At night, Toby would sing songs or play a small silver flute he kept tucked away in his pocket. Markus tried on several occasions to draw information about the Urazi from him, but his companion consistently evaded the questions, saying only that he would know all he needed in good time. He had suspected for some time that it had been Martok and not Ethan who had sent him on this mission. Not that it mattered. The reasoning was sound. It would be a great advantage to have the Urazi as an ally and was well worth the risk.
The southern coast was dotted with dozens of tiny fishing villages, as well as a few larger ports where traders and smugglers from Ralmaria bought and sold all manner of goods. But as they neared the sea they turned east, where as far as Markus was aware, there was little in the way of human settlements. It was populated by elves mostly - one of the last big strongholds under their control. Knowing how jealously they guarded their territory, most humans feared to venture close. Even Markus was uneasy. Elves might well now be their allies, but the two of them could easily be mistaken for trespassers. Such was the speed and stealth of an elf attack, there might not be time to explain who they were, should they be set upon. But as was the case during their entire journey, his companion appeared entirely unconcerned.
On the day of their arrival, Toby halted just as a series of low hills came into view. After sliding from the saddle, he let out a high-pitched whistle. “They’ll be along to collect you shortly,” he told Markus. He fished out two apples from his saddlebag and tossed one over before remounting his horse. “It was an honor to meet you, Specter. I hope you find what you are seeking.”
“You’re not staying?”
“The world is in turmoil,” he replied. “I am the eyes and ears where they are most needed. But before I go, I will impart a word of advice. Do not lie. Whatever you are asked, be truthful in your reply.”
“And if I am asked a question I do not wish to answer?”
“Then say so. Just don’t lie. They will know.” With a brisk wave of farewell, Toby spurred his steed to a trot.
Markus bit into the apple and watched until the comical figure had faded into the distance, idly wondering how many people he had killed. Hundreds most likely.
“Greetings, Specter.”
Startled, Markus’ hand flew to his dagger. A short distance behind him stood three men, all of them simply dressed and wearing swords on their belts. None were particularly striking in appearance – likely by design. The ability to blend into a crowd could be very important at times. More than once in the past, the scars he used to carry had made his job a whole lot tougher than it needed to be.
Markus eased his hand to his side and nodded respectfully. “And you are?”
The man in the center stepped forward. “I am Clareo. I will be your guide while you are here. My two comrades are Andis here on my left, and Timon.” Both men nodded a greeting. “We will be escorting you to our temple.”
“Am I to be blindfolded?” Markus asked.
All three men laughed.
“No. That won’t be necessary,” Clareo replied.
This did not sit well with Markus. To know the location of the Urazi headquarters was dangerous knowledge. He would not expect them to reveal it lightly. Not unless they had good reason to think that the secret would be kept. By his death, for example.
Sensing his apprehension, Clareo smiled. “Do not fear, Specter. If your message was true, we are happy you have come.”
“And if not?”
“Then that is quite another matter,” he replied, accompanying this remark with a wink that could have conveyed almost anything. “Timon and Andis will see to your horse and belongings. You are to come with me.”
After dismounting, Markus handed his reins to Timon and followed Clareo.
They walked in the direction of the hills for nearly an hour without exchanging a word. Still, Markus could see no structures of any kind, forcing him to wonder how far they might have to go. Timon and Andis had headed off in another direction some time back and were now completely lost from sight.
He was pondering on the length of their journey when they reached the foot of the first hill. But instead of the anticipated climb, Clareo stopped and clicked his tongue three times. At first it seemed a strange thing to do, but then a trapdoor in the ground, perfectly camouflaged by the grass and wild flowers, slid silently open.
Markus could see the top of a stone staircase; this was not what he'd expected, or been hoping for. If he had need of a rapid escape, being underground would make it very much harder to achieve. Nevertheless, he was committed to seeing this meeting through, so there was little choice but to follow his guide down into the bosom of the earth.
While descending, Markus found that the air was surprisingly fresh and clean. The walls and steps were of a polished brown stone that, being free of dirt and showing very little signs of wear, had obviously been well-maintained. Rajni stones were set in the ceiling to provide light, much in the same way as he'd seen in the dwarf tunnels.
After going down about one-hundred feet, the stairs took them into a small chamber about ten feet square. A narrow corridor on the far side of this led further along. Nearby, hanging on a row of iron pegs, were some blue cotton robes and several pairs of leather shoes.
Clareo began stripping off his clothing and indicated that Markus should do the same. Once changed, they folded their belongings neatly and placed them in the corner of the room. Markus found his new attire to be unusually comfortable.
“The elves certainly make nice things,” Clareo remarked. “Don’t you agree?”
“How did you come by them?”
The man smiled. “We have traded with the elves for thousands of years.” He laughed at Markus' confusion. “You will understand everything shortly.”
