Chapter Four: The Spymaster

"God damn come back you damned cheater!"

An aragornian appeared to the doorway looking scared. Suddenly, a chair flew right past his right ear and smashed to the next building's wall.

"I swear I don't know how those septims got into my pocket, I swe…"

The aragornian bent as an old boot flew through the point where his head has just been.

"Get out, get out!", a man's voice screamed from inside, and the aragornian partly ran, partly

jumped around the corner, playing cards dropping from his pockets. A shirtless man, with some grey hairs in his head, shook his fist in the doorway. The man spit to the ground and disappeared back inside.

Merlac stared at the aragornian until this had disappeared behind the nearby building, and then walked to the door. He was just about to knock on the open door as the man inside yelled again.

"Didn't I make myself clear? Get the hell out of my house!", the man yelled, took another boot from the floor and was just about to throw it at the door as he noticed Merlac. "Oh, and who are you?", he asked angrily.

"Err… sorry mister, but I'm looking for Caius, and I saw his name on the door and I though…", Merlac stuttered.

"Caius? Caius Cosades?", the man replied and dropped the boot back to the floor.

"Yeah, do you know him?"

"The man you are looking for stands in front of you, now why are you here?", asked the man sounding a bit calmer this time."

"I…well I don't know actually, they told me in the census and excise office to find you so…"

Suddenly, the man's appearance changed totally. He looked first confused, but then he looked like he was about to come and hug Merlac. Then he came a actually did it. Merlac wasn't able to do anything else than clumsily tap the man to his shoulder while this hugged him like an old friend. Finally the man released Merlac and took a step backwards.

"Oh it's so great you're here, you must be Merlac."

"Yeah, that's me, but… hey! How did you know my name? I just made it up some hours ago!", said Merlac, who was still massaging his aching sides.

"I got a letter from the harbourmaster. He sent it using his educated bird just after you stepped out from the census office.", smiled Caius.

"So, maybe then you can tell me why I was set free and what on earth is going on in here?"

"Oh boy, that's a very long story", said Caius and grinned. "If you're not tired, I can start telling the main parts to you right now."

"No, I'm not tired, but… it's late and I have no idea where I could sleep and I haven't eaten anything since I left the ship and…"

"Yes yes", said Caius laughing. "I know everything about your situation. By the orders of the Emperor, you will serve the Blades under my command and use my bed to sleep, if you want to. I will myself sleep in one of the South Wall Corner Club's rooms, as you wouldn't probably stand that noise."

"Oh…err…what? Here? And that is 'Blades'? Talk to me, I really don't know anything about what's going on in here!"

"Sorry sorry, I forgot", smiled Caius again. Here, take a seat", he said and pointed at the chair in the corner and sat himself to another.

"So… let's start from the beginning. The Blades is a group of people completely loyal to the emperor. The members of the blades are the emperor's eyes and ears outside his palace, like spies. I am the spymaster, the highest ranking officer in blades, and you are here because the Emperor has some plans for you. You will serve under my command and do the tasks I give you, until I decide you are ready to hear what plans we have for you. Like I said, you may sleep in my bed and I will pay for your food and stuff. I will also pay you some salary, as you must buy yourself some weapons, armour and training, maybe even some magic experience. But remember this; The Blades is a extremely hidden group. Officially, we do NOT exist. Don't ask about blades from anybody, because nobody know who we are and where we work. Now, do you have any questions before I continue?"

Merlac's head was full of questions, but on that moment, the first one that came into his head, was… "Umm… you are an officer?", asked Merlac, and took a look around the small room he was in. A small fireplace in the corner, a small bed but still the size of one third of the room, three chairs, one of them broken in front of the house, a small table next to the door, under the only window, and some books scattered all over the room. "You… and officer?", Merlac asked again in disbelief.

"Yep, that is what I am. Or did you believe that the leader of a top secret group would be living in a mansion or something?", asked Caius and grinned.

"So… the Emperor himself, wants me to join these… Blades? May I ask why?", asked Merlac, starting to get the hang of things.

"Yes, you will serve the Emperor in Blades under my command. And like I said, because he has plans for you."

"What plans?"

"I cannot tell you, because we are not sure yet, and we need to make sure you are the one we believe you might be."

"Which is…?"

"I cannot tell you that just yet."

"So you want me to do something without knowing why?"

"Yes, and I would like to remind you that you don't have much of a choice, do you?"

"So you pay my food, provide me place to stay at night and my gear?", asked Merlac.

"I give you place to stay at night, yes, but I only pay for your food as long as you become self-sufficient. You also must pay your gear from your salary."

"Oh well… I guess I have no options then… so what do I do now?"

"Now you sleep, we have a long day tomorrow", replied Caius and grinned.

After he had said that, Caius took his shirt from the table, said 'good night' and walked out of the door, leaving Merlac sitting alone in his new "home". Merlac had no choice, but go to sleep, though he didn't fall asleep in a long time, as several questions teased his thoughts. What are those plans the spymaster is planning for him? What can be so important that the Emperor himself is part of this? It was already past midnight as he felt asleep.

Merlac opened his eyes. It was very dark around him. Colours started blurring in front of him. He wasn't in Caius' house anymore. Suddenly, the ground shook under him and he tried to catch something to hold, but there was nothing else than the floor. The shaking stopped and Merlac found himself sitting on a stone floor. He was on a dark corridor. Suddenly the torches on the corridor's walls caught fire, and Merlac had to screw up his eyes. Few meters ahead of him, the corridor turned out of sight. There was a sound of footsteps. Slowly, the sound came closer, and closer. A long shadow of some big creature rose to the wall and the sound of footsteps became stronger and stronger. Just before the creature appeared from behind the corner, Merlac woke up, sweating strongly. It had been a nightmare, but… it had felt so real, way too real. Few minutes later, Merlac felt asleep again…