my respect with the Ranger Guild." Ralan peered at Zarl. "But I appreciate your other concerns. I will address one, and you shall report to me on the other."
Ralan was quiet as he looked at Zarl, who lowered his his head and replied, "Understood, Guildmaster."
"You have asked about the assassination risk toward Guildmaster Polo. If this risk originated with my brother, I assure you it is no longer a concern. I know him better than anyone. His is a coward, and the threat that was left in his room has shaken him." Ralan looked around the table. "Who is Captain of the district that includes Merchant Tower?"
"That would be me, sir." A portly man with blonde hair, slicked back and tied in the style of Karch, raised his hand. "Captain Tarse. There is no true Merchant District, as you know, but I oversee the area--Founders Park, Merchant Avenue, and the banks of the North Fork."
"Very good." Ralan stood up. He was nervous and excited, and he was finally able to do what he had wanted to do--get and share information. He started to pace back and forth. "Captain Tarse, explain to me what has changed in regards to Larsen and Merchant Tower."
"Larsen has not been seen in days. He generally will visit the leading Merchant account handlers along Merchant Avenue or visit Guildmaster Orion or Saxe. He is not active, but he is not inactive, either. But of late he has not left Merchant Tower."
Ralan nodded. "And the defenses around the tower?"
"Escalated, sir. The doors are usually closed whereas before they were usually open. Lots of guards are monitoring the area."
Ralan stopped pacing and turned toward his captains. "It is as I predicted. Larsen is frightened. He doesn't know where the threat came from, so he is reacting without focus, increasing defenses everywhere." Tapping his hand on his chair, Ralan added, "With the Outlanders not engaged, and Larsen frightened, I consider the assassination risk of Polo no longer our concern. He is safe in Harvest House."
Not a single voice in the room objected.
Ralan was pleased. He was doing well. However, before he could continue, Captain Tarse cleared his voice. "Excuse me, sir."
"Yes?"
"I should probably add that the suspicious activity not just at the Tower but in the whole district has increased."
"What do you mean by suspicious activity?"
"For us Thieves, suspicious activity is a higher concentration of guards and armed citizens. The activity in the guild docks on the North Fork and up and down Merchant Avenue is disturbing. There are Merchant Guards everywhere."
Nodding his head, Ralan replied. "Thank you, but I consider that just an extension of my brother's paranoia. It would not surprise me for him to have armed guards patrolling all the way up to Craft Tower with what we threatened him with." Tarse nodded his head. "Deputy Alard, do you have any thoughts on the matter?"
Alard stood behind Ralan, and as Ralan turned to him he shook his head. "No sir, I trust your interpretation of Captain Tarse's report."
"Captain Zarle, you did mention one thing that concerns me greatly, and that is the fate of Maela. Alard filled me in on her mission and her new role as my Blade. Captain Calias, you gave me an update earlier, would you mind sharing it with all of us?"
An old man with white hair and a tanned and wrinkled face spoke up. "Sadly, the word from Harvest House is that there was an attempt on Polo's life, and the assassin was a Guildmaster Blade. The assassin was taken to their guild prison." As voices raised, Calias held up his hand. "Yes, this is a lie. I believe that Maela was captured in her attempt to warn Polo. The Guildmaster is using her capture as a way to illustrate his strength--not even a guild Blade can reach him."
Ralan had heard the report earlier, but his heart still fell. He missed Maela's sharp tongue and her talent in the field, something he had experienced first hand. And, he had to admit, he was also attracted to her. She was a challenge, and that made her exciting to him.
"Where is the guild prison," Ralan asked, although, again, he already knew the answer.
"It is in the mines. It is the most secure prison in Ness, with cells carved out of rock. There are no sewers or walls with passages leading to them." Calias shook his head. "It is the one prison in Ness where we have no real access." He looked around the room, but no other Captain contradicted him.
"Who is the Captain of the Mines?" Ralan asked. No one said anything. "We don't have a Captain in the Mines? Do we have a Deputy? Anyone?"
"Guildmaster Pietro did not consider the mines a priority," Alard said from behind Ralan.
"Okay, the mines are a priority now. Calias, the mines are under the stewardship of the Harvest Guild. Work with Alard and find a Captain who will oversee them for the guild."
"Yes, Guildmaster."
"And do what you can to find out about Maela. If she's okay. Where she's held. What the defenses are like."
"Yes, Guildmaster."
The room was quiet, and Ralan felt like he had done a good job. He had addressed the key issues, even if it had started out in a way he had not anticipated. He would talk to each of the captains individually again before they left, and things did seem to be stable. With that in mind, Ralan decided to cut the meeting short and end on a positive note.
