by Jamie Davis
They didn't see the two men in sailor's garb slip up behind them and follow them down the street. Hal and Kay let their guard down now when out walking in the Harbor District. That made them vulnerable.
Only the shouted warning from a shopkeeper who spotted the knives in the assassins' hands prevented tragedy from happening.
Hal and Kay both reacted as hardened adventurers would, though. Hal dodged right and Kay to the left, foiling the initial attack by the two supposed sailors.
Losing the advantage of surprise didn't faze the assassins, though. They each drew a short sword from under their baggy clothing and jumped to attack their targets.
Hal had faced enough opponents now in his time in Tandon that he knew he was going to be hard-pressed in this fight. Right away, his opponent's attacks darted in with a speed and skill that matched his own, and he had difficulty fending them off. He couldn't spare even a glance to check on how Kay was doing against her attacker.
The next few desperate seconds became a blur of thrust and parry, slash, and block, advance and retreat with no advantage gained by either side. Hal knew it would come down to who slipped up first.
He shot a desperate wish and prayer for the wheels in his head's hidden slot machine to start spinning again. Then, at least he'd know his luck was in play.
In the end, it was Kay who finished off her opponent first and came to his rescue for a change. As soon as she joined the fight, Hal was able to press the two to one advantage on the assassin.
The man tried to disengage from the pair of targets he now faced, and that was the hole Hal needed.
Dodging past a final frantic parry, Hal dove under a swing of the assassin’s sword and rolled inside the man’s defenses. He came up with two daggers pressed to the man's throat as Hal knocked him to the ground and fell atop him.
"Tell me who sent you," Hal ordered pressing the tip of his daggers up under the man's chin.
"You've been marked for death, Hal Dix. I won't be the last to seek you out." The man bit down on something in his mouth, and he began to shake and spasm as white foam rolled out of his mouth.
2,500 EXPERIENCE POINTS AWARDED.
HAL JUMPED UP, disgusted. "He killed himself rather than talk to me. Why would he do that?"
"These must be members of the Black Brotherhood," Kay surmised. "They're a guild of assassins with secret branches across Fantasma in every city."
"If the remaining Wardens knew who I was, why not send the guard to kill me or arrest me?"
"I don't know. Perhaps it's not the Wardens at all. Maybe someone else has discovered who you are and put a price on your head." Kay shrugged as she kicked the now still body in the street with the toe of her boot. "The good news is the brotherhood is supposed to be a small organization, and Tandon is not a large city. It is not likely they have more than a few assassins operating in the city at any time."
"That doesn't help me out at all," Hal said. "If these were the only two in the town, how am I supposed to track down who hired them?"
Kay gave a wry chuckle. "I guess you'll have to wait until the next assassin attacks you."
"Gee, thanks."
"Think nothing of it," Kay said. "Shall we continue on our way to the palace. Someone else will clean up this mess by morning."
Hal shrugged and started walking with Kay toward the docks. Inside, though, as he thought about it, the attack unnerved him. While he'd been in lots of fights since he came to Fantasma, everything else had been part of his heroic game persona. This one was personal in some way, and it bothered him all the way to the docks.
28
AFTER THE ATTACK in the street, the short trip to see the Duke was uneventful. Once again, they entered the Palace via the secret entrance and soon found themselves in the Duke's dressing chamber. He was up waiting for them this time, sitting at a table with a decanter of wine and three glasses.
"I hoped you'd come quickly," the Duke said. "Do come and sit. Have some wine."
"Your Grace, I hope you'll forgive me for asking so bluntly," Hal said as he and Kay sat down and took the offered glasses of wine. "What is so urgent that you had to see us tonight? We are very busy planning our next move."
"Two things, Hal," the Duke replied. "First, I discovered who the fifth Warden is hidden in my Privy Council. Second, I have discovered how you may defeat them and, at the same time, deal a blow to the Emperor himself."
