Part 2, Chapter 11: Escape
Tomas ripped the man's mask off, revealing his face. He was disappointed to discover that he didn't recognise him. Searching the man's body he found a couple of keys, a dagger, the bronze knuckles, the Black Dust satchel and a coin pouch with three gold coins in it.
Tomas looked at the Black Dust Satchel and threw it away in disgust. It still brought a lingering desire and an intense wave of shame. As Tomas watched the satchel fly to the corner of the room he swore to himself that he would never become so weak again. He would need to be strong and have a clear head in order to get vengeance for whoever was responsible for his imprisonment.
Taking the man's pants and shoes Tomas opened the door to the room that had been his prison. Tomas quickly ran upstairs holding the dagger ready. At the top he came to a small empty room. Listening carefully he could make out voices in the next room. Gripping the dagger tightly, Tomas stood poised to rush through the door.
"..he didn't even thank me when I decided not to trash his shop after he failed to make the full payment."
Tomas burst into the room and counted three men gathered around a table playing cards and chatting. They looked up surprised by his sudden entrance before realization quickly dawned and they reached for their weapons.
Tomas let out a low growl and charged at the nearest of them. Like a flash of lightning Tomas' dagger stabbed through the man's neck before he could react. Seeing their companion's death, a desperate fear glinted across the eyes of the remaining two. They swiped at Tomas with their daggers.
Deftly parrying one dagger aside and dodging the other, Tomas' dagger flashed out twice more. Just like that the three men in the room fell to the ground dead in quick succession.
Tomas searched their bodies but found little of interest apart from Eight Fingers gang tattoos on the men's arms.
Was I kidnapped by Eight Fingers? For what reason? This doesn't make sense.
After searching the rest of the building and discovering nothing of further use apart from a shirt, Tomas walked out onto the street and quickly disappeared into the mid-morning crowds of the lower city.
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"Slant it upwards a bit more. Ok, now when I attack you with a slash from the left, parry it away like this. Ready?"
Jake slashed from the left with a practice sword as he taught Barker the longsword.
After several more minutes of this they stopped for a rest. Jake poured himself and Barker a cup of water and began to sip it.
"You know, I still don't like the situation with Tomas." Jake threw out.
"You never did like to get your hands dirty though, did you? This is the fastest way to get Tomas over his addiction. Plus if everything goes to plan he'll be indebted to us for saving him when we bust in there and kill the goons I hired. Don't bring it up anymore. Remember, the end justifies the means."
"I was just saying.. Alright your defense needs more work. We'll practice that for another half hour and then we'll spar for a bit. Also, I've recently discovered that drawing a longsword from the back is physically impossible, so from now on we'll be wearing them on our sides."
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Alfred stood guard by the door. Inside Katrina was tending to the injured noble's child. Alfred watched as she finished and approached him.
"I've finished here. The child just had a broken arm. Let's head back."
Katrina spoke curtly to Alfred without looking at him and marched out. Alfred sighed and followed her sullenly.
They left the noble's house and were walking back to the healing temple when Katrina suddenly turned around and confronted Alfred.
"I know you've been keeping something from me! About Tomas. If you value our friendship at all you'll tell me what happened that night."
"Look Katrina.. I've been telling you the truth." Alfred insisted. "That night we went to help Tomas, we went to that alley that you mentioned. But Tomas was nowhere to be seen. We searched for hours for him to no avail. Haven't we also gone out to look for him everyday and put up posters with you since he's been missing? Maybe he just left?"
"Tomas wouldn't have just left like that. I know he's still in trouble." Katrina said firmly. Her eyes started to redden and she quickly turned back around and kept walking down the street. Alfred hurried after her.
Things had not been well between them since the night she had come to ask for Morning Star's help with Tomas. Alfred frowned as he thought on just how well Kalelor's advice had gone down in practice. It had been tantamount to sabotage. It also didn't help that after discovering that Tomas was missing, Katrina had grown more distant.
"Have you at least given any more thought to joining Morning Star? You can't keep going like this forever and Snake Suits has disbanded in all but name." Alfred asked her from behind when he had caught up.
"I won't consider it until after the matter with Tomas has been resolved." Katrina replied shortly, clearly in no mood to talk. "The deal was that Morning Star would help me with Tomas and then we'll join your team. So far you've been absolutely no help whatsoever."
Alfred wasn't very experienced with women, however, even he could sense that Katrina was not in an agreeable mood. Now was not the time to be driving home his agenda.
"This matter with Tomas.. I'll be going out again tonight to look for him. Kalelor and the others are also asking around for him. Please trust us Katrina. We'll find him."
Alfred watched Katrina give the smallest of nods in concession to his efforts to placate her.
"Lets just head back to the temple. I know you and the others are trying. I just can't rest until I know for certain what happened to Tomas."
Katrina ended the conversation and the two of them walked in silence through the streets for a time. After passing through the noble district of the capital they entered the market district. Alfred heard a crash down one street on his right. Turning to look in that direction out of curiosity he saw that a small cart had fallen over and people were pointing to a man with hollow cheeks, a ragged blonde beard and ill-fitting clothing that looked to be escaping down an alley. A thief? Thought Alfred.
"Err..?"
Alfred turned to look back at Katrina who had made a noise. Her eyes were wide as she looked in the direction of the disturbance and she appeared shocked.
"What's wrong?" asked Alfred worried.
Suddenly, Katrina started to run towards the alley that the blond bearded man had run down.
"I think that was Tomas! It looks like he's in trouble!" Katrina called out behind her.
What? Tomas should be locked up. There's no way that could be him!
Seeing Katrina get further and further away from him Alfred grit his teeth and started to run after her.
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Tomas hurriedly walked down the alley and away from the disturbance he had caused. He had been too careless and bumped into a travelling merchant's hand cart. Being targeted by Eight Fingers was truly terrifying. They were a huge organisation that could strike from anywhere at anytime at anyone.
What were they hoping to achieve though? Were they trying to recruit me?
Thoughts spun through Tomas' mind as he walked through the alley, but they left more questions than answers.
Suddenly Tomas heard padded footsteps coming fast towards him. An assassin? Tomas pulled out his dagger and gripped it tightly in his hand as he waited around one sharp corner of the alley. The assassin's footsteps drew nearer and he readied himself to attack the assassin as they ran past.
"Katrina wait!"
Hearing a voice he vaguely recognised and a name he definitely did, Tomas chose to grab the assassin as they came around instead of directly stabbing them. A moment later he was glad that he had.
"Katrina? It really is you!"
"Tomas!"
Katrina and Tomas hugged fiercely both happy and relieved to have found each other.
"Tomas?" Alfred had caught up and stood awkwardly to the side.
"Alfred! It's good to see you too!" Tomas smiled, happy to be seeing so many of his allies.
"Tomas, I've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been?" Katrina asked, tears streaming down her face.
Tomas grimaced turning serious as he wiped the tears from Katrina's face with the back of one hand.
"It isn't safe here. Alfred.. I'll need you and your team's help. I was abducted by Eight Fingers. I have only just escaped and I'm in need of allies." Tomas said looking to Alfred.
Katrina covered her mouth with a hand and gasped in shock. Alfred looked confused but quickly recovered.
"Of course! My team and I have been searching for you since you went missing, we'll definitely aid you. Will you come with us back to the Blue Doors? Eight Fingers would be crazy to try anything there with so many adventurers around."
"Thank you, I'm grateful. I was initially heading to the healing temple to try and find Katrina anyway. Let's all go to Blue Doors then." Tomas smiled finally feeling safe. With Alfred and Katrina here, who were both wearing full equipment, Tomas could start to relax.