Demiourgos (49 page)

“Are you always this tense Captain?” Rose brushed her hand across his shoulder in a playful manner, all smiles.

The Captain cleared his throat and glanced her way. “I’m on duty Seraf.”

“Off duty then, would you buy a girl a drink?” Rose eyed him in a side glance and tried not to grin too much. Manipulation was something she did not like to practice but she desperately needed to find Nina or get entrance to the palace. He was not a bad looking human by their standards and he had a long scar across his face and throat that gave him a rather rugged mien. Several of his junior squad members snickered a little and tried to put on a good game face as to not invoke his wrath.

Once the captain had gathered his composure back he nodded his head. “If you wish Seraf, I frequent the Ale Pot Loaded in the lower ward after duty.”

It was a short order to enter the plush throne room of the large home and Rose was all too familiar with its layout having entertained the pasha’s guests here many a night. She even recognized a few of the guards on duty. Of the two thrones only one was occupied and to her relief it was Maudette that sat in the room and the pasha was nowhere to be seen. The raven-haired woman was a welcomed sight. Rose’s hard skipped a beat a little. Her adopted mother was just like she remembered. An older woman but still beautiful with blue eyes and painted ruby-red lips, apparently she had escalated to more than just a trophy wife if she was running the day-by-day affairs of the house while the master was out.

The captain stepped forward and dropped down to one knee before the woman sitting on the plush seat. “Pasha Mara’shanalar this traveler said that she has business with your house. I request verification to leave the Seraf in your charge.”

“Speak your business.” Maudette said almost imperiously, Rose could have smiled at the act.

“I have been away a long time but now I return hoping to implore your assistance mighty pasha.” Rose replied to her as she threw back the hood of her traveling cloak to reveal her face and the subsequent grin. “I hear the hospitality of your house is legendary.”

“Rose! By the scouring sands we were so worried about you.” Maudette almost leapt from the throne and rushed over to Rose and enveloped her in a mutual hug that had the both of them crying with a mix of relief and joy. Turning back to the startled quad Maudette addressed the captain directly. “Captain you may go.”

“At your leave my pasha.” He bowed and the four of them left quickly.

Wiping tears from her eyes and smiling broadly she held Rose out at arm’s length. “We have catching up to do; you must tell me all about what happened.”

“I would love to stay but I am on a mission of dire importance.” Rose eyed the guards for a moment and leaned in to Maudette. “Can we move to a study?”

“Of course.” Maudette took her by the arm and led her out of the large garish room and down a side hallway into a small study adorned with shelves of odd baubles and trinkets the pasha had collected over the years.

To her surprise Rose felt the presence of magic in the room and shifted her eyes into the mystic spectrum. A small glass orb in the corner of one shelf caught her attention. Once her former matron had closed the door behind them Rose walked over to the shelf and picked up the magic item, toying with it as she analyzed its properties.

As she turned around Maudette gasped in surprise. “What?”

“Your eyes!” She cried in an almost frightened tone.

“I’m sorry!” Rose willed her eyes back into the normal spectrum so they would not be black and held out her hands trying to calm the woman. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so.” The older woman sat down warily and motioned for Rose to join her. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“It would be hard to condense the story down so I may as well tell you the entire thing.” Rose began at the beginning with Nina helping her to escape and Leonidus teaching her magic. During the story a servant she did not recognize brought them sugared dates and dragon’s tongue, a fruit gleaned from cacti. She noted the look of trepidation on the matron’s face at the mention of magic but she continued. Rose began telling her about the journey with the elves, being taken underground and through the city of blood, all the way to her confrontation with Leonidus and Nina. Once she was done she waited for Maudette to respond and when silence was the only thing forthcoming Rose feared the worst.

Maudette shook herself from the shocked stupor and sucked in a deep breath. When she let it out she smiled a little at the corners of her mouth. “You have had quite an adventure out there in the wide world my little desert Rose. Your mother would be proud of you.”

“My mother?” Rose echoed, looking surprised.

“I fear I have not been truthful to you but I beg a chance to explain myself. She placed you in my care before she ran. I knew her only in passing from a previous stint with the elves.” Maudette smiled when Rose looked shocked. “You’d be surprised to learn that I was fairly handy with a blade in my day. It is time I told you my story in return.”

“My mother was elven, my father was a human.  For a long time I was a friend to the elves and I even lived among them for a short time. Your sister Neeshka’s father is elven though she knows it not. When I became pregnant I had planned to stay permanently but your mother came to me wearing tears and desperation. I was one of the few non-elves she had encountered and we had become fast friends. She claimed I was the only one she could trust.” Maudette held a hand out and put her fingers on Rose’s. “She gave you to me and implored that I leave with a departing caravan. She seemed so afraid for you that I agreed without hesitation. She said that your life was in danger and gave me a contact she knew in Rahkshas. Amazingly enough it was Pasha Mara’shanalar.”

“Him?” Rose said incredulously.

“It’s almost unbelievable, I know.” Maudette shook her head and frowned. “He is a lecherous man but underneath his desires he has no love for the sorcerer lords. We could not tell you about any of this for fear of you being discovered and I could not protect you from his advances so you could look the part.”

“What about Neeshka?” Rose asked almost angrily. “How could you let him do that to both of us?”

“I did what I did to protect us from the ones looking for you; but apparently you walked right into the arms of one of them without knowing it. Your mother never told me that Leonidus was the one whom she feared.” Maudette sighed. “The pasha is growing old and feeble, his mind is going and he forgets things frequently. I fear my time in this plush house is almost over.”