"That is good news. Who is it?" Kay asked.
"It's Captain Korran, my guard's commander. Once I realized what I was looking for, it became evident it was him. The Emperor captured the city more quickly than expected slipping in before we knew his army was at our gates. Only an insider with intimate knowledge of our defenses could have done that."
"Pardon me,” Hal argued. “That could still be any of a number of people both in the city and here in the palace.”
"Long ago, when the Emperor first began his conquest, Korran voiced an idea that we consider allying ourselves with the Emperor rather than resist him. I'd forgotten all about it until you warned me to be on the lookout. I had a loyal servant search his quarters when the captain was out attending to his duties. He found a hidden box in the room, filled with correspondence to Captain Korran from the Emperor's factors and the other Wardens. I'm sure it is him."
Hal took a sip of wine and leaned back in his chair. "What about the second thing, the plan to bring Korran down and harm the Emperor?"
"This is the best part," the Duke said. "In the correspondence was a list of upcoming shipments of tribute from the Wardens to the Emperor. It appears things are stretched a bit thin for his Imperial Greatness right now, and he needs money to continue funding his expanding empire. Korran is to deliver a shipment of gemstones to a ship in the harbor in two days' time. If you could intercept that shipment and hold it for me, I'd have the money meant for the Emperor, and you'll have defeated another Warden."
"Isn't the captain a duelist of some notoriety?" Kay asked.
"He is skilled with the sword and has killed and injured many people in honorable duels over the years, but I'm sure you'll find a way to defeat him."
"Oh, just like that, we defeat the guard captain who's killed hundreds in duels," Hal said. "You make it sound so easy, Your Grace. Perhaps you should challenge him yourself and get it over with?"
"That would never do. I'm no soldier. I'm a politician."
Hal started to say something disrespectful, but Kay interrupted his train of thought.
"Hal, this could be a good thing. It will help with our mission to breach the Temple of the Sun's defenses. With Korran out of the way, the Duke could redirect the patrols on the wall to clear the way for our infiltration."
"Kay is correct, Hal. Once Korran is dealt with, I would once again control the whole palace, including the guard."
Hal nodded, lost in thought. He made his decision and held out his hand to the Duke.
"Give us the correspondence you found or at least the information from it. We'll see what we can do to stop this shipment for you."
"Excellent, Hal. I've already copied the relevant information for you on this paper. Remember, the ship will leave in two days so you must hurry your plans so you may catch Korran in the act of treason."
Hal took the folded paper from the Duke and tucked it into a pocket in his cloak. He was uneasy about this for some reason, and he didn't know why. Something didn’t feel quite right.
QUEST ACCEPTED - Intercept the diamond shipment.
"IF THAT IS ALL, YOUR GRACE," Hal said. He and Kay stood up and bowed to the Duke. "We'll be on our way. There is much we must do if we're to fulfill this mission for you."
They crossed to the panel in the wall and slipped through the secret door once again. Kay was silent all the way down the long staircase to the hidden dock below. It wasn't until they were in the boat and rowing back towards the harbor that she voiced the reason for her silence.
"Hal, something isn't right about this. I can't say exactly what it is
, but I don't think this is good idea."
"I’m glad to hear that, Kay. I don't think the Duke is being entirely honest with us for some reason. Like you said, there's nothing I can put my finger on, only that I'm uneasy about this mission. We should keep our ears to the street and try and find out more about Captain Korran before we intercept these stones.
QUEST ACCEPTED - Search Captain Korran's background.
THAT QUEST MESSAGE confirmed Hal's suspicion. There was more to this than what the Duke told them. He and Kay would have to proceed with extreme care.
Hal and Kay spent the next two days talking with everyone they knew about the Emperor's conquest to take the city and the conduct of Guard Captain Korran. By all accounts, his actions had been honorable and heroic.
Julia and Helena, the two women they rescued from the Merchant Warden, both shared a story about Korran's defense of the city's main gates. They both swore he delayed the Emperor's army for days with his clever plans for the defense of the city.