They continued along the corridor and then through a series of much broader halls lined with thick, highly polished oak doors.
“This is the residential district,” Clareo explained. “Most of these doors lead into the apartments of the order. Though seeing as how our duties keep the majority of us away for long periods, they tend to stay largely unoccupied.”
“How many of you are there?” asked Markus.
“At present, less than a hundred,” he replied. “But our numbers were far greater in the past.”
Markus was shocked that Clareo had answered his question so readily. No one had ever known how many Urazi there actually were. Again his wariness grew.
“You said this is the residential district,” he noted. “Just how big is this place all together?”
“Very big. As large as a small city, I would think. Most of it is used for our archives and storage. It takes a great deal of space to contain the information we have gathered over the millennia. But there are also areas for recreation, training, and all the other things one might expect.”
Along the way they passed several men and women dressed in the same style robes as themselves. None gave them much notice. Something else that Markus found odd. In fact, a few even smiled and nodded a greeting as if seeing a stranger in their most secret of places was routine.
Most of the décor was simple and the furnishings designed very much for practical purposes, though one area they passed through did prove to be the exception. This was filled with people lounging in elegant chairs and sofas all gathered around a white marble fountain. Here the room was decorated in a far more lavish fashion that was obviously intended to be both soothing and aesthetically pleasing.
Finally, they arrived at massive double door made of steel. Clareo halted and turned to Markus. “I assume Toby told you to be honest,” he said.
Markus nodded. “He did. Though he did not say much beyond that.”
“And neither will I, except to say good luck.” He pushed open the door and motioned for Markus to enter. “I will wait here for your return.”
Martok thanked him and then passed over the threshold. Beyond was an octagonal room with gleaming gold walls and a black marble f
loor. From the ceiling hung dozens of thin gold chains with rajni stones fixed at the end. Straight ahead was a long white stone bench on which two men and a woman dressed in exactly the same way as the rest of the Urazi were sat together, arms folded across their chests. Behind them towered a twenty-foot-high silver arch that very nearly touched the high ceiling.
The woman stood as the door boomed shut. She was younger than Markus would have thought given her obvious position of authority – no more than in her late twenties - and quite attractive, with shoulder-length auburn hair and an almost doll-like face. In contrast, the men were much older and wore deep scowls that made their lines of age even more pronounced.
“Welcome,” said the woman. “I am Estella. We are so very pleased you have come. The name Specter has been spoken in these halls many times. But I never thought you would grace us with your presence.”
“I prefer to be called Markus,” he told her evenly.
“I have heard this said. I’m told that you are conflicted…troubled by your past. That your deeds haunt you now.”
Markus creased his brow. “And how would you know so much about me?”
“The Urazi is more than a society of assassins, Markus. Much more. Our beginnings go back to the first war between elf and dwarf. When humans were first brought to this world from far beyond the most distant star.”
“Earth,” said Markus. “The place you're talking about is called Earth.”
“Yes, it is. That is where you are from, is it not?”
“How do you know these things?”
“There is little we don’t know about you, Markus. As I said, we are more than just assassins. We are the chroniclers of this world. We have ways of gathering information that would astound you. And should this meeting go well, you will learn of them.”
“And what will determine the success of this meeting?”
“Your answers, my dear. It all rests with you.”
In spite of her friendly demeanor, Markus knew that this was a dangerous situation. “Then let us get on with it.”
“Indeed,” Estella agreed. “Time is a dwindling commodity we cannot afford to waste. Tell me about the last time you took a life.”
Markus thought back to the two security guards he'd dealt with when back on Earth. He recounted the event.
“And did you enjoy it?” she asked.
He wanted to say no. But the truth of it was that a part of him had. After a moment of thought he said: “I felt no remorse, if that’s what you want to know.”
“Of that I have no doubt. But the question is: Did you enjoy it?”
“A part of me did,” he admitted. “The part of me that is Specter.”
“And what of the part of you that is Markus?”
“It makes me ashamed. I know it’s wrong. But I can’t help the way it feels.”
She regarded him curiously. “Interesting. And is the Specter part of you in some way separate from the rest?”
“Yes. I can hear his voice in my head, urging me to let him in.”
“You fight him then? But you are not always able to keep him at bay?”
“Yes. Like when I killed those two men. In truth, there was no need for them to die. The reality was, it made matters worse. But I was afraid.”
“And when you are afraid, Specter gives you strength. Is that the way of things?”
“No. I’ve learned to cope with fear. Specter merely gives me the will to do what I otherwise could not.”
“But now you are divided. You would like to leave behind the deeds that Specter makes you capable of. What has changed?”
“My friends have changed my way of thinking.”
A tiny smile eased up from the corners of her mouth. “But one friend has had more influence than any other, right?”
Markus nodded. “Ethan is my best friend, and he has helped me a lot in recovering the person I once was. But there is still a dark part of me that blames him for what happened. In all honesty, Lylinora is the one for whom I have tried the hardest to change.”
