Guild Wars
NOW.
Sadira woke with a start. Her gut felt cold and twisted in knots, the young woman looked around frantically to gain her bearings but only saw darkness, and felt as if that darkness were watching her, closing in around her.
Where am I?
Sadira forced herself to take deep breaths and started to remember where she was, the room with the iron door and the single bed. The candle must have gone out, that's why there's no light. But it still felt wrong. How long have I been here? Hours? Days?
Her worries building, Sadira felt a sudden need to escape; then remembered how simple the iron door's lock was and the tools she had hidden in her boot heels. Maybe there isn't anyone watching now. Sadira felt along the walls until she came upon the door and put her ear against it. Nothing. Kneeling down, Sadira found the door's lock and retrieved the lock picks from her boot heel.
Moments later the lock gave way with a satisfying click and Sadira heaved the door open, then gagged when the rank smell of death filled her nostrils. A man lay on the floor by a table only a few paces from where Sadira stood, his blood had pooled on the floor and stained his green robes.
The door to the outside opened before Sadira had any time to think further. A man stood still in the doorway, his countenance a mixture of rage and horror.
"Bhaalspawn wench," the man growled, and reached for the sword girt at his side.
Sadira saw a blooded short sword lying on top of a chest beside her and seized it. The man lunged for Sadira and she dodged the artless attack, then spun around and cut the man's face open from chin to temple. For a moment he stood utterly still, his face frozen in a look of surprise. Then blood began to ooze from the diagonal cut across his face. The top of the man's head fell off, spilling brains onto the floor as he collapsed.
Sadira recoiled, and did nothing but stare at the two bodies in the room for a long moment, trying to understand what had passed.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Sadira groaned inwardly at the voice's return.
The swordsman must have thought I killed the man in the green robes, Sadira thought. But who did kill the robed man? Then Sadira remembered what Ondrus, her guildmaster, had told her about feuding guilds in the city, and that one of the fiercest guild wars was being fought between the Harpers and the Cult of the Dragon.
Maybe the Cult of the Dragon killed the robed man and left the sword here so I would be blamed. That's what the Harpers will think. Sadira took a cloth that lay on the table and used it to wipe the blood off the short sword; then saw the weapon's scabbard.She promptly sheathed the sword and cast another glance at the bodies.
A chill breeze blew through the open door and Sadira felt goose bumps rising on her arms. The night beckoned; Sadira stepped outside and firmly shut the door. Clouds obscured the moon and stars; the only light to be had came from lantern posts placed intermittently on the streets. Sadira had come to see the darkness as her ally, but tonight it felt oppressive, malignant, like a leaden weight that had settled over Elversult.
Sadira treaded carefully as she made her way back to the inn she had lodged at before her abduction, and ducked into the shadows of alleyways whenever she saw another person. The young woman was not sure what hour it was but was relieved that the streets were all nearly vacant. Still, the night was too quiet for Sadira's liking.
A pair of Maces, as the town guards called themselves, drew close, and Sadira sunk deeper into a foul-smelling alley when one of them looked in her direction, stopping only when her foot struck something. Turning around, Sadira saw the corpse of a man with his throat slit open and suppressed a gasp, then looked for anyone who might be skulking in the shadows.
Is death rampant all over the city tonight?
Once the guards had moved on Sadira took a few deep breaths, stepped over the corpse, and walked to the other end of the alley. Sadira shuddered as a cold breeze blew through the alley and wished she had looked for a cloak at the safe house.
Peering out from the alley's threshold, Sadira didn't see anyone but felt compelled to stay put; then she found her sight drawn to a manor that she recognized as a noble's estate. Moments later the front door of the estate opened and Sadira briefly saw a well dressed man standing in the doorway before a brilliant fireball erupted, lighting up the street as if it were daytime. Sadira ducked down and covered her head as debris from the blast fell about her.
When she uncovered her eyes, Sadira saw that what had been a manor was now an inferno. It took Sadira's eyes some time to adjust before she saw the sword wielding figures running into the blaze, as if to finish off any who had survived.
Sadira stepped out of the alley and over debris as she left the burning manor behind. Squads of Maces hurried along the streets toward the manor and failed to see the young woman moving in the shadows.
The inn's common room was empty, save for a sleeping door guard. Sadira slowly made her way across the common room and up the stairs, drawing her short sword when she reached her own floor.
The corridor was empty. Sadira crept up to her door and felt the handle; it was warm. After putting her ear to the door Sadira was able to discern the sound of shallow breathing and abruptly threw the door open. A short figure stood by the table and Sadira lunged at it, her short sword aimed at the figure's throat. In a panic, the figure scrambled backwards and avoided Sadira's blade but lost balance and fell onto it's back.
