Shadows of Deceit

Epic Fantasy / 6000 words

PREFACE: It’s been a while since we’ve seen Reikk… close to a year! Much too long. What’s he been up to? Let’s find out together, in this story where we find him still on his quest for a mysterious old man.

It was raining by the time I came out of the mountain and my cloak did little to keep me dry. I knew a spell or two that could help, but I’d run into so many issues in the last couple of days that I was wary of spending energy on such a trivial matter. The road south was not safe, as it was reputedly overrun by bandits; and the weather was bound to raise more trouble.

Merchants I crossed on the way down told me there was a village near the foot of the mountain, and I’d decided to stop there to get some well-needed rest before I tackled the dangers ahead. With some luck, the rain would stop before I set off again in the morning.

It was mid-afternoon when I reached Elenhac. There were few people in the streets—which was not surprising, considering the weather. Those I saw threw me worried glances—something I’ve grown to expect, if not to accept—as they rushed off for cover.

I stopped at the first inn I found, jumped off my horse, and hurried inside.

Water dripped off me as I stepped into the establishment. My clothes were soaked and my hair was drenched. The wooden floor creaked as I walked through the room, ignoring wary stares from the few patrons who sat at the tables.

The innkeeper stood behind the counter, watching me with a frown as I approached.

I pulled some coins out of my pouch and slapped them between us.

“I need a room for tonight,” I said. “And a pitcher of water.”

The frown turned to a scowl.

“Water?”

Someone behind me laughed.

“There’s plenty of that outside, stranger. Just go back out, open your mouth, and drink your fill.”

Ignoring the barb, I kept my eyes on the owner.

“Aye. Water.”

The innkeeper stared at me for a moment, then shrugged, grabbed the coins, and walked off.

“Are you deaf, stranger?”

I turned and grabbed the man’s wrist before his hand could reach my shoulder.

“Touch me,” I said coolly, “and I’ll break your hand.”

I’d put enough pressure in my grip to elicit a gasp from the man. Satisfied, I let him go and leaned back against the counter, though I kept my eyes on him.

He rubbed his wrist, glaring at me.

“No need to get all worked up, stranger. Was just trying to be friendly.”

The other patrons were all staring into their glasses, except for one man in the back—gray tussled hair, a small mustache, and a square jaw I suspected would get broken soon from the way he looked at me.

“I’d rather you didn’t.” I motioned toward the table behind the idiot who was trying to be smart. “Now if you’d be kind enough to sit back down, we can pretend this never happened and get on with our lives.”

He grunted on his way to the chair.

I turned to the counter and saw the innkeeper had returned. He’d set a key, a glass, and a pitcher of water in front of me.

“Room 5, first floor,” he said. “I’d rather you drank up there, if it’s all the same to you.”

I considered that for a moment. Shrugged, grabbed the three items, and headed toward the stairs. On the way, I noticed the gray-haired man was gone.

Perhaps I’d been wrong about his jaw after all.

***

When it stopped raining, an hour later, I decided to go for a walk. The streets were busier now, and as usual people shot me wary glances. But as time passed, I grew increasingly uncomfortable. Something was off.

It took me another ten minutes to figure it out.

They were not wary, they were afraid. And I did not get the sense it was of me—at least not in a direct way. There was something else going on.

When I tried to ask questions about it, most would just quicken their pace and hurry off. A few however whispered about bodies being found but refused to say more, looking nervously around, as if worried someone might overhear them.

Trying to get information out of these people was frustrating work and I gave up. It was none of my business after all. I’d be out of here in the morning—and good riddance to them all.

A light rain returned as night fell. I started back toward the inn when I got the sense that someone was following me.

I took a sharp turn into an alley and whispered Words that would help me melt into the shadows. I leaned against the wall and waited.

Within a minute, a tall man with gray hair and a square jaw slipped into the alley. That same fellow who had watched me at the inn.

Looked like I hadn’t been wrong.

Soon as he’d passed me, I walked up to him and tapped on his shoulder.

He spun around and I punched him in the face.