Walking away from their meeting with the two women, Hal shook his head. Something was wrong.
"The more we learn about Korran, the less likely it is that he's the fifth Warden," Hal said. "What are we missing?"
"Perhaps the Duke is wrong," Kay suggested. "Maybe the real fifth Warden hid the damning materials in Korran's quarters to frame him and get him out of the way."
"That means the Palace Warden knows the Duke is looking for him or her and used Korran as a decoy," Hal said.
"What about the Duke's comments about Korran's suggestions to join the Emperor years ago?" Kay asked.
"Maybe he was acting as the devil's advocate, giving the Duke all options to consider like a good advisor would."
"So, what do we do about the diamonds and the shipment tonight."
"We go ahead with our plan to intercept it with a slight twist to the ending," Hal said.
"You're not going to tell me, are you?" Kay said.
"Nope, but only because I'm making it up as I go."
"As usual," Kay observed.
"There's a certain cleverness to spontaneity, Kay. I thought women liked their men to be spontaneous?"
"Some might. I don't. Plus, you're not my man, and this isn't a new bedroom trick. This is deadly serious. If we kill Korran and the Duke is wrong, we'll have done some of the Warden's work for him."
"You'll just have to trust me, Kay. Have I let you down before?"
Kay rolled her eyes and picked up her pace, forcing the chuckling Hal to race to keep up with her. They had only a few hours to get the initial parts of their plan in place so they could intercept the diamond shipment.
29
KAY MANNED the tiller of their boat while Hal rowed through the light swells of the harbor. The small boat slipped through the darkness in silence with only a slight squeak of the oars against the oarlocks to betray them. The normal sounds of the sea and the city nearby covered that easily.
The ship, called the Sea Mare, was anchored in the harbor and not tied up at the dock as they'd expected. This was the reason they now rowed across the harbor to reach it. The people they talked to in the harbor told them Captain Korran was already on board with the diamonds.
Hal had his back to the bow of the boat, so Kay spotted the ship first, bobbing at anchor nearby. Glancing over his shoulder, Hal saw only the light of the ship's two watch lanterns showing on deck. The after-cabin’s windows were lit, and presumably, that was where Korran met with his contact, the ship's captain.
According to sources in the town, most of the crew were ashore on leave with only a pair of watch keepers and the captain on board. That would make Kay and Hal's job a little easier.
Hal kept pulling on the oars while Kay steered them up beside the Sea Mare. She grabbed a line dangling by the ship's rope ladder and tied off their boat next to another while Hal shipped the oars. The other boat was presumably Korran's.
Hal went up the rope ladder first, keeping himself below the level of the deck as he approached the top. As soon as he touched the ladder, the slot machine started rumbling in his head. He was glad. This particular job was going to need a bit of luck to pull off.
Peering over the top, he saw two men talking on the far side of the deck near the one of the watch lanterns. The other lantern was up in the forecastle by the ship's helm.
Looking around, Hal spotted a stack of crates on the deck nearby. He and Kay should be able to make to the crates by slipping through the shadows. Once there, it was a short dash to the doorway leading below decks and to the captain's cabin.
Ducking down, Hal whispered his plan to Kay.
"I don't want to kill any of the sailors on watch if I don't have to. It will create bad blood with Korran and the Captain if we're right about him."
"What if we're the ones who are wrong?" Kay asked.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Come on," Hal said. He headed back up the ladder.
Checking to make sure the two sailors were still talking across the deck from his position, Hal heaved himself up onto the deck and darted to the shadows by the crates. He waited but heard no sound of alarm.
Looking back to the side of ship, he motioned for Kay to join him. She slipped over the edge onto the deck and padded over to where he was crouched.
The two rogues ducked and moved around the stacked crates until they were opposite the entrance to the ship's cabins. Hal looked once more for the two sailors and, seeing they were still engrossed in their conversation, ran to the steep steps leading down into the cabins.
