Delve

The arena was situated in the southwestern corner of the city and it was screened from view by a tall wooden wall. The arena itself was a simple dirt ring in which various events would be held for general entertainment, including mock combat, tournaments, plays, and whatever else the owner could come up with. Rain had been meaning to check it out for some time, but had never had the opportunity. As it was, he’d barely made it on time.

As he entered the arena, it became clear to him why Velika had called them here. The stands weren’t exactly packed, but there were a lot of people in attendance, all of them presumably awakened. The man at the door hadn’t let him in until he showed his guild badge. The arena wasn’t that big, perhaps capable of seating five hundred or so on the wooden stands that surrounded the circle. He just hoped that Velika wanted to use the space because of the bleachers, not because she was planning some sort of tournament or something. Val would probably be thrilled…

He looked around the crowd, spotting Val standing next to Carten amid a group of other faces he recognized. Mahria seemed to be chatting with Khurt, the proprietor of the Guild tavern. Gus, Rankin, and a tired-looking Wallace were there as well. He estimated that there were around fifty members of the Guild here, of which only four wore the silver plate indicating that they had been through their level 25 class advancement. Everyone seemed to be wearing their plates openly, probably as a show of solidarity.

The Watch was here in force. There were at least a hundred officers wearing their bronze plates with the shield emblem, as well as a smaller number of sentinels with plates of silver. He counted them quickly, coming up with eighteen. The plates that the Watch used were identical to those used by the Guild, other than the symbol. Silver meant the same thing, namely that each and every one of them could kick his ass. No, a tournament would not go well for him.

The similarity of the plates had struck him as odd until he’d learned a bit of history from Staavo. Apparently, the Guild and the Watch had a common history. Both had split off from something called the Majistraal Ascensi Guildum. It had been the Majistraal’s organization for training mages, the plates used to rank the trainees. You weren’t considered a true member of the Majistraal Order itself until you reached platinum, which was an unreasonably high standard in these days.

The Bank used the same system of plates for convenience, but it didn’t have the same history for them as it did for the two groups descended from the Majistraal. Hence, they had taken even more liberties with the design. They used an ornate silver-bordered gold plate for anyone below level 25, including the unawakened. He saw only three of those plates in the crowd here, all huddled together.

The rest of the stands were filled with people wearing fancy clothing and no plates whatsoever. He assumed that these were the city’s awakened nobility. He hadn’t interacted much with them, and he was a bit surprised at how many there actually were. The Watch was definitely the power in the city, but most of their members had been out on patrol when the barrier went up. Now, it looked like the nobility had the edge when it came to sheer numbers. He had no idea how strong they were, of course. He recognized a few merchants from the market square mixed in with the nobles. He grinned when he spotted the magnificent mustache of the orange-robed man who had sold him a set of clothes back when he’d been rocking the hobo look. His daughter was standing next to him near the edge of the ring.

Rain started moving in that direction, headed to the Guild section at the back. As he grew closer to the merchant, he overheard snippets of conversation from the gathered people in the stands. He wasn’t able to glean much before a hush washed over the crowd. Velika had appeared, walking confidently out into the center of the dirt ring. She was equipped as he remembered, wearing lamellar armor and with swords and daggers strapped everywhere.

“Okay!” she shouted. “Shut the hells up and sit down!”

Rain quickly searched for a spot, finding one next to the mustachioed merchant’s daughter. He sat down quickly, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. The little girl gasped and pointed him out to her father as he sat. The man raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything, simply hushing his daughter and nodding in the direction of the ring. Rain smiled. He hadn’t expected the man to recognize him. He was looking forward to their reaction when he removed his helmet, assuming that they remembered him at all. It didn’t matter, he just wanted to make sure to find the time to thank the man for selling to someone as sketchy looking as he had been.

“QUIET!” a man’s voice shouted. “Citizen Sadanis has given you a command! You WILL obey!”

Rain turned his attention back to the ring, seeing that a man in a finely dressed suit had joined Velika. By the outfit, he was clearly someone important. Who’s this guy? Did she bring someone in through the teleportation platform?

The noise quickly died completely, leaving the arena in silence. The man spoke, addressing the assembled crowd.

