After finishing my meal and mead, I simply relaxed for a few minutes. After a while though, I started feeling odd again, and felt that there was someone who wished to speak to me outside. I tried to feel out this sensation to see if I could discern who it was, but to no avail. Whoever it was, it was someone that I had never even remotely been in contact with. Slowly, I felt my newly found sense of freedom start to be challenged. I decided to face the situation, paid the barkeep, and stepped outside.
At first I didn’t see anyone, and thought that what I felt must have just been my imagination. Then I noticed it again, off in a shadow to the left, across the street. “Not a bad observation post that this guy took.” I thought. I then decided to approach him directly, which would throw him off. The impression that I got was that he wanted to follow me for some time and then surprise me with whatever he had to say. Well, if he was going to ruin my plans for the evening, I was going to ruin his.
“Yes?” I said, rather plainly to the shadow in front of me.
At this, a man stepped out of the dark and said, “My boss would like to have a word with you.”
“What if I had other plans?”
“I think it would just be best if you followed me.”, he said, and started walking.
I decided to humor him and walk alongside him.
“So who exactly do you work for?” I asked.
“You’ll see.”
“If I’m going to visit him, there’s no reason to keep it a secret. Unless I’m not to find out until it’s too late.”
Silence followed this. I was starting to get somewhat giddy and amused by the whole thing, as if I was somehow above it. I was, after all, a free man. This city’s shadows and secrets no longer interested or affected me. After we walked for some time, a flash of intuition came to me.
“Ramirez.” I said, softly.
He stopped walking at this.
“You’re taking me to see Ramirez.”
He turned around and looked at me, trying to figure out how I could discern that, and I guess also wondering what my reaction might be.
“Don’t take me for a fool.” I said. “I seem to have this nasty reputation as Tahnit’s fool lackey, which isn’t true. I just trusted my master since I was a boy, and you and every other taffer in this city would have done the same if you were me.”
He then stared straight at me, and I stared straight back. He was starting to take me seriously.
“This way.” He said as he turned around and continued walking.
As we started to head into unfamiliar territory, I knew I was heading into some sort of trap. There are times when, looking back on it, I wonder why I didn’t tell this rogue that I wasn’t interested and just walk away. Perhaps my newly found feeling of detachment was just overwhelming my common sense, maybe I just didn’t care. I think I just didn’t realize how much danger I was heading into. At any rate, I studied the walkways and buildings for hiding spots if getting out would become difficult.
The layouts of some of the buildings in The City are very interesting. With the size and grandeur of Ramirez’s mansion, I would have expected a main street leading up to a courtyard in front of the entrance. As it was, the entrance was facing a blank wall, almost at the end of a cul-de-sac. Everything about it seemed to speak of a very controlled flow both in and out. For an instant I felt a cold sweat come over me, and I had to fight the urge to run away as fast as I could. Something in me kept going though. We walked through the entranceway and then through a set of guarded double doors. On the other side was an enormous lobby covered with rich, beautiful tapestries. For a moment I almost forgot where I was, until I saw him.
I had never seen Ramirez before, but the richly dressed, somewhat suave ruffian in front of me with guards on either side of him was unmistakable. A devious smile came over his lips as he saw us approach.
“Mishkal, such a pleasure to meet you. I’m so glad you decided to come.”, he said. The syrupy tone of his voice set me on edge. Nothing good could come of this.
“A pleasure to be invited, and to meet yourself in person.” I returned. If he was going to pour sugar, so was I. He stood there somewhat perplexed at this, not sure as to whether I was so vexed at Tahnit that I would relish the chance to talk with his nemesis or whether I was being completely sarcastic and mocking him. He shook it off however, and continued.
“Let’s take a walk shall we? It is a rather brisk evening, but I could use the air, if you don’t mind.”
“Certainly, sir. Please, lead the way.” I said. He smiled again at this, and started walking towards a door at the very back of the lobby, with one of his guards following him.
“Come!” he said, motioning with one hand as he unlocked the door with the other. I walked briskly across the lobby and entered a courtyard in the center of the mansion. We started walking side by side, with the one guard following us.
“Excuse me for being so frank, but am I right in thinking that you are no longer under Tahnit’s employ?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“So you are unemployed? Such a shame. I could of course do you the favor of offering you a position in my service. Would you be interested?”
“Actually, no. I’m retiring as a thief.”
He stopped and stared at me, with a look very similar to the one Tahnit gave me when I told him the same thing.
“Well, that’s too bad. It’s your life however, and I don’t want to keep you from it.” He said, smiling. That line was too close to what I had said in my fight with Tahnit, and that smile was even more incriminating. It wasn’t Garrett I felt hovering around last night. It was one of Ramirez’s men. “Tell you what,” he continued, “I’m sure you are aware of my situation. I’ll make a proposal to you. Help me, and I’ll help you. Why don’t you come with me and tell me everything you know about Tahnit, particularly anything… incriminating. I mean, the recent robbery at Bafford’s wouldn’t be his doing, now would it? Just tell me what you know, and I’ll give you enough compensation to start out on you new life.”