“Regardless I need a favor my matron.” Rose was already working through the plan in her mind; she had to make a move before Nina was harmed and she had no time to debate the merits of what Maudette had done.

~~~~

The streets had grown dark faster than she had expected as the sun dipped low in the sky. Rose had her sword belted on openly and she walked with an air of someone either brave or foolish, neither of which were far separated from one another. She had taken directions from one of the guards standing at the base of the stairwell between the higher profile district and the lower ward. Now she navigated the streets swiftly, she did not want to be out in the open if she could help it. Having opted to keep her traveling clothes on she did not stand out among the natives of the city too much.

Her destination was rather easy to find from the light pouring out of the windows along with loud conversation and various other bodily noises. Snickering to herself she stepped into the door. Few eyes bothered to find her and with a quick sweep she did not spy her quarry. Rose opted to sit at a table in the corner and had her hood up hiding most of her face. When she asked the serving girl for something non-alcoholic the girl laughed at her and brought back a sweet-smelling liquid that had a slight nutty taste to it. Rose sipped it sparingly as she waited, hoping that the sweet concoction would quell the roiling sensation in the pit of her stomach.

It was intriguing to watch the interactions between the different peoples in the tavern. To her left sat a table full of dwarves; one of which was taller and a little broader than the rest. She wondered if, like Liostro, he had some human ancestry in him. The other tables had a smattering of humans, Halflings and even one elf that had come in for a drink and a meal and had subsequently left just as quickly as he had entered.

The dull roar of the crowd slowly decreased as people began to filter out and Rose thought she had been stood up by Northmund. Just as she was about to leave he walked through the door followed by a host of other guardsmen who looked to be off duty as well. The captain wore a dark tunic that was clearly the garb of a common soldier, every one of them had a brand sewn into the left side of the chest depicting Rahknand’s sigil. It was a dragon eating another dragon, both against the background of a ziggurat.

She motioned him over with a smile and he sat down eagerly. “Good evening captain, I thought you had stood me up.”

“I could not stand up a woman as pretty as you.” He replied nervously.

“You act as if I am going to bite you, calm down; we’re just two people sharing a drink and conversation.” Rose almost laughed but she figured it would demean him. “I’m sure you’ve faced more dangerous creatures than a simple woman.”

“Simple? Few travelers who can survive alone in the wilds are simple.” It was clear he was trying to relax.

Rose ordered him ale and another of the non-alcoholic drinks for herself. “That may be true but some of us just survive on dumb luck. Have a drink, unwind a bit; you’re making me nervous now.”

They both shared a laugh. As the night wore on Rose slowly brought in more and more drinks to loosen the guard’s tongue. She learned that his first name was Lyvan. Most of his comrades had filtered out back into the ward. Her probing questions had been directed at him and his exploits, his likes and dislikes, and then she had slowly shifted more toward his job. “I heard there was a big delivery for the palace to come through the gates recently.”

“Oh aye there have been several with the worst being the mercenaries you were asking about, the ones that came in before you. They had an elf-girl with them; and between you and me such dealings have an ill air about them, unsavory, I’d bet my weight in sand. The poor girl was half-drugged and obviously being held against her will but who am I to question the throne? Honestly the coming celebration has me nervous.”

His voice was slurred just a little as he spoke and he definitely looked drunk, Rose had him right where she wanted him finally. “Why is that?”

“I heard tell that Rahknand himself is going to be at the celebration. No one has seen him in generations besides his vassals and the occasional woman we take into the castle for his enjoyment.” Lyvan leaned in closer to her. “The girls are never seen again.”

“Really now?” Rose replied with a mock-horrified look on her face. “That’s terrible!”

“It puts food on the table and ale in my mug.” He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “Who am I to question?”

“True but what do you think will happen to the elf?” Rose queried inquisitively. “The same as the others?”

“I’d wager.”

Internally Rose was ready to explode; she had to find Nina before this odd celebration Lyvan was talking about. “I wonder where they took her.”

“Oh they went straight to the palace. Most mercenaries have to wait a few days to get their business taken care of. They eat and drink and sleep on the peoples’ money, Rahknand treats those who do his bidding well.” The guard tried to stand and immediately toppled backward onto the floor, laughing hard. “I’m alright, just dizzy is all.”

Rose was thankful when one of the guards that had escorted her when she arrived came and picked up the drunken captain even though he was eyeing her suspiciously. “He doesn’t usually drink like this.”

“Does he usually have such pretty company?” She giggled a little more for his benefit and when he seemed satisfied she helped the both of them toward the door. “He was nervous; I think he tried to loosen up too much.”

“Can you tell him I’ll be in the city a few more days if he wants to get together again? No drinking next time.” She had lied openly and felt bad for it but there had been no other way to get her information. Once she had paid the substantial bill she walked out of the tavern heading for the pasha’s home so she could get some rest. Her mind was heavy with the information she had gained and the problems she faced.

She was tired, there was no denying it and that was most likely why she had not seen the group of men who had closed off the street she currently occupied. When she turned around she found another two men and a woman striding out of the mouth of a nearby alley. Facing the three males she eyed them warily and put her hand on her blade. The leader, if she had estimated them right, smiled. His teeth were rotten and almost black and she could swear the smell of his fetid breath had reached her even at his current distance. His hair was stringy as if he had never bathed in his life and his sickly-looking brown eyes had a dull sheen to them. They were all dressed in rags and poorly tailored clothing and each held a different weapon. The leader held two daggers that were curved slightly downward.

“Good evening miss.” The leader hissed almost hungrily. “We run the tolls on this street; let’s have your coin quiet-like. I’d hate to have to leave your body in a gutter.”