Bone cracked as he fell to the ground.

Told you I’d break his jaw.

I knelt over him as he squirmed and whined.

“Why have you been following me?” I asked.

“You know why!” he hissed.

“Pretend I don’t.”

He pulled himself into a sitting position, leaning his back against the wall. He rubbed his jaw and winced.

“You broke it!”

“I did. Now answer my question if you don’t want me to break something else.”

“We know you work for him. Did you really think we’d let you set us up? You can kill me if you want, there’s plenty more of us.”

I quirked a brow. “Kill you? Now why would I do that?”

He turned his head and spat out some blood. “Like I said, we know who you work for.”

“And who would that be?”

He glared at me.

I slapped him.

He yelped.

“Next time, something will break. Now talk. Who am I supposed to be working for?”

“What game are you playing?” he hissed. “You think you can fool me into believing Vedavan didn’t hire you? You are the fool if you think so.”

“Vedavan,” I muttered. “Remind me why he hired me?”

A wicked smile formed on the man’s lips. It took me two seconds to realize what it meant—which, of course, was one second too late.

Something hard hit me on the back of the head and I slumped to the ground as someone shouted in the distance.

***

A small hand shook my shoulder, jolting me back to wakefulness.

Rain thumped against my skull as I opened my eyes and found two boys and two girls staring down at me. The oldest couldn’t have been more than twelve.

They leaned back when they saw me move.

“Are you alright, mister?” asked one of the girls.

I rubbed my soaked head and nodded. “Looks like I’m not missing any vital pieces.”

“A bad man hit you,” she explained.

“We scared him away,” said one of the boys proudly.

“The four of you?” I asked dubiously as I pulled myself up.

The second girl giggled and pointed toward the street. “The others are still chasing them. They like to throw rocks at bad men.”

“I see. Do you know who they were?”

The children shifted uncomfortably, throwing each other questioning glances.

“You’re all right,” said the first girl. “We should go now.”

“Please.” I grabbed the youngest boy’s shoulder. “I need to understand what’s going on here...”

“We don’t want no trouble with Lord Devar,” he muttered.

The second girl hissed. “Damen! You know we can’t talk about him.” She grabbed the boy’s arm and pulled him away from me. “Let’s go. We had better hurry before we get into trouble.”

All four hurried off without another glance at me.

I had two names now, but still no idea what I had gotten myself into. But I was resolved to find out. Preferably before someone else hit me—or tried to.

Very well, then. If everyone thought I was an outsider hired by this Vedavan, perhaps I should play the part and find out what exactly I was supposedly hired to do.

It took some work to pull off what I had in mind. Asking around the next day about the man only got me frightened looks or glares, depending on who I asked. This fellow was clearly well-known and either disliked or feared. I eventually got directions from a drunkard—likely too drunk to care.

This brought me to a large house at the edge of town. Two guards were posted at the entrance, with a ledge over their heads to shelter them from the rain. They squinted at me when I showed up.

“What’s your business?” asked the one on the right.

His companion elbowed him in the ribs.

“You blind, Grek? That’s Suran!”

The other’s eyes went wide. “Oh. I thought he looked familiar.” He blinked. “I mean you looked familiar. Well, look. Ah. Sorry, sir. I’ll let the boss know you’re here. He’ll want to see you right away, I’m sure.”

Grek turned and rushed off toward the house while the second man stared at me.

“Are you going to just let me get soaked out here while I wait?” I asked.

The guard grimaced. “No, I suppose not. I’ll take you to the lobby. Follow me.”

By the time we reached the lobby, however, the other guard returned.

“Lord Vedavan will see you now. Come.”

I fell in step behind him and looked around as we walked through a richly decorated hall. The paintings on the walls depicted regal-looking men and women whom I assumed were ancestors of the man I was about to meet.

The man in question stood at the center of his library. He wore a blue satin shirt with gold-rimmed cuffs, a doublet, and a ring on each finger. A velvet cape hung from his shoulders—which I thought was a bit much.

He looked me up and down.