“I already have enough ‘compensation’ to start out on my new life. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can help you.”
“That’s too bad. Don’t take this personally,” he sneered, dropping the sweetness in his voice,” but we’re going to take a trip to the basement just to make sure that you can’t help me.” Then he motioned to the guard.
The guard came up and started to reach his arm out to grab me. I kicked up with all the strength I had and nailed him square in the bottom of the jaw. He made a slight shout as he crumpled to the ground, blood pouring out of mouth. I thought I saw part of his tongue drop away, but I had other matters to pay attention to. As the guard fell, I drew my sword and in one motion held it to Ramirez’s throat. I backed him into a dark corner, then drew his tunic over his head and punched it with my free hand. Again, a muffled shout and he went into a heap. I then remembered that I had seen an open water line coming out of the wall when we passed through the docks. It was probably just a short distance to it, and it was the fastest way out of the mansion. I sheathed my sword and ran full speed out of the courtyard and to the right. Sure enough, the waterway was there. Without thinking I dove in.
I just about screamed when I hit the water. The winter was not fully gone and the water was freezing cold. Feeling myself go numb all the while, I managed to get to the ladder on the docks. Just as I was climbing out of the water, I heard the alarm go off. It was only then that I realized the kind of trouble I was in. Guards seemed to pour out of the woodwork, completely overtaking and searching through the streets. This was not going to be easy. What was worse; it was a brisk night and I was drenched in near-freezing water. Doing everything in my power to control my shivering, I snuck along until I reached an impasse. There were no less than five guards patrolling the intersection ahead, and no shadows in which to hide. My shivering was now completely uncontrollable so long as I stood still. It was only a matter of time. It was then that I remembered my fight with Tahnit’s guards, the training I had been through. The thought of yet more killing brought me to despair, but there just wasn’t any other way. The guards came patrolling my way, three of them together. Two others were searching the area behind them, and another was following from where I had come. I braced myself until the group of three was almost upon me, and then leapt at them, drawing my sword.
The first one fell to a cut to the throat, completely surprised. I turned and stabbed the second through the gut from behind before he could ready his sword. The third was dispatched quickly by blocking his sword and a quick slash inside to the throat. Now the two guards were coming to the right of me, and the one to the left. I decided to take the one to the left.
He wasn’t expecting me to come full charge at him, nor did he anticipate the speed of my attacks and he quickly fell. The other two caught up with me, but they too were quickly dispatched. I was becoming sickened by this. There was nothing fair about these fights. Finishing off the last guard of the area with a final swing to shake the blood off of my sword, I surveyed around me. Six dead or dying people who never even had a chance. Fighting off the cold, I sheathed my sword and headed on my way.
I wasn’t even fully sneaking, and as I think about it now, I’m not sure exactly where I was going, I just knew that I needed to get to someplace warm. I wound up exposing myself in an intersection, practically running into three more guards, one of them carrying a bow. I quickly headed the opposite way, but realized I wouldn’t be able to make the corner before the archer fired. So I turned around, drawing my sword just in time to see him loose an arrow. I quickly knocked it down before it hit me. I started walking back towards them. The archer fired another arrow, which I also knocked down. One of the guards dropped his sword and ran when he saw that the first time wasn’t just dumb luck; I really was that quick. The other two were getting equally worried. The archer kept shooting arrows, but he was being much less careful about it. Eventually the other swordsman charged me. I blocked his swing, kicked him in the jaw, and then cut him across the throat as he moved back from the impact. Clutching his throat he fell to the ground. I looked at the archer who started running back to take another shot and said, “Don’t make me kill you.” He then stopped, threw down his bow, and ran away.
From what I was able to discern, I was now home free. There weren’t any other guards patrolling the street that would take me out of Ramirez’s ward. I tried to concentrate, to figure out where I was going, but the sudden loss of adrenaline from no longer fighting and the biting cold were getting to me fast. I tried to sneak along as best I could, just in case. I didn’t even realize I was being followed.
I walked in a daze, and finally came to a stop in a dark corner. For a moment, I wondered why I stopped there, and then I realized I had just passed the street that would take me to where Hadassah had lived. I realized I had been going that way by rote and just now woke up; realizing my mistake. I was able to form a thought that the best place for me to go would be the Inn, which was still a bit of ways away. Just as I did that, an arrow came out of nowhere and struck me in my left leg, just below my pelvis. I screamed out in pain, and fell along the wall. “But where? Who?” I then realized that I had been trailed by the thief that had taken me to Ramirez in the first place. I could almost make him out on the other side of the intersection, and when I did, I saw the next arrow coming, but it was too late to do anything.
It hit me square in my left shoulder. I could feel it drive itself into my shoulder blade. I screamed in pain again and slumped even further down against the wall. Luckily, I had fallen into a good position. My right leg was curled up under me and my hand was on my sword handle. Because of how my clothes had shifted, it would take a close look to tell the hit in my shoulder from a hit to the heart. Freezing, barely coherent, in immense pain, and in fear of my life, I laid as still as possible, waiting for the thief to “confirm” my death.
