by Brian Keller
The Kinsman
Book Four: Exploitable Weaknesses
by
brian keller
Copyright Brian Keller 2020
All rights reserved.
This book a work of fiction. All characters and events within this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Content may not be copied or reproduced in any way without the expressed permission of the author/publisher, with the exception of brief quotations included in reviews.
To obtain permission, the author may be reached at Kinsman Series - Cooper’s Page on Facebook or found on Goodreads.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1.......................................6
Chapter 2......................................11
Chapter 3......................................16
Chapter 4......................................26
Chapter 5......................................34
Chapter 6 ......................................41
Chapter 7......................................48
Chapter 8......................................56
Chapter 9......................................65
Chapter 10.....................................73
Chapter 11.....................................82
Chapter 12.....................................90
Chapter 13.....................................100
Chapter 14.....................................109
Chapter 15.....................................119
Chapter 16.....................................128
Chapter 17.....................................137
Chapter 18.....................................144
Chapter 19.....................................154
Chapter 20.....................................162
Chapter 21.....................................171
Chapter 22.....................................176
Chapter 23.....................................183
Chapter 24.....................................189
Chapter 25.....................................198
Chapter 26.....................................206
Chapter 27.....................................219
Chapter 28.....................................226
Chapter 29.....................................230
Epilogue.........................................233
Chapter 1
As much as he might enjoy admiring Master Loril’s craftsmanship, he placed the casting dies back into the small wooden box and replaced it all back into his pack. He slid the newly forged blade into the pack as well, leaving the pommel near the top. It almost perfectly matched the blade he already had, with the upswept guards and double edged blade. He’d need to either buy a scabbard for the blade, or make one himself, before he could hang it from his belt but he’d get around to that. Right now, other matters took priority.
Doubtless, the City Guard as well as the Army would be watching roadways in and out of town, in an attempt to capture any Guild members fleeing the city in the aftermath. The prevailing breeze came in from the east, carrying the sea air across the city, but it wasn’t uncommon for the breeze to be slightly from the south; every time the breeze shifted, he could smell the smoke of the burning Guildhouse… his home.
He knew who to blame. He could, and would, thank Master Loril for that, assuming he still lived. Knowing the only names of those at fault wasn’t enough. The Guild’s library was concealed in a lower level, below the Guild. It might be discovered, but finding it purely by accident was highly unlikely, bordering on nearly impossible. He'd need information before he could act, but right now the Library might as well not even exist. He'd have to come back later and hope it was all still intact.
He recited the remaining names from the list that Master Loril had left for him, “Royal Spymaster Yoren Aporigh and Lord General Hennit Arkady.” Planning to kill or coerce either of them without having access to the Guild library…? Well, he wasn’t suicidal. To learn all he needed, for such high-profile targets, would take months, perhaps even more than a year. As much as he felt the need to ‘redress his grievances’, those plans would need to wait as well.
He had no doubts that some Guild members had escaped. He’d already seen and spoken with Rukle, and Rukle had told him that Dailen had made it out. Cooper had gone back into the Guild house, despite Rukle’s protests. He’d passed along a few hallways and been in a few rooms and he hadn’t seen anyone except soldiers… certainly no one he felt belonged there.
Rukle had also mentioned several cart loads of his classmates and colleagues being hauled away. It’s possible that some of them would simply be carted to the gallows, but more likely, they’d be shuttled to Serpent Tooth Prison. The prison had been built on one of the two islands that shielded the entrance of Paleros Bay. Those two islands were the primary reason the water of the bay remained relatively calm almost all year. He’d need to learn what had been done with the Guild members on those carts. Rukle had said that Aden might be one of them.
He considered trying to find where the carts had gone, by himself, but decided against it. He was trained as an Assassin, not a warrior. He might be able to fight his way through several foot soldiers, but he was not immune to arrows and crossbow bolts, and if those foot soldiers were fully armored… well, armor presented additional challenges as well. No, this was something he shouldn’t attempt alone. He needed reinforcements, and he needed guidance. He knew of only one place where he could currently go to find both, but he’d need assistance getting out of the city first. He felt certain that Mardon, the First Merchant of the Wharf City, could get him out, but he needed to get across the Whitefoam River in order to ask him. He cinched up the straps on his pack and checked the canvas wrapped around his bow. He might need to confront, or outrun, the Guard on one of the bridges. If he needed to move fast, all the bindings on his gear would need to be snug.
Once he was in sight of the bridges, he was forced to re-think his options. Each bridge was being manned by three guards and a few Army soldiers for good measure. He altered his path to move toward the Trade Quarter boardwalk. He considered trying to simply merge with the crowd, the way he had years ago, but now he was several years older and had a bow slung over one shoulder and a pack over the other. He assumed this might make him stand out from the usual pedestrian to an extent that might prevent him from blending effectively. When he reached the boardwalk, he turned south and continued walking. His eyes skimmed over the crowd as he considered whether he might simply continue south through the Dregs and on out of the city. The further south he walked, the more viable this route appeared; right up until he noticed the mounted patrols traversing the pathways through the farmer’s fields to the south. Normally these troops would be out doing “maneuvers”, but now it appeared they’d been assigned to patrol the area south of the city. It was a safe bet that there were similar contingents patrolling the paths and roadways to the west of the city. Considering that the Hunters are based out of the University, this also eliminated the notion of climbing the University walls and sneaking across their grounds as a means of leaving the city. He turned around and retraced his steps north along the Trade Quarter boardwalk.