“Yes. The mage woman. I heard she is quite stunning. Love can certainly drive us to do wondrous things. Terrible things as well. Yours is a fascinating story. I would like to hear more details of your life.”
She looked over at the two men and nodded. Without saying a word, both rose and left the chamber. Once they were gone, Estella sat back down on the bench and patted an empty place beside her.
Markus frowned. “Why would you want to know these things? What difference can my past life make?”
“I have a decision to make,” she replied. “And I would want as much information as possible before I make it.”
“What kind of decision?”
“Nothing that you should worry about. Now please. Sit.”
Uncomfortable with all this mystery, Markus hesitated before doing as invited. He frowned. “Where would you like me to start?”
“As you may have gathered, we already know quite a lot about you. But it is all second hand information. All fact and no flavor. And we know almost nothing of your life before you came to Lumnia. If you would indulge me, I would very much like to hear about that as well.”
Markus thought for a moment and then proceeded to give her an account of his life, beginning with his time in the military. It took some time before he was finished, though Estella never once interrupted him. About an hour into the telling, a young man brought them a plate of various fruits and a cup of wine, both of which Estella devoured eagerly. In spite of his growling stomach, Markus refused the fare and continued with his story.
When he was done, she rose and rounded the bench to where the high arch stood. “Your tale is unique – filled with darkness and pain. I can see why my predecessor was hesitant to approach you.”
“Are you telling me that I am too evil for the Urazi?” he scoffed. “You are a society of killers. What have I done that you would not?”
“The Urazi kill. This is true. But you have committed acts that are well beyond the limits of most.” She held up her hand to quickly add: “Not that I am judging you. I understand very well that you did what you thought you had to do in order to survive. I am simply stating a fact, nothing more. Given similar circumstances, I might easily have done the same. Be that as it may, becoming Specter has given you a strength of will like no other person I have ever known. And in the Urazi, even we must occasionally bow to the wishes of others. I imagine that would have been very difficult for you.” She paused to beckon him over. “However, I also think that has changed now.”
Markus joined her beside the arch. Estella ran her slender fingers over its smooth surface and let out a quiet sigh.
“What is this?” he asked.
“It's a test of sorts,” she replied, pointing to a barely visible etching of a dagger on the right hand side. “This is where our members are inducted.” After allowing him to gaze on this for a few seconds, she led him to the opposite side where a pair of eyes had been engraved. “And here is where much of our knowledge comes from.”
Markus reached out to touch the engraving, but Estella quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it away. “Not yet.”
He took a step back. “What would it do to me?”
“I have decided to give you a choice. You have wondered how we are able to gather so much information, so I will enlighten you. It comes from those who are unaware they have given it. Though we receive some from the elves and a small number of specialist agents like Toby, most is given by people who you have passed on the street. Some you have most likely even spoken to. Those who come here and place their hand on this symbol are our eyes and ears. They choose to be unwitting spies.”
Markus cocked his head. “Unwitting?”
“Yes. They have no memory of us, or of being here. And after they pass on to us what they know, they have no recollection of having done so.”
Markus considered this for a moment. “I can see how useful that would be. So tell me, what does the other symbol do?”
“So it forces you to obey? Is that what you're saying?”
Estella laughed. “Not at all. The Urazi value freedom and choice. No one can compel you to obey. Touching the dagger simply prevents you from telling those outside of the order anything of what you know.”
Markus snorted. “So I take it this is the choice I must make? To join you or become your unwitting spy?”
“Those are two of your choices, yes. But there is another.” She glanced up at the arch’s apex. “You could step through and help guide us into a new age as a Muraji.”
“A Muraji? What is that?”
“They are those who have what you might describe as a calling. Men and women who choose a more difficult path. One of leadership and responsibility. I was such a person, and it is my hope that you will be as well.”
This was the very last thing Markus had been expecting to hear. “You can’t seriously be asking me to lead the Urazi,” he said.
“No, not in the way you understand. Leadership and power among us is not invested into a single person. Well…not typically. But as of now, I stand alone at the head. And I must say that I have been hoping for someone to step forward and join me.”
“Why me? I know nothing of your ways or history. Surely there is someone among you who would be willing to take on the task.”
She sighed. “The risk of taking on the mantle is high. Most who try do not succeed. And as far as understanding our ways…the arch will see to that. When I passed through I had never even held a dagger, let alone taken a life. I was brought here because I was a servant in the house of a noble lord. I was to be a source of information, nothing more. But when I stood where you stand now, something inside spoke to me. I felt compelled to try. I was driven to know more. To be more.”
“I’m sorry, but I feel no such compulsion,” Markus told her firmly. “I’m here simply to deliver a message and ask for the Urazi’s help.”
Dragonvein Book Four Page 22