“So you’re Suran?” he asked. I said nothing. He frowned. “I didn’t know you had red hair.”

“Will that be a problem?”

A shrug. “So long as you do what I pay you to do, I couldn’t care less.”

“And what would you like me to do?”

He snorted. “What you do best, of course.”

Damn him! He wasn’t making things easy for me. How could I get answers without letting him on that I wasn’t who he thought I was?

I tried a different approach.

“How about you tell me why you need my help?”

Vedavan squinted. “What does that matter to you?”

I crossed my arms. “I am more effective when I know what’s going on.”

“That makes sense.” He sighed. “Well. It’s like this. Corpses have been popping up all around town. And while evidence was found, it is conflicting. Some point to Lord Devar, some point to me. Which is preposterous! I had nothing to do with any of this. Devar must be trying to shift the blame on me—that despicable excuse for a human being!”

Pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place.

“I assume this is why everyone looks so frightened?”

“They do? Ah. Well, I suppose they would. It’s a complicated situation, between the murders and the conflicting evidence, no one knows who is responsible or who they can trust.”

“And who is this Lord Devar exactly?”

Vedavan started pacing with his hands in his back. “There are four of us on the Council. Our families have ruled over Elenhac for hundreds of years. Legends say our ancestors were brothers. I have my doubts. Either way, we have grown apart over the generations and I suspect Devar would rather rule alone.”

“You say there are four of you? What about the other two? Could they have something to do with this?”

“Unlikely. Ladral has been away for months and Esculiath refuses to take sides. He says we must sort things out between us.” Vedavan spun to face me, a frown on his face. “Have we met before? I feel like we have.”

“I’m sure we haven’t.”

“You look familiar.”

“I get that a lot. But to get back on topic, could it be one of your men doing this without your knowledge?”

Vedavan pointed a finger at me. “I did not hire you to worry about my men, Suran! I hired you to prove they did it and that we did not. I don’t care how you do it, just do it.”

“In other words, you are asking me to fabricate evidence?”

“I’m glad to see we understand each other.”

“Why not do it yourself?”

He stared at me. “Is it not enough that I hired you? Are you so vain you need to hear me praise your skills? You have a reputation, Suran, and I expect you to live up to it.”

If the conversation left me with a sense of unease, it at least clarified the situation.

***

I considered my options as I made my way back to the inn. While I disliked being pounced upon, none of this was any of my business. No one had asked for my help after all... Well, technically, Vedavan had, but he believed he was speaking to somebody else. Nor was he asking me to find answers, rather to manipulate evidence in his favor. I was not so inclined.

The sensible thing to do was to pick up my stuff and leave. Which I resolved I would. Let them sort out the mess.

As I turned a corner, an arrow whizzed past my head, missing me by an inch. I rolled to the floor even as I uttered a Word to activate my shield. Leaning against the wall, I probed the surroundings with my mind—aiming high as I suspected the shooter was on a rooftop. I found his agitated thoughts within seconds. Another arrow flew down and hit a wooden sign above me that claimed proudly “peace to all men.” I had no time to snicker, busy as I was casting a spell that would send rocks raining down on the bowman.

Transferring them here from the mountain I’d crossed was easy enough, but I had to be cautious about the weight. If I pulled too much, not only could it weaken the structure of the rock face and cause landslides—endangering potential travelers—it could also strain the spell and send me sprawling across the floor. I didn’t care much for that thought.

The bowman screamed and cursed as gravel pummelled him from out of nowhere. I popped my head over the edge and caught a glimpse of the man’s panicked face as he turned and fled.

I was in a foul mood by the time I reached the inn. It was bad enough they’d mugged me, now they tried to kill me?

Of course, it wasn’t me they were trying to kill. But that didn’t matter, did it? I was too pissed to care.

The innkeeper took a step back when he saw me marching toward him.

“You! Tell me where I can find Lord Devar.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. Looked around, as if hoping someone would come to his rescue. I grabbed him by the collar and shook him.

“Talk. Now!”

The man grimaced before spouting out an address.

I let him go and headed back out.