Ralan started to pace, only his walk was casual and introspective, not tense or on edge. "Okay, we have the unfortunate situation with Maela, but we are addressing that. Larsen's plot seems to have been thwarted, and to reiterate what I said before, things seem to be going well. It appears our biggest challenge is simply to remain hidden. We need to continue Pietro's mission, and we appear to have the luxury of secrecy while achieving it." Ralan stopped and looked around. "Does anyone disagree."
Everyone was quiet, and the only motion were the shakes of a few heads.
"Very well. I know I still have a lot to do to earn your respect and trust, but I promise you I take this position seriously. I will honor all of you, and I will honor my predecessor. He was greater than any of us realize. I truly believe that." Leaning forward with his hands on the back of his chair, Ralan added, "Thank you. You are all dismissed. There is food in the reception room. Let us relax there as friends."
Voices rose and chairs scraped across the stone floor. Ralan heard the words, "Good show," and smiled. He realized he had forgotten something, however, and raised his voice. "One more thing!" The silence was immediate, and Ralan was awed by his ability to command the room of experienced Thieves. "Why is Rogers not here? Has anyone heard anything?"
"I had heard there was a fire in the Flats, and he was
helping," Kalos, the stout Captain of the Warehouse District said.
"Ah," Ralan replied. "That is good. He is prioritizing helping others over a meeting. I would not have it any other way."
"Of course, we are talking of Rogers," Mio exclaimed with a smile on his face. "When he says he is fighting fires, it probably means he is fighting a hangover!"
The room rolled with laughter, and as the group headed down to the meats, cheeses, and ale of the reception, they cracked jokes about Rogers, who let the minor inconvenience of a fire keep him from the first Council under their new Guildmaster.
6
Dragon Road
After dozens of hours of scouring history books, Raef found the key to everything in a very old book on clothing. It was small and thin, and he couldn't even remember why he had opened it. There was a color drawing on the cover, very finely preserved. Perhaps he wanted to see more of the drawings. Whatever the reason, it unlocked Ness' history.
The book was organized by rarity, and while it was full of ornate and beautiful designs, the most expensive clothes were simple. It was why they were expensive that was important.
Spun from the gossamer threads of small worms, this material can only be found in the forests around Draque, far to the east and at the end of Dragon Road. When the Magic Guild brought the mountain down and permanently blocked the Road, the material, known commonly as liquid cloth, became impossible to procure. As such, it is highly valued not just for its luxurious feel but its great rarity.
By then Raef had a good idea that the road running through the center of Ness, marked by broad flat stones, most likely ran all the way past the Outlands to a huge expanse of water and a city called Kalisto and all the way to the east and through a forest to a city called Draque. He also knew that there was a West Ness, which he lived in, and an East Ness, which was strange and unknown. As far as he knew however, there was no way through the mountain, linking the two cities.
So what was this road? It seemed impossible to carve a road through the mountain. There were the mines, of course, but even carving out soft coal was an arduous process. How could someone run a road though it? In fact, when Raef had looked at the dotted line on his map, he had first assumed that it was a treacherous path up and over the mountain, a path long destroyed by storms and landslides.
Now he had an answer. There was a road through the mountain, but the Magic Guild destroyed it. But where? Of the three big questions that bothered Raef, it was the one he could actually answer. All he had to do was follow the road into the mountain. While he was doing that, he could use the time to ponder his other two unanswered questions: What happened to the Magic Guild and what was the origin of the Thieves Guild?
There was no head of the stables yet, but the guild knights overseeing the Tower found Raef a gentle horse that wouldn't be too hard for him to control, as he wasn't very comfortable on horseback. The trail was soft and even along the Wall, making the trip fairly easy as he led the horse east along the Wall toward the river and the road he knew would be waiting for him.
While there were no detailed maps of the Old Quarter, common sense told Raef that the road through the mountains would be on this side of the river. Ness when it was a merchant center had been on this side of the river, with things only changing during the Great Migration. That meant that the road led from the former location of the Great Gate along the river and then over another bridge that crossed the Old Fork, a bridge long since destroyed, and along the river and then up into the mountain, which was where Raef was heading--to the river and then the road that would take him into the mountain.
Raef shook his head. As he revealed one answer, new questions were raised. Why was the former gate blocked? Why was the large bridge over the Old Fork torn down? Why was the important trade route through the mountain destroyed? It was as if at the same time, the city wanted to expel the Wizards, shut down the trade routes, and create the Thieves--all while erasing all evidence of it happening.
Raef had been traveling for more than two hours, with the immense Ash Fields to his left and the Wall to his right. The Ash Fields were aptly named, with nothing but dust and dry dirt as far as he could see and signs of life living only on the distant horizon.
The smaller wall that blocked the Ash Fields from the view of the new parts of Ness came into view just as Raef reached the road. To Raef's surprise, the road didn't follow the river, but rather curved away from it somewhere to the north. From his vantage point, it looked like the river was a good two miles beyond the road at this point.
