The first month and a half into the cold season was brutal enough, but the next month could kill me in an unlucky day, so I resigned myself to stopping at an area where shelter was easier to come by. My map told me of a large city just east of some extensive marshlands called Mil’sith.
When I told Aranath of my intention to head for the city, he said, “‘First Star’ is the meaning of the name, but don’t be fooled by the boastful designation. It’s a place that reeks in summer and filled with gloom in winter.”
“Then why the fancy name?”
“It’s an ancient city, likely the first of its kind in this continent. Ancient humans must have thought that a noteworthy accomplishment.”
“Anything else I should know?”
“Nothing that would be of use in this era, though being as it’s a large trading hub, expect to find all types trying to sell you something.”
When the city became visible a few days later, I saw that its congested center was situated on an extensive hill and defended by a sturdy, if old, stone wall. The outskirts, however, were largely left exposed on the lower ground around it. Dotting the region east of the city was farmland, though only a handful currently grew anything but the hardiest of midwinter crops. The tallest structures in the area were six slender towers at the very center of the hill. Three were constructed of black stone with narrow bands of white appearing every twenty feet. The second trio were white with bands of black stone.
“What are those towers about?”
“They surround the temples of day and night. Three gods for each side.”
“What do the gods do, exactly?”
He grunted. “The smallest child knows that keeping balance is their maxim. If the day ever overtook night, the sun would scorch the world. Too much night and it’s a frozen wasteland. This, of course, spills over with other aspects of life. Allow anyone to do as they please, for instance, and chaos spreads. Too much law and there is no free will. True peace comes from perfect balance.”
“They don’t seem to be doing a good job at attaining it.”
“That’s due to the impossibility at achieving such a thing, even for the gods. Too many independent influences exist for even a short lasting peace on a universal scale, but that does not make the goal any less noble.”
“Is that what your war was about? To make the world more balanced?”
There wasn’t an answer for several moments. The silence lasted long enough for me to think he was never going to answer it, but he finally did say, “War is always at the extreme end of chaos, the dominion of the gods of strife, not balance. Not to say war doesn’t have its uses. I’m of the belief that it prevents stagnation and can bring about momentous change through sacrifice, but it is a tool few master. No, the reason for my war was as simple as any other—the attainment of power.”
I entered the city limits in the afternoon and entered a large tavern called the Laughing Goose to buy a bowl of hot vegetable soup. As I waited for my order to be heated, I saw the wall to my right had numerous paper notices stuck to it. After I ate my food by the counter, I went over to see what the notices said. Many were old news bulletins from the city and from parts beyond. I only gave a cursory glance at these. What caught my interest the most was anything involving monetary rewards. Several were bounties for criminals—some of which had a sketch of the fugitive—and others advertised a job opportunity, usually some type of manual labor. Then I saw a piece of paper with a list of names, dates, and addresses.
Below the list of eighteen names was a statement that read: ‘By decree of the Mil’sith City Guard, fifty silver standards will be given to anyone who can give information leading to the discovery of the above missing persons or their abductor(s). Please report any suspicious activity immediately.’
Intrigued by the hefty reward and circumstances, I went up to the counter and asked the woman behind it about the missing people.
She shook her pretty head and said, “Talk to my husband if you like grim news. He never shuts up about it.” Doing my work for me, she turned to face the man with her and said, “Robert, someone wants to know more about the missing people.”
A man who must have had a great personality to land his wife, said, “That so?”
“Aye, but don’t smile as you talk about it this time.”
They switched places. The barkeep studied my unwavering eyes a brief moment before saying, “You must have just come into town, right?” I nodded. “Bad bit of business, that. Started last winter. It was just a couple of people at first, but it picked up quickly when spring came. It was ten by the time summer came along. Almost all of them were last seen in the Honey District, which is in the southeastern section of town. I personally believe the beekeepers in the Mammoth District make better honey, but I suppose they don’t make as much.”
“Anything that connects the missing people besides location?”
“Did you look at the names? All but three are women. Mostly young ones from what I hear, and all taken overnight. Most people think it’s some lonely bloke doin’ all the taking, but I’ll stake my tavern that this involves more than one person. Maybe it’s a troupe of lonely fellows, but a troupe nonetheless.”
“There aren’t any clues?”
“Sometimes somebody hears a scream or sees a bloodstain, but nothing that’s led anywhere. That’s what spooks everyone. It’s like they vanish into the night herself. The guards have looked everywhere, including the sewers, but no luck.”
“Do you have a copy of the notice you can give me?”
“Nah, I go over to the newsstands every week to get what I have. I always expect a new name to show up.”
I thanked him for the information, bought a biscuit, and headed out.
As the barkeep said, there was another list kept by a stand nearby, which I bought and studied a bit. The addresses were of the last sightings of the victims, so I decided to start my quest on those spots.