***

The place was packed with men, though I saw no traces of magic. If they checked me, they’d see plenty. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Part of my anger, I realized, was with myself. I had been careless. After the previous day’s brawl, I should have kept a shield up. That first arrow had come way too close.

I marched up to the gate and stopped a few paces from the guards. Four of them had drawn their swords and were pointing them at me.

The rain had stopped, and the sun was lighting the sky. Despite the pleasant change, it did nothing to liven my mood.

“I want to see Lord Devar,” I requested.

The second man from the right took a step forward, looking me up and down.

“You’re that scumbag Vedavan hired. You have some nerve showing up here. I should skewer you here and now.”

I gave him my nastiest smile.

“You’re welcome to try.”

He squinted and I held his gaze.

One of his companions grew restless and rushed me.

I lifted a hand and waved him off with a gust of wind, my eyes still set on the first guy.

That one wavered when he saw the other fly away.

“What do you want?” he groaned.

“I told you. I want to chat with your boss. Now, will you let me in or would you rather we did this the hard way?”

More guards had gathered around the first group—with some helping their fallen friend.

The man tried to give me a matching smile. Call me biased, but I feel like he failed.

“I think we’ll give you an escort,” he said.

I shrugged. “You can bring an army along if it makes you feel safer. Couldn’t care less.”

It’s easy to act as if nothing fazes you. Do it long enough and it becomes second nature. A lot of bluffing goes into it, of course. And though I wasn’t showing it, their growing numbers were making me nervous. Shield or not, I’d be in a bad spot if they decided to jump me. I could port out, but the close range would make it difficult to slip away before they got a grip on me.

At this point, acting like I controlled the situation gave me a higher chance of survival.

Still, I was starting to question the wisdom of my actions.

Perhaps I should have given this more thought before I rushed in.

The group led me into the house, forming a tight ring around me. We walked down a couple of halls before entering a large reception area. Someone must have gone ahead to give warning, as more men stood there waiting, some with their swords drawn.

In the back sat a man in a golden chair—did he think himself a king? Irrational as it may be, the thought irked me.

He crossed his arms as I approached, staring at me.

“You are Devar?” I asked.

Someone hit me in the back—or tried to, but only managed to bump into my shield.

“That’s Lord to you, scum.”

I ignored him.

Devar narrowed his eyes. “I am trying to decide whether I should kill you right now or lock you up in a dungeon.”

“I guess that’s a yes. Now that that’s cleared up, let me make something else very clear. I am not, nor have I ever been, a mercenary. And my name is not Suran. I am Reikk.”

A few heads turned and I could see some surprised looks around me.

The lord of the house stood and waved a finger at me.

“You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? I’m not going to fall for that! Vedavan sent you to kill me, I’ll bet!”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. “He didn’t send me. No one sent me. I’m just passing through Elenhac on my way south. I don’t appreciate getting jumped or shot at by your bowman when I’m just minding my own business.”

He clenched his fists. “How dare you speak to me like this in my own home? Accusing me of things I had nothing to do with? I don’t even have any bowmen! Is this some sort of trick to discredit me? Well, it won’t work!”

I was growing frustrated with the exchange.

“Discredit you? I couldn’t care less about you—or Vedavan, for that matter. I just want to be left alone. You suggested he might have sent me to kill you. Well, if I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead.”

The guard I had spoken to burst out laughing.

“You’ve got quite a mouth on you, don’t you? Have you looked around? You couldn’t hurt a fly without us putting a dozen holes into you first.”

I glanced at him. “You haven’t been paying attention if you think that.” I took a step forward and the two men closest to me moved back. “Should I demonstrate?”

Devar grunted. “Killing me is not the point, though, is it? No, it wouldn’t serve his purpose. He would rather disgrace me. All of us, in fact, so he’s the only one left to run the town.”

I was about to answer when a man came running in. He stopped before his lord and bowed his head.

“Sir! Another stranger has just arrived in Elenhac.”

I snorted. “That must be the real Suran. Is that proof enough for you?”