“I thank you all for coming. I am Lord Arta Rill, as most of you will already be aware. It is my great honor to speak for Citizen Sadanis. The Rill family will be assisting her in the formation of her new administration, and as the head of the family, it is my—”

Lord Rill cut off whatever it was he was going to say as Velika glared at him. He nodded, then began again. “More on that later. Before I begin, Citizen Sadanis wishes to address you directly.”

“Thank you, Lord Rill,” Velika said curtly, then motioned him back so she stood alone in the circle. She spun slowly in place, staring into the crowd. Rain shivered as her eyes lingered on him.

“Well?” she said, stopping her spin as her gaze fell on the collected members of the Watch. “This is your shot. There’s hundreds of you and only one of me. I dare you to try it.”

The crowd tensed. The Watch looked furious. And armed. One officer even went as far as to start drawing back on his bow before the sentinel standing next to him placed her hand on his arm. It was Lamida, her red robe and stern features immediately recognizable. She stood, staring down at Velika from her position in the middle of the stands.

“The Watch offers no challenge,” she said simply, her face cool and controlled. “We recognize the futility of any such action.” The other sentinels hid their discontent poorly, or in several cases, didn’t even try.

“And you speak for all?” Velika said, staring at Lamida.

“I do,” Lamida said.

“Good,” Velika said, turning her back on the Watch. Rain tensed. No matter what Lamida said, his intuition was telling him to run and hide. The air felt sharp like the edge of a hot knife. The Watch had already fought Velika in the initial conflict and been shut down hard by all accounts. Not a single one of them had even managed to touch her. She’d incapacitated without killing, as if she’d been toying with them. The difference between silver and gold was massive. Still, if they all attack at once, there’s no way they couldn’t take her down. Why are they just sitting there? Are they out of mana? Some of them might be, sure, but they’ve got fighters, as well as mages. Is she really that strong?

Lamida sat down. Velika waited, smiling confidently as silence returned, her back still to the assembled members of the Watch. Eventually, she snorted and shook her head, motioning to Lord Rill to resume.

“Thank you, Citizen Sadanis,” said Lord Rill, bowing formally. He spread his arms wide. “Attention, awakened of Fel Sadanis. I will now inform you of the new laws and policies that have been put into place by the esteemed Citizen. It is your duty to spread this word to the unawakened peasantry.”

“Firstly, the word of the Citizen is law within the city. You will address her only as Citizen, Citizen Sadanis, or Citizen Fel Sadanis. This is the law of the DKE. Within the city, she has no equal, including any other Citizens should they deign to grace us with their presence. You will show her respect, above all.”

“Second, Citizen Sadanis has instructed the Rill family to begin the formation of a new organization for the management of the city. The Sadanis Guard is hereby founded, with me at its head.” As he said this, a pair of banners were unfurled over the entrances to the arena, each showing a jagged white hawk painted on the blue of the fabric. “I give you the lightning hawk of the Sadanis Guard. This is the personal emblem of Citizen Sadanis and it will be borne by all members of the city administration. Awakened or not, noble or not, all are hereby bound to respect the authority of the Sadanis Guard in all matters. Any person attempting to usurp this authority or impersonate a member of the guard will be summarily executed.”

Belatedly, Rain noticed that the man was wearing a white hawk as a pin on his lapel. Looking through the crowd, he spotted several more people wearing the pins. Okay then, she’s already gotten the support of at least a few of the noble houses. Still, is the Watch really going to stand for this?

The crowd looked restless, but Lord Rill pressed on, heedless. “Citizen Sadanis does recognize that the global organizations of the Watch, the Guild, and the Bank do not fall under the authority of the DKE as has been agreed in the Treaty of Halfstone. However, due to the wartime measures lawfully enacted for the protection of the city, this independence shall be limited. No one save Citizen Sadanis may pass through the barrier. No exceptions will be made. The three organizations will be left to manage their own internal affairs provided that their interests do not conflict with those of Citizen Sadanis. Should any members of those organizations wish to revoke their affiliation and join the Sadanis Guard, they may do so at the discretion of the Citizen.”

At least she’s not going to try to take over the Guild or anything. This might not be as bad as I thought…

“Why isn’t the Citizen talking?” he overheard the little girl whisper to her father. Rain tilted his head. Good question. Velika doesn't seem like the type for long speeches, but still. Maybe she just didn’t want to deal with it?

“Hush, Ava,” the merchant said softly.