My heart beat faster and harder as I waited. I could feel the arrows in me pulsing with every heartbeat. I couldn’t even steal a glance to see if he was coming, lest he see my eyes move and put in the final shot at a much more sure range. Trying not to move a muscle, not to blink, not to breathe. Finally I could hear him approach. He was walking very slowly, carefully. Meanwhile the pain, the cold, the fear kept building in me. In my mind, I screamed at him to come closer, to keep coming. After what seemed like forever, he was almost over me, and I heard him draw his sword. With a scream I then pushed out and up with my right leg and drew my sword, swinging it at his in one motion. Surprised, he tried to block but it was his own undoing. Instead of hitting his sword, my sword cut through his sword hand. He screamed in pain as his sword clattered to the ground with his fingers still wrapped around the hilt, with just enough flesh to hold them together.
I landed on my left leg, and was barely able to get my right leg back under me as the pain shot from the wound. Barely balanced, I swung at his throat and cut it wide open. His good hand and his stub instinctively went up to the wound, to try and hold it closed. He gasped for air as he sunk to his knees, then took away his good hand to fetch a healing potion, which he found. I had lost my balance after the swing and wound up on the ground. When I saw him get the healing potion, I lunged at him, knocking him to the ground with me, breaking the healing potion under him. I then punched away at the wound on his throat, keeping his hands away from it, keeping it open, sending his lifeblood flying all over both of us. I started searching him for anything useful. He wasn’t even dead yet. As I pulled off his purse, I wondered what I had become. I thought of a year ago, and how tentative I was in doing the same thing to Renik, even when he asked me to. Now, I was searching over this thief, both of us covered in his blood, and punching furiously at him any time he tried to push me away or close his throat.
Eventually, he stopped breathing and just laid there, dead. I had everything I could find on him. The cold and the pain were completely overwhelming. I couldn’t think. I laid there with him, most likely dying as well. Then, for a moment, I thought of Sarah, Hadassah’s friend. With the arrows sticking out of my front, I couldn’t crawl, I had to drag myself on my side. With some type of resolution I started heading that way. Just moving made the pain unbearable, but I wasn’t about to die in the street with the other thief. If I weren’t wounded, the walk would have taken less than a minute. Now, however, the several hundred feet was a massive journey.
As I reached the start of the alley where her apartment was, I heard someone coming. The thought went through my mind that it might be another one of Ramirez’s men. In a panic, I looked for somewhere to hide. The footsteps were coming closer. There was no place I could crawl to in time. In the thousands of thoughts that went through my head I was paralyzed. I just turned away. The footsteps were picking up pace, closer, closer, now right over me. I could hear the person breathing. Whoever it was tried to pull me over. I fought it, but screamed in pain when I jerked my body back.
“Mishkal?!” I heard Hadassah cry.
I turned on my back, eyes wide in amazement. She had come for me.
“Help me” I croaked. I didn’t realize how raspy I had become.
“Hang on. I’ll… I’ll get Sarah! Just wait here… just… hang on!” she said in a panic as she got up. She then ran to Sarah’s door. I could just make out the exchange. I felt my consciousness drift away. Just before they came, I realized that if I lost consciousness, I’d probably die and snapped out of it, trying with every fiber of my being to stay awake.
The two of them came and dragged me into the apartment, then hoisted me on the bed. I felt the pain shoot through me when I landed on the bed, but I couldn’t even react to it. Hadassah pulled out a healing potion and forced me to drink it. Slowly I felt myself revive. She gave me another one, which I could swallow myself this time.
“Who did this to you? Tahnit?” she said, on the verge of tears.
“Ramirez.” I managed to say.
“Sarah, fetch him some water.”
“Here, drink.” she said, when Sarah brought her back a cup. “Why Ramirez? What did you do? What happened?”
“Tahnit and I had a fight.” I said. Hadassah nodded knowingly at this. “Ramirez summoned me.”
“And you went?!” she asked, incredulously.
“I… I didn’t know.” I said.
She again nodded at this. “I can’t leave you alone for a minute, let alone a day.” She said. “We’ll talk more later. Right now let’s get these suckers out of you. Sarah, give me a hand. Hold down his shoulder here. When the arrow comes out, I want you to press down on the wound. Wait a minute.”
I heard her get up and mess with something on the stove. I think I knew what she had in mind, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. In a minute she came back. “Okay, ready?” she said. Before I could respond, she pulled. The most intense pain I ever knew shot through me, and the rest of my body went numb. For a second the arrow stayed put, but then came out with a sickening wet sound. “Press!” she shouted. Once again, pain returned as Sarah pressed into the wound. Hadassah then brought the poker she had put in the stove. She then grabbed a rag and shoved it in my mouth. I felt Sarah pull back and braced myself for the inevitable. White hot pain shot through me again. I screamed through the rag and bit into it. Tears were rolling down my eyes. I could smell my own burned flesh. My vision was getting darker and darker. I could feel that I was going to vomit. The last thing I remember is hearing Hadassah say, “Well, that’s one…”