“What makes you think you can unravel this mystery?” asked Aranath, obviously annoyed I was going about this task.
“When I was sure no one could overhear me, I answered, “I’ll just spend a couple of days on it. If nothing becomes clear, I’ll move on. So, any ideas?”
“Good predators seek higher ground when they hunt. That might also explain why a few males were taken. Most humans look the same from on high.”
A wide street paved with stone circled all the outer districts, making it easy not to get lost as I made my way southwest. The Honey District’s main street, like the north and western divisions, was mostly lined with businesses, which were currently busy with patrons. The streets that branched off from the main one led to homes and were largely left unpaved, though a few of the higher class divisions did have brick paths leading up to them. The first address I reached was a spot just off the main street, not far from a line of food stalls. Taking the dragon’s advice, I scrutinized any higher ground one could use to stake out a crowd of people. I tried to memorize every notable detail of the area and moved on to the other addresses.
Late afternoon made itself known by the time I finished visiting fifteen addresses. Many of them were of homes, where I imagined the family or friends of the targets lived, the last ones to see them before they were snatched up later. But why this district? There must have been something it held that aided the abductors somehow. Whether swayed by the disappearances or not, the crowds began to disperse as evening’s shroud closed in, and with the clouds not taking their leave, it came quicker than normal. Meanwhile, I continued my scrutiny of the other locations still on the list.
As I headed for the last two addresses, two warrior-types spotted me. Half of the pair was a woman with black hair tied in a bun and donning a white mantle, which a few gusts of wind allowed me to see was covering a dark piece of leather armor. The other was a stocky young man with a white mantle over his bulkier metal plates. I could go weeks feeling like I hadn’t gone noticed by the people I passed on the roads, but this woman took a
particular interest in me. That interest was acted upon when she coxed her partner toward me.
“You there,” she said, “Hold a moment by the name of the Warriors Guild.” I reluctantly did as she requested. “I recognize your footwear as Borealean, and I suspect at least your trousers are as well. Where did you get the clothing?”
“They were gifts.”
“Gifts? Those nomads aren’t particularly friendly with outsiders. What did you do to earn their gratitude?”
“I helped settle a family dispute.”
She eyed me warily, with her companion keenly eyeing both me and his partner. “Why are you here?” she asked next.
“Collecting coin for a voyage west.”
“Quite the traveler, I see. What’s your line of work?”
“Anything that pays.”
She eased her stern look, seemingly satisfied with my answers. “When did you get into town?”
“This afternoon.”
“Have you heard of the disappearances?”
“Yes. Is that why you’re interrogating me?”
“Aye. New faces are always suspect to me, so I hope you don’t take offense, traveler.”
“None at all. Any suspects?”
“None right now,” said her partner.
She cleared her throat and flashed him a cross look. “We don’t comment on active cases.”
“Anything you can tell me about the victims?”
“What’s your interest in that?”
“Fifty silver standards.”
“Ah, an intrepid fellow. This is beyond you. It’s been a year and the entire resources of the city guard haven’t been able to find a single victim.”
“Then it could only be a benefit to give them resources beyond their scope.”
“That’s why my guild sent me here.”
“Us,” corrected the other.
“Sure,” shrugged the woman.
I shrugged as well and said, “Fine, then I guess I’ll have to find every family and friend of the victims I can and have them recount the information all over again.”
I actually wasn’t going to do all that work, but she evidently believed I was serious and said, “Wait, there’s no need to disturb those poor people again. I can’t imagine how many pretend inquisitors have bothered them already since the reward was advertised. What do you care to know?”
I showed her the notice. “There’s a tavern a few yards back. Why don’t we have a drink and you can go through everything you know?”
“A break sounds nice,” said her partner.
She rolled her eyes. “Very well, but let’s make this quick.”
A few minutes later and the three of us were drinking ale at a table while the warrior woman told me what she memorized about the victims. She evidently took her job very seriously. She had quite a few details memorized, talking through them without saying one “um” the entire way. I let her speak without butting in with my own questions, even when my ears perked up when she mentioned that the third missing person, Trevon Apor, was a young man who had last been seen by his coworkers fixing a roof by the main street.
I otherwise learned that eleven of the missing were young women described by most as being able to marry above their station if they so desired. One had in fact already married a well-off honey farmer’s son, and yet another was engaged to a banker’s son. Four were older women, three of which were wed, and the three men were barely past boyhood.
When she finished with her accounts, I asked, “Has anyone tried acting as bait?”
“A young member of the city guard attempted the ruse for a week. No results were attained.”
I sat back and watched her trace the rim of her empty cup with a finger. “If I remember correctly, Trevon wasn’t all that far from the first two victims, while the others seem more scattered and random.”