Take his life!
You silence yourself!
"Tass, it's me you bloody fool, Ondrus sent me."
Sadira lowered her weapon and, once her eyes adjusted to the dark room, recognized Darach's squat form.
"This is the last bleeding time I go out on a limb for you," the gnome muttered, grunting as he stood and refusing Sadira's hand when she offered it.
"Hiding in the shadows of my room probably wasn't the best way to greet me and . . . what's that smell?"
"I didn't relish the thought of lighting a candle and giving you the idea that someone was waiting here to kill you or giving anyone looking for you the idea that you were here. The streets are dangerous tonight. Harpers and Cultists of the Dragon are going at it and the Maces have their hands full. We heard from another guild that you had been abducted by Harpers and Ondrus sent me here when he heard you had escaped."
"Why?"
"Ondrus looks after his own. He knows you are marked if you stay here so he's made arrangements to get you out of Elversult tonight. And before I forget," Darach removed a purse from his belt and handed it to Sadira; it was quite heavy, "That's your share of the loot from the Lord Norvel job, minus the cost to procure your escape. We'd better get moving."
"What about the Harpers and Cultists?" Sadira asked as she grabbed a cloak and hurriedly stuffed her belongings into a satchel.
"Don't worry about them, once we're on the streets I'll cast invisibility spells on both of us, just don't touch anything or the spell will be cancelled. Heh, you didn't know I was an illusionist did you?"
Sadira and Darach made their way through Elversult's streets, avoiding the worst of the guild war but frequently hearing explosions and the ring of steel. It took Sadira a while to get used to being led by the string tied to the invisible gnome's wrist but, once she did, their progress quickened. The two soon found themselves on the outskirts of the city where the roaring explosions were reduced to distant murmurs.
"This is it," Darach declared when they came upon a small caravan at the city's edge. The gnome untied the string from around his wrist, cancelling the invisibility spell.
"Hail friends," said a man as the two approached the caravan, "Ondrus has already paid for half of your passage therefore I suggest we be underway presently," the man paused and looked at Sadira, "I understand you have the other half."
"Not yet Saemon," Darach said, as he retrieved a purse from his belt and handed it to Sadira, "take this Tassa. Give it to him when he gets you to safety, and not a moment before."
Sadira nodded and promptly stowed the purse in her satchel, noting Saemon's dismayed countenance. Do not trust this one, the voice told Sadira.
"Very well," said Saemon, "I assure you ma'am, your journey will be as comfortable as possible while keeping you out of sight. Now if you would just climb onto that wagon we can be off."
"I am certain she did nothing," protested Galen.
"Whatever you think happened," said Lady Cirila, a senior Harper in Elversult, "Zarek and Cathal are both dead. And this woman you so vigorously defend is of Bhaal's blood."
"This is foolish. Whoever killed Zarek was strong enough to slice clean through his skull. It must have been the Cult of the Dragon, and they are probably holding her captive."
"Or maybe Sadira took advantage of a Cult attack in order to break free. Maybe she has joined the cultists."
"Do you really believe that?"
"I'm not sure what to believe at the moment. But I have talked with other leaders and we have agreed on one thing."
"And what is that?"
"Sadira is dangerous. She has no control over herself and has proven to be a thief and a murderer. If there are any professions less honorable than those she happens to excel at I do not know of them. Do not forget, Bhaal himself was an assassin before he was a god," Galen opened his mouth to speak but Cirila was not done yet, "Obviously, she is far too dangerous to be left to her own devices. Therefore, we have sent orders to all Harpers along the Dragon Coast and the Trader's Road to apprehend Sadira."
"That's a very large area," said Galen, "do you really have enough informants to cover it?"
"We have also requested, and been granted, the aid of the Order of the Most Radiant Heart."
Galen furrowed his brow, "What are you going to do if you find her?"
"Like I have already said, she is dangerous. I believe the only viable solution is a maze spell and many of my colleagues agree."
"Bloody Harpers," Galen muttered.
"You may leave now," said Lady Cirila, "I do not believe we will be in need of your services anymore, Galen."
Galen was stalking away from Lady Cirila's estate, cursing at the Harpers under his breath, when he felt a hand grab his shoulder and whirled around to see that it belonged to a tall cloaked man.
"And just who are you?" Galen asked.
The man withdrew his hand, "My name is not important, but I understand you are concerned about the fate of a certain Bhaalspawn, no?"
"How do you know about this? Are you another one of those Harpers?"
"I assure you I am nothing of the sort," the man replied a wry smile, "I have no information regarding the one for whom you are concerned. But there is another who will require your aid. If you are interested, go and wait at the Dragonreach Inn at Westgate."