He’d walked a few blocks and noticed someone vaguely familiar watching him. It took him a moment to recognize the man who’d given him a ride on his skiff when he’d been making his way to meet Mardon for the first time. As Cooper approached the man, they exchanged nods. The man spoke quietly once Cooper drew close, “Word is, you folks got hit purty hard… the city is pr
olly a dangerous place fer ye, innit?” Cooper gave him a curt nod as he replied, “You could say that. You could also say that the full tally isn’t in yet.” Cooper raised his head and scanned the horizon as he continued, “Some might say there’s a storm still brewin’. Might still be awhile before it hits… but it’s comin’.” The older man gave a quick snort, then replied, “It’s quite a man that c’n control the weather… you calmed a comin’ storm a few days ago, so I hear’d. Now yer predictin’ another one.” The man scratched his chin and squinted at him, “Still, even a man that c’n change the weather might be lookin’ fer help from time to time…?” Cooper gave the man a grateful smile, “I’d like to meet with Mardon again. Is that the kind of help you might provide?” The older man cast a few furtive glances around them as he gestured towards a nearby longboat, “Hop aboard, stash yer bundles outta sight, and settle in ‘midst the bags ‘n barrels. A few more things ta load and then you c’n just help me paddle back over.”
Once loaded, the Wharfsider rigged the lateen sail to catch any available breeze and Cooper followed his directions as they paddled across the bay. Cooper was grateful for the fact that the man didn’t seem talkative. He had his own thoughts to occupy his time. Still, with next to no breeze to assist their movement, it took nearly half an hour to cover the distance in the heavily laden boat. The boatman guided them up to his ship and he tied off to it as Cooper climbed up the ladder that hung down nearly to the water. Once aboard, he turned and asked, “Do you need help getting that cargo aboard? I’d consider it a fair exchange for the boat ride.” The older man chuckled, “Nah. B'sides, I’m the Fourth Fisher; I’m behold’n t’ya fer clearin’ out them Landsider fishin’ boats a coupla days ago.” Cooper shook his head, “Still, my offer to help stands. That looks like a lot for just one man to haul up.” The old sailor waved him off, “Only a third a’ this is mine anyway. As soon as the others know I’m back from the Trade Quarter, they’ll be over to haul this stuff up. Go on. B‘sides, you got enough ta worry ‘bout already.” The man had moved to the front of the boat and was already handing Cooper’s gear upward to him. Cooper accepted it and slung it over his shoulder, then gave the man a wave and made his way to Mardon’s ship.
Mardon, the Wharfsider ‘First Merchant’ was quick to reply when Cooper called out as he boarded. Mardon poked his head up through the hatch, revealing jeweled rings woven into the braided hair hanging from the sides of his head and he called out boisterously, “Well! I certainly didn’t expect to see you again so soon!” As he joined Cooper on the deck, he lowered his voice, “Does this visit have anything to do with the cloud of smoke we’ve been seeing to the southwest?” Cooper looked deflated, “It does. I don’t want to bring any trouble your way, so I’m not staying. I’d like to book passage out of the city.” Mardon nodded, “Where to?” Cooper replied, “I need to get out of the city, but I don’t want to go far. Not as far as Temidan, certainly, but in that direction.” Mardon nodded again and then gave him a wink, “There may or may not be a way up the Southern Cliffs… I could send a fishing boat out that way…?” Cooper considered that for a moment, “That should get me out past the patrols, shouldn’t it?” The First shrugged, “I don’t know where the patrols are, but once you’re outside the city you could simply be a farm kid out hunting rabbits. You just need to change out of those Guild leathers, or they’d never believe it.”
Cooper dropped his bag and untied the knot on his sash. As he untwisted the fabric, he caught a gem as it dropped out from the folds. He held the sapphire up so it caught the light, “I’ll pay you with this.” Mardon squinted hard at the gem, “With that you could buy the fishing boat, and a few more boats for good measure.” Cooper smiled, “Let’s just say that you hold the balance ‘on account’ for me. I’ll be coming back, probably by Spring, certainly before Summer ends. When I get back, there’ll be things I’ll need… information… assistance. Also, there’ll be a young man, reddish-haired, who’ll come to see you within the next day or so. He grew up in the Waterfront, and he’ll be staying in the Wharf City for awhile. He’s ‘family’ to me. If he needs anything; food, clothing, a place to stay…” He let the sentence trail off, feeling certain that the First understood. The First reached to place a hand on Cooper’s shoulder, then thought better of it and said simply, “I’ll take care of it. It’ll take an hour or so to put a crew on the boat that’ll take you out. It might be best for you to wait below deck until everything is ready.”