“But I want to know!” the girl protested, her voice rising slightly. Rain winced as Velika looked over at them. Lord Rill didn’t seem to notice, continuing with his speech. Rain turned his attention back to what the noble was saying as the merchant struggled with his daughter.

“Citizen Sadanis wishes for this transition to be as painless as possible. To that end, she will not be making any large changes to the running of the city until such a time as the guard is fully established. That said, she has asked me to inform you of the following three items. I will be brief, at her request. You may contact a member of my house for clarification when the meeting has been concluded. The first item of business concerns the lair beneath the city. The Fells shall be reserved for the sole use of Citizen Sadanis for the purpose of awakening loyal members of her guard. All access by any other party is hereby revoked.” There were a few cries of outrage at this, but Lord Rill ignored them, raising his voice to cut through the chatter.

“Second, Citizen Sadanis demands a tribute of ten Tel per awakened to finance the founding of the guard. This is non-negotiable and must be paid within two days. The Bank has agreed to oversee the collection. The tribute will be collected by Enforcer Sannin personally. Additional changes to the city’s tax code shall be discussed at a later time. Further to that topic, Enforcer Sannin has been appointed as the Bank’s official liaison to Citizen Sadanis as he is the ranking member of the Bank within the city. ”

As the noble spoke, a black-suited man walked forward to stand beside Velika. He had a stern, gaunt face and stone grey hair. He wore an ornate plate around his neck, made of gold and with a large ruby bearing the Bank’s emblem inset into it. The black sheath at his waist hung casually, like the sword it contained was a part of him. His outfit was similar to the uniforms of the regular bank employees, but without the golden trim. The gold and ruby plate around his neck was the only color he wore. Enforcer? Where did he come from? He doesn’t look like a banker, he looks…deadly.Damn it, looking casually evil is my thing. At least it’s only ten Tel. That’s not so bad…

“Third, and finally, until such a time as the Sadanis Guard is fully established, Citizen Sadanis will be calling on the Guild and the Watch to assist with issues pertaining to the security of the city and the maintenance of order. These requests will be submitted through the normal channels to those organizations in the form of quests and petitions. The requests will be mandatory and there will be no compensation. The organizations will be penalized if they are not completed in a timely manner.”

That’s one way to handle it I suppose. It doesn’t really look like she’s got enough people behind her to run the city, so she isn’t even going to try. She’s going to make us do it for her. Why, though? Why didn’t she just bring in her people from outside? She’s a noble, so she’s got to have people. She’s got this Lord Rill fellow, but he seems to be from Fel Sadanis. Probably a minor noble family that just pounced on the opportunity to get themselves some power. There’s something fishy about the whole setup here. Either Westbridge is really confident in her ability to handle it, or he doesn’t give a shit what happens. What am I missing?

Lord Rill paused, letting the three commands settle. The crowd murmured unhappily as they waited for him to continue, but he did not, simply looking to Velika. She nodded to him, then turned and started walking toward the exit.

“What? That’s it?!” shouted a voice from the crowd. Rain winced. Damn it Carten. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Carten got to his feet, hefting his shields and clanging them together. “You can’t just barge in here and tell us what to do! I ain’t workin’ for free, that’s for damn sure.”

Velika laughed and turned to face him. “Yes, I can.” She tilted her head, as if considering, then smiled. “I remember you.” She continued staring at him speculatively, then suddenly nodded. “You’ll do. Come to my estate. I have a use for you.”

“Wait, what?” Carten said.

Velika grinned. “You heard me. Don’t make me wait too long.”

“What do you want from him?” Val said, standing up beside Carten. Shit, this is bad. Rain got to his feet as well, though he wasn’t sure what he could actually do about this if things got started for real.

Velika’s eyes flicked to him before she looked back at Carten. “Nothing too onerous. I suspect he’ll be more than willing once he hears what I have in mind.”

To Rain’s surprise, Rankin stood next. “No, my lady, you said that I would be in charge of the Guild!” Rain didn’t miss the hawk pin on the collar of his Guild uniform. I should have known he’d sell-out.

“Silence!” Lord Rill shouted. “You will address Citizen Sadanis with respect!” He stressed the title, making it clear that ‘my lady’ was insufficient.