The guard tilted his head, considering me thoughtfully.

“You do look like Reikk...” He frowned. “Though I’m not sure how I’d know that.”

I shrugged. “It is who I am. Now, if you’ll excuse me...”

“Wait!” I paused and looked at Devar. “If you’re who you say you are... People say you help those who ask?”

“Are you asking?”

“Things have gotten out of hand, as you know. It needs to stop. But we can’t do anything unless we find out who is behind those murders.”

At least he wasn’t asking me to place the blame on someone else. That earned him some points.

“Alright,” I said. “I’ll see if I can sort this mess out. Just keep your men off my back!”

I spun. The guards made way for me, and I marched out.

***

I should have said no. Who was this man to me? He had irritated me, so why should I help him? Because I was annoyed enough I wanted to find answers. Simple as that.

Wandering the streets of Elenhac, I considered what my next step should be. Approaching the other two lords seemed reasonable. I needed to ascertain they were not involved before any other move. And I’d have to act fast—if Suran was in town, it was bound to make matters more complicated. The man would be pissed I’d impersonated him; and Vedavan might be upset enough to send some of his goons after me.

A scream rang in the distance. It was a distinctive scream, of a kind I’d heard before. The kind a man makes when he is gutted.

Remembering what I’d been told about the ongoing murders, I turned and hurried toward the source of the sound. Magic helped me locate the corpse after the echo had faded. It lay on the cobbled floor of a small dark alley. The nearby street, despite its size and the time—it was the middle of the afternoon—, was empty. Likely the scream had sent them scurrying off. Someone would likely warn the authorities, but for now I was alone with the body.

I knelt next to the man. He was in his early thirties, with a well-trimmed mustache as black as his hair. His clothes were neat—unwrinkled and unstained—hinting at some wealth. I searched for a wound but found none.

With a frown, I brought my veil up and looked at the scene through its lens. Not only had magic been the murder weapon, it had done more than just kill. The victim’s soul had been ripped out of him. Which meant sacramant.

I dropped the veil, stood, and hurried away. I did not care to be found next to that body.

Something sinister was going on here, and I was determined to put an end to it.

After wringing the addresses of the two lords out from a passerby, I proceeded to visit them.

Lord Ladral was indeed away. His men informed me he was on a trip overseas. He was not expected to return for another four months, and it had been about as much since he’d left. Which absolved him, as the murders had been going on for three weeks.

When I knocked at Lord Esculiath’s door, I was shown in by a tall blonde woman with a shining smile.

“Yes, he is here,” she said. “I’m sure he will be delighted to see you. He is always pleased to get visitors. Follow me.”

She took me to a comfortable sitting room and motioned for me to take a seat.

“Please. He will join you momentarily.”

I sat and, as I waited, admired the intricately woven tapestries on the walls. The patterns were mesmerizing. One, in particular, intrigued me, as its motif felt somewhat familiar though I could not place it.

Within a couple of minutes, I heard footsteps approaching. The door swung open and a small man walked in. He wore the same gray jacket—albeit cleaner—as the first time I’d met him, and still had around his neck the amulet with a half-closed eye and a sun in the place of its pupil.

I stared in disbelief at the familiar face.

The man froze when he saw me.

“Reikk!”

He looked as stunned as I was.

“Tharak?”

He laughed as he sat across from me. “Yes, yes! It is I! Yes indeed. Well, I never expected—”

“Nor I. I thought I was going to meet—”

“Lord Esculiath?”

“Well, yes.”

He motioned at himself.

“In the flesh.”

“You?”

“Tharak Esculiath, at your service.”

“You live here?”

He grinned. “I inherited the place from my parents some years ago—along with a seat at the Council. Honestly, I could do without the latter, but what’s a man to do? Responsibilities are a hassle. But enough about me! What’s brought you to Elenhac?”

“I’m only passing through. Still on my way to the Ghurdhim Pass—”

“Oh.”

“—but I got embroiled in some disturbing business in this lovely town of yours.”

“Really? I’d be happy to help if I can. Tell me