“I noticed this initial anomaly as well. So you believe Trevon grabbed a couple of girls and just couldn’t stop?”
“No. Whoever is taking these people knows what they’re doing. I doubt some young roofer became an expert kidnapper overnight, but I do think he’s somehow involved. There has to be at least a couple of people participating in this crime. You said Trevon was a loner, known only by a few of his colleagues?”
“Correct. He was only reported missing after he never showed up for work. I couldn’t find anyone else who knew him.”
“Then there are the other two men… Tell me, if I went out right now and asked a woman to follow me, what would happen?”
“She’d probably scream and run away.”
“And if you went out and asked a man to follow you?”
One of her thin eyebrows jerked upward. “I see. You suspect the women were forcibly taken while the men were lured away.”
“Not only lured, but possibly recruited to doing some dirty work. I can imagine a few fellows being enticed to the idea of being able to have their pick of some kidnapped women.”
“An interesting theory, but it doesn’t get us any closer to where these people are or why so many are being taken in the first place.”
“Not exactly, but I think it’s pretty clear we’re dealing with an intricate system that’s probably been established for… Wait, the roof Trevon was working on, you said that belonged to a large two story home, right? Who owns that place?”
“The big stone house? Why does that come to mind?”
“If one is looking for easy opportunities to recruit young men, then hiring some destitute juveniles to repair a roof is a good way to meet and study them for a bit.”
She contemplated a moment before saying, “The Sanderson couple occupies the home.”
“Have you ever seen or spoken with them?”
“Not personally. I can’t even say what they do for a living. The little information I received of them came from an interview with a city guard.”
“Thank you for your time.” I stood up and began to walk away.
Standing up as well, she said, “Hold on. What are you planning on doing?”
“I’m going to watch that house for a while.”
“Is that all you’re going to do?”
“Unless something happens.”
“Just watch it if you can. I’ll try and find out more about the family. If something does appear suspicious, then we can inform the city guard.”
“I wouldn’t inform them of anything. Based on the fact that the city guard haven’t ended this crime yet, I can guess that the enemy is either keeping a close eye on their movements or have infiltrated their ranks. Find out what you can on your own, but don’t rely on them.”
“Hey,” said the still sitting partner, “She’s not on her own, you know.”
Ignoring him, she said, “Would you like to know what I find out?”
“If you’re willing to allow me all the reward.”
“You think I’m in this for the coin?”
“Then we’ll meet back here at this time tomorrow.”
“Fine. What’s your name?”
“Mercer.”
“Francine”
“Not that anyone cares, but I’m Jacob.”
While walking toward the house in question, I saw an aging caster light the tall lampposts lining the main street. The glow was only enough to dissolve a circle of darkness twenty feet wide, making anything beyond the main street just as dark as it would be without the presence of the kindled towers.
The windows of most homes told of blazing fires keeping their inhabitants warm for the bitter night, but on reaching my goal, I found no hint of light appeared anywhere inside the house. The southward facing structure was situated a couple of rows behind the main street, on the side closest to the city center. A tall metal fence and gate prevented easy access. I took the branching street it was on and strolled past it for a closer look. It had windows, but all were shut by wooden panels. No sound it emitted. Not taking a chance that someone was watching, I didn’t try for another pass, but instead searched for a good
place to watch it.
I eventually found a two story shop-house combination that had a large chimney stack that I thought could give me some good cover while still offering an unobstructed view of the stone house. I climbed the brick structure, sat on my perch, and began my vigil.
Chapter Seventeen
Excluding the occasional passing cart, neighing horse, barking dog, or my own breathing, nocturnal kept her secrets close to the chest. With nothing stirring in the house by the time night’s sibling pierced the scattering clouds, I climbed back down to ground level. I stayed watch by the corner of another house, but I had to move when too many people started spilling out their homes. I considered this progress, however. A comfy looking home empty in the dead of winter set alight a suspicion that something was off about that place.
I later visited the last two addresses Francine had interrupted my study of. Nothing there drenched or reinforced the suspicions I had. When the time came, I went over to the meeting place. The guild members were already there and I took a seat by their table.
“The home is up for sale,” said Francine the second I settled in. “Has been for months.”
“That matches what I found. No activity to speak of.”
“But that doesn’t mean a dead end,” said Jacob. “The house hasn’t been sold yet because the owners are asking for a huge amount.”
“I doubt they want it sold,” continued Francine. “Putting it up for sale could give them a reason to move, but still continue using the home when they want.”
“Have you found where they are now?” I asked.
“No. The couple seemed respected enough in the neighborhood, but they didn’t seem to be particularly close friends with anyone. All I found was that Bruno Sanderson and his wife owned an inn not far from here, but sold it around the same time they put the house up for sale. I say we keep watching that house for a while and see if anyone uses it.”
The Lone Dragon Knight Page 10