Rankin opened his mouth. “But—”

“Enough,” Velika said, slicing her arm through the air. “This is an unrelated matter. You are still in charge of the Guild. You will keep them in line, or I will replace you.” She turned to look at Carten. “Be there by eighth bell if you are interested. Consider it…an invitation. Optional.” She grinned at him. “I hope you are as durable as you look.” She spun on her heel, walking for the exit. “Dismissed!” she shouted, then vanished in a puff of dust. Rain blinked as the wave of sound from her departure crashed over the stands. So fast!

The crowd burst into discussion, the volume quickly rising as people got to their feet. Damn it, what the hell does she want with Carten? She better not give him any responsibility. I can’t think of a single person more unfit to hold office…okay, maybe one.

“Well, that was certainly interesting,” said the deep voice of the merchant sitting beside him. “You see, Ava, that wasn’t so boring. She’s not much for long-winded speeches, that one.”

“Yes it was!” said the little girl, Ava. “I’m hungry. Can we go?”

“Soon enough, Ava, soon enough.” The man turned to look at Rain. “Pardon me, adventurer, I am curious. Do you know that man? The one with the shields?”

Rain sighed. “Yeah, I know him.”

The merchant laughed. “Do you think he has any idea what he’s in for? You’ve heard the rumors about our new Citizen, yes?”

“What rumors?” Rain said, watching Carten worriedly. “I’ve been pretty busy.” Val was slapping the big man on the back for some reason, though Carten just looked confused.

The merchant looked down at his daughter, then back up at Rain. “Nothing I can say in front of my daughter, if you take my meaning.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively. “If what I hear is true, he’d be the third man she’s…propositioned since she came to the city. I haven’t been able to confirm anything, but she’s hardly been discreet. I think your friend is in for a rough night.”

Rain froze. Judging by the tone Velika had been using… Oh no, he’s right. How did I miss that? Carten, run. Death by snu-snu.

His thoughts were interrupted by the offered hand of the merchant, thrust forward enthusiastically. “Hello, I confess that I only asked about your friend as a way of breaking the ice. I just wanted to introduce myself to you as you appear to be an interesting person. I love interesting people. Mlemlek Ko-Latti, at your service.”

Rain looked at the bald-headed merchant, reaching out distractedly to shake his hand. He was still trying to decide if he could be misinterpreting what Velika wanted Carten for. He blinked as what the man had said filtered through to him. Wait…what? “Uh, sorry, what was your name again? I think I heard it wrong, sorry.”

“No worries at all. I understand it can be quite difficult for anyone who hasn’t been to the isles. Mlemlek Ko-Latti, wandering merchant extraordinaire. You can just call me Mlem if you prefer, most people do. Not Lem, mind, I have standards. And you are?”

Mlem? Really? Like the tongue thing? Seeing that the man was waiting for his response, Rain shook himself back to reality. “Rain. We’ve actually met before.”

“Really?” Mlem said. “I would think I would remember meeting a man such as yourself.”

“Really,” Rain said. “You sold me some clothes a few weeks ago, right here in Fel Sadanis. I’m not surprised you don’t recognize me. I wasn’t wearing the armor.”

“Humm, a puzzle. Your voice does sound somewhat familiar. I apologize, but I do not recognize you.”

Rain grinned and flipped up his visor, activating Force Ward, just in case. He was conscious of all the people arguing around him in the stands. “And now?”

“Daddy! It’s the rag man!” Ava shouted, pointing at his face.

Rain blinked, then quickly contorted his features into mock outrage. “Rag man?” he said, looking down at Ava. “Well I never!”

Mlem’s laugh was deep and hearty as he ruffled his daughter’s hair. “You see, Ava! I told you I had a feeling about him. What’s the third rule?”

“Trust your gut,” Ava replied quickly.

“Good girl,” He smiled, looking back to Rain. “You are a marvelous actor, sir. What was it, some sort of test? Pretending not to know the language? Trying to see if I would take advantage?”

Rain smiled, flipping down his visor. He didn’t trust himself to bluff his way out of explaining how he’d learned an entire language in less than a month. “Something like that.”

“Ah, mysterious. Very good. A man should have secrets. I love the armor and the cloak, by the way. It really works.” He looked around the arena, then sighed. “I think it is time for me to leave. There’s no business to be had here. Well, if you ever need anything again, be sure to look for me. I might not have much now, but I’ll bet I have at least something you’d be interested in. I promise not to overcharge you now that I know you’re famous.”