In the distance Raef could make out a massive waterfall that emerged from the mountain and created the Great River. Even from this distance he could hear the crashing sound of water falling on rocks and continuing as a river. It was easy to see, as the Great wall around Ness ended at the road and didn't block the view in the distance.
The sudden sound of a clip clop broke Raef's reverie over his surroundings. He was on the "Dragon Road."
It was paved in flat stones and was wide enough to fit three wagons across. He wasn't sure who kept the road up, but it appeared well cared for. As he turned to the right to follow the road into the mountain, it was all right there in front of him--a broad arch that covered a dark entrance into a tunnel.
Following the road, Raef crossed the threshold under the arch. There were two immense sconces on each side of the arch as he entered, but they were unlit. He was a little nervous making his way into the dark, but the road was just as clear inside the entrance as it was outside.
Raef wondered how far he could make it before having to come back another day with torches. There were torches on the wall in regular intervals, but like the large decorative ones at the entrance, they were unlit. As his eyes got better used to the increasing dark, he realized that there was no need for light. About fifty yards inside the tunnel the road was completely blocked.
It looked as if the entire mountain had collapsed on the road. Boulders the size of two wagons and larger were stacked from left to right, blocking everything. The ceiling looked like it had collapsed or was somehow brought down by an incredible power.
Dismounting from his horse, Raef looked at the collapse more closely. There were smaller rocks in between the larger ones, and as far as he could see, there wasn't even room for a mouse to make its way through the barrier.
Raef nodded and walked back to his steed. There was a road that led through the mountain, but it had been blocked centuries before.
7
The Failed Mission
Larsen hadn't been in such a good mood since before his brother was named the Guildmaster Thief. Everything was finally back to going his way. The problematic Harvest Guild families were under lock and key, their houses burned to the ground, and the rest of the guild was about to be swept into the Wretched Quarter. His deal to the members of the guild would be welcomed: Join up with the Merchants and you can return to your homes.
The only loose end was one that didn't matter any more--the Outlanders. Larsen had just been informed that Karch had returned from his mission. Larsen didn't care if Karch was successful or not. He was just glad he had returned. His presence would help immensely with managing the relocation efforts.
There was a knock on his office door, and Larsen rose to uncharacteristically meet his Deputy. Why not? He was in a good mood. May as well share the good cheer.
Karch entered, looking his normal grim self. Larsen walked toward him with his hand outstretched. "Why the frown, Karch? While you were gone, I have solved our problems." Larsen swept his hand toward his couch, a place he had rarely used to meet with Karch. "Come, let us update each other."
Karch stared at Larsen for a moment, and replied, "Of course, Guildmaster."
Larsen's goodwill ended at the couch, and he didn't offer Karch a glass of the ever-present water on the table. Larsen leaned back. "So how did things go with the Outlanders?"
Karch's voice was flat and emotionless. "They shot the guards off their horses at the ent
rance to their city. I would have been captured if it weren't for Ralan."
Larsen's jaw dropped at the mention of Ralan's name, while Karch's face was emotionless. Larsen took a breath. He couldn't show surprise or weakness to his inferiors. Clenching his teeth, he replied, "Tell me."
"The accursed Outlanders shot my horse out from under me. As their guards approached on foot, Ralan galloped in on his horse, gave me a hand, and pulled me up. I then escaped."
"You escaped? What about Ralan?" Larsen couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I threw him off the horse."
Larsen laughed. "Dead at the hands of the Outlanders. Fantastic, Karch. A failure in your first mission turned into success in a second."
"Ralan is alive," Karch said, his voice again flat.
"What do you mean?" Larsen's voice was strained. He hated being made a fool, and his own deputy was now doing just that. "Do not toy with me, Karch!"
"I am not toying with you, Guildmaster." Karch lowered his head. "I merely have not concluded my story." As Karch looked up, Larsen nodded his head impatiently. "I was on the road back to Ness when Ralan passed me on a large and fresh horse. I can only imagine that it was given to him by the Outlanders." Before Larsen could cut in, Karch continued, "I can only assume that he went on his own mission there. There are rumors of Alard being sympathetic to the Outlanders, and perhaps Ralan was going there for help. Whatever reason he was visiting them, he overtook me at the time of their attack. After I threw him off the horse, it appears that the Outlanders welcomed him."
Larsen squeezed the arms of his chair so tight that not only his knuckles but his fingers also turned white. "So, Ralan has the Outlanders defending him." The thought outraged him. His own family turned traitor to Ness. Still, it was perhaps a blessing. Larsen took a breath and loosened his hands. "It matters not. Ralan is now an enemy of Ness. We know this and can use it. He is back in the city and can do no more harm via the dangerous help of the Outlanders. So for now he's not worth discussing." Yes. That seems right, Larsen thought.