Kay was right behind him.
The rolling slot machine still rumbled in his head, and Hal wondered what else he had to do for his luck to keep rolling like that. It made him nervous.
Hal and Kay found themselves in a narrow passageway with doors on either side of them, three to a side. At the far end was another door. Hal could hear loud voices coming from the far door.
Captain Korran and the ship's captain were having a bit of an argument.
Hal could make out the voices as he moved closer to the far door.
"You can't keep working for him, Korran. He's what's wrong with this city."
"You don't understand, Elias. There is something afoot in the city. The people are starting to rise up. There's someone targeting the Wardens and picking them off, one by one. I must remain and help if I am able."
"Korran, the longer you stay, the more likely he'll find a reason to kill you."
"He wouldn't dare order my death. The guard is loyal to me. They know who stood by them at the gates holding the Emperor's men back to give others a chance to flee the city from the harbor."
"I don't know why he let you live at all," Elias said.
"Once the city fell, I swore to remain and help rebuild the new order under the Wardens," Korran said. "I saw it as a way to serve the city I loved in some way. I see now it was the wrong thing to do. The things the Wardens have done in the Emperor's name are far worse than I ever expected."
"Are you sure it wasn't to find that woman and the children you secretly fathered with her?" Elias asked.
"All the more reason to remain, Elias. I've heard she has been freed from captivity and is in hiding somewhere in the city. I must find her before I can go anywhere."
QUEST COMPLETED - Search Captain Korran's background.
5,000 experience points awarded.
HAL LOOKED AT KAY, trying to decide what to do. She shrugged in the darkness.
Based on the quest notification it was clear their suspicions were correct. Korran wasn't the fifth Warden. He was working against the Wardens.
Deciding they couldn't remain hidden here much longer without being discovered, Hal stood up and knocked on the cabin door. The slots stopped rolling in his head, and the familiar chime sounded.
"I told those two idiots not to interrupt us, dammit," Elias said.
Booted feet tromped across the deck towards the door, flinging it open.
Hal found himself face to face with a
uniformed man wearing a cutlass at his waist. He bowed with a flourish.
"Captain Elias, I presume?" Hal said.
"Who the hell are you? I gave orders to let no one else aboard."
"We are the two people who were sent to kill Captain Korran over there and steal the diamonds back for the Duke."
"What?" the ship's captain jumped backward and drew his cutlass.
"Relax," Hal said. He kept his hands in plain view and away from his weapons. "We're not your enemies. We were duped to come here by the Duke. Something didn’t taste right, and we figured out something was wrong as we looked into things."
"Who are you, then?" Korran said from across the room. He had not moved and had one hand resting on a small chest sitting on the table in the captain's cabin.
"I'm Hal Dix, and this person behind me is my companion, Kay. You might be more familiar with my other name. Some in the city call me The Hood."
"You're the one who's been hunting the Wardens and killing them one by one?"
"That's me," Hal said.
"So, if you're not here to kill me, why did you come at all?" Korran asked.
Hal noticed Captain Elias still hadn't lowered his cutlass. This was still a standoff and had to be handled with care.
"We came because we still weren't sure. The Duke himself sent us to kill you, telling us you were the secret fifth Warden ruling the city."
Korran let out a loud burst of laughter when Hal said that last bit.
"I'm the fifth Warden? Hal, you're right. You were duped. The Duke, the Duke is the fifth Warden. He's been in the Emperor's pocket all along. It's only by holding the woman I love hostage that I was forced to remain in the city, holding the guard together and serving him."
Kay spoke from behind Hal.
"The Duchess," she said. "The girls. They’re both yours?"
Korran lowered his head. "Yes, the Duchess." He looked up at Hal, his eyes now glittering with unshed tears. "Tell me you have her. Tell me she is safe and the Duke cannot get to her."