“I’m not famous,” Rain said reflexively.

“Oh, you are, Night Cleaner, the entire city is talking about you.”

“Wait, Night Cleaner? Who’s calling me that? That’s so…”

Mlem laughed. “Trust me, it could be worse.” He looked down at his daughter. “’Rag man’, for example,” he said, continuing in a chiding tone. “What have I told you about insulting the customers, Ava?”

“I think it’s a great name,” Ava said, offering him her hand in imitation of her father. “Hi, I’m Ava,”

Rain shook her hand warmly. “It is nice to meet you, Ava.”

Mlem smiled. “She’s always underfoot, but she’s adorable, no?” He patted her head, then looked up at him. “We’ll see you later, yes? I’ve got a space over by the market square, or at least, what’s left of it.”

“Sure,” Rain said, nodding. “I’ll stop by sometime. I need to go find Carten before he gets himself in even more trouble.”

“Good luck with that,” Mlem said cheerily. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Rain.”

“Bye Rain!” Ava said, waving as her father towed her away. He raised his hand to return the wave, smiling under his helmet. His smile quickly faded as the clamor in the stands continued. It seemed to be breaking up into camps, nobles on one side, the Watch and the Guild on the other. It didn’t look like it would become violent, but…

Velika snarled at the servant hovering outside her room as she snatched the tray out of his hands. She glared at him as he shrunk back. “If anyone knocks on this door before my guest gets here, they will be scraping your insides off the ceiling.”

She slammed the door in the terrified man’s face and sighed, walking over to her desk and setting down the tray before unbuckling the massive sword from her back. I don’t know why I even bother with this thing. She let it fall carelessly to the ground with a loud crash, then set about removing the rest of her equipment. She showed much more respect for the Osaran swords she wore at her waist. Her skin prickled as she removed her armor, the cold air sharp against her bare flesh. It was refreshing after the oppressive heat of the city. Halgrave’s mansion was outfitted with chiller plates, an oasis of luxury in this pitiful backwater.

She slipped into a plain tunic that was too large for her, then slumped into the chair and grabbed a chicken leg. She started gnawing on it tiredly, her hunger overpowering her desire to just crawl into Halgrave’s massive bed and fall asleep. Using as much stamina as she had over the past few days had left her hungry and exhausted. It wasn’t like she could have taken it easy, though. She had to make an impression. She had to be fast, too fast for anyone to even think that they’d have a chance against her. It was all she had.

I should be okay, now. If they didn’t take their shot then, then they probably never will. I don’t know what I would have done if they had attacked… I can’t stand up to all of them, not all at once. They have to believe that I can, though, because if not… If they think they can beat me…

She swallowed unhappily, opening up her status screen with greasy fingers. She flicked through the pages, stopping on the one that displayed her progress to the next level. She was level 48, almost there, and yet so, so far away. She needed to be out hunting, not trapped here in this city. Damn Westbridge. Damn the DKE. Damn shitty city with its damn low-level lair. This wasn’t the deal. It’s not fair. What the fuck are they thinking, doing this to me?

She dismissed the panel with an angry swipe and took another bite of chicken. The meat was underseasoned and overcooked, but she was wishing for more by the time she polished off the entire bird, including the bones. She liked the way that they crunched when she bit into them, so she always saved them for last. Her stomach rumbled and she contemplated calling the servant back, but decided against it. Rest and whatever relaxation she could find was more important than food right now. She wiped off her hands and flopped down onto the bed, rubbing her eyes.

How did I get here? I thought I’d have people to run the city for me…people I can trust, not that snake Arta. What’s his game? He’s meek as milk when we’re out in public, but he’s always going off and doing things on his own, thinking he knows best. Hells, he told me as much to my face yesterday, the smarmy bastard. He’s useful, but…is he trying to manipulate me? Make me rely on him, then take power for himself? Fuck. I’ll kill him if he tries it, no matter what Westbridge said. His advice is worth less than shit, the backstabbing fuck. I don’t need allies or a bureaucracy. Fuck all of that. I’ll let Arta handle it, and if he gets any ideas, I’ll rip his arms off. Westbridge, too. When I get my hands on him…

Velika took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She crammed her anger down deep inside herself, then let her breath out in a sigh. She rolled over to lie on her stomach and closed her eyes, letting her arm dangle off the side of the bed. I just want to…I just wanted…not this.