*****
It had taken a few hours to summon the mages from the University. As the group walked through the Palace District on it’s way to the bridge leading into the Grid, Iona couldn’t help but notice the column of smoke to the south as it drifted lazily skyward. She turned to Wen, a powerful Nature mage and part of Iona’s escort, and asked, “That almost looks like the University has caught fire…?” Wen, short for Wendalia, followed her gaze and shook her head, “That’s the Lord General leading a raid on the Guild’s alleged headquarters.” Wen shrugged, then added, “If you ask me, I doubt that organization has only one head to be struck away.” Iona turned to Felis and asked, “Do you know anything about it?” Felis’ eyes were undoubtedly yellow this morning, and his mouth was drawn in a thin, tight line. He replied, “I’m sure I don’t know, Miss.”
Felis did, in fact, know. Iona assumed he was a University scholar, specializing in Talent Developmental Theory. This belief was shared by University professors and students. The reality of the matter was that Felis was one of the Guild’s premier Adept Assassins, and he had a token of his own design in his pocket that proved that fact. The fact that he had the confidence of so many people was a credit to his Talent and his abilities. He brought the conversation back to the matter at hand, asking Iona, “Do you have any idea of what you expect to find? We are going back into the Ruins, correct?” She nodded in response as she glanced northeast towards the Ruins, her view of it obscured by the Palisade Wall, “The Ruins. Yes. As to what I expect…?” She paused as she considered. What did she expect? Iona’s Talent allowed her to sense magic; all magic in her immediate vicinity in fact, whether she wanted or not. She knew that the blast of power she felt earlier was like nothing she’d ever experienced before, even though it was an entire neighborhood away. She also recalled what the aging scholar from the University had told them; that there was a dangerous presence in the Ruins which had caused hundreds, perhaps even more than a thousand deaths, and had prompted the building of the Palisade wall that separated the Palace District from the Ruins and Batter’s Field. For all she knew, they’d find a crater in the middle of the Ruins to mark where the event had taken place. She found the words to answer Felis’ question, “I’m not sure what will be there, but the entire area will have been soaked with residue. But we have to assume that the Ruins are still dangerous. I don’t want to stay any longer than necessary, but I have to know… I have to see what might be there.” Felis gave her a nod in reply. His thoughts were already elsewhere, with the column of smoke to the south.
Once they’d turned into Batter’s Field and approached the Ruins, the sensation was unmistakable to her. She voiced what she was feeling, “Unbelievable. It’s like walking through fog, or smoke. It hangs so thickly in the air. It was nearly four hours ago, or longer, and the breeze hasn’t even blown it away.” She worked her mouth, as if to get the taste of it off her tongue. This brought Felis back into the moment. He shifted to walk slightly in front of her, and focused his gaze towards the Ruins. Iona guided them unerringly. They hadn’t quite reached the center of the Ruins before she stopped, her eyebrows raised, “It’s here. Can’t you all feel it?” She looked around her for affirmation, and got none, “No? I can hardly believe that. The ground is fairly vibrating with residual pow-…” her voice trailed off, her incredulous tone fading away. She knelt down, placing her palm on the ground. She murmured, breathless, almost to herself, “Incredible. And it wasn’t just him. There was another… Older… much older.” She raised her head and s
canned the surrounding area. Felis had been walking around the perimeter of the cleared area. He’d paused in one spot and had leaned forward. He appeared to be studying something. She called out to him, “Felis? Find something?” Felis pointed at something behind a large chunk of rubble, “A body. He appears to be long dead, but not yet decomposing.” She stood and walked to him, and looked at where he was pointing. She felt a second of revulsion. Dead bodies always looked so grotesque but in following the Gifted boy she’d seen several over a period of months. Still, she wasn’t used to it. They walked to where the body lay. Felis turned the dead man so he faced away. She knelt and placed a hand on the lower leg of the corpse. The sensation was immediate, but she kept her thought to herself, “It wasn’t the young man that did this. It was the old one. The one I didn’t know about until today.” Her mind began to surge forward. The timing suggested that the one she was sensing as old could be whatever the scholar thought remained of the Mad Wizard. The aging scholar had told her that the Mad Wizard had been Gifted, and that was why the University sought to train Hunters like her. “What if whatever remained of the Mad Wizard caused the death of this man?”, she thought. If that’s the case then what she’d felt before, the huge surge of channeled power, could’ve been some kind of battle between the young man from the Guild and that entity. Still, how does that explain the presence of the corpse? And what would be the connection between this battle and the burning Guildhouse, still belching smoke? Purportedly, the Guild was involved in a great many things. Perhaps it could be that two Guild-related events could occur, seemingly simultaneous, but still have no connection. Still, it seemed unlikely that two such significant events could follow so closely, and be simply coincidental. Either way, coming here helped her sift through what might have happened, and made her feel more closely attuned to the young man from the Guild. Despite the fact that both participants in the battle were Gifted, she could sense the residual power from each of them, separately and distinctly. She recalled what she’d felt while standing on the balcony in the Palace, looking eastward towards this spot. At the conclusion of the battle, one of those combatants had faded, and the other had almost seemed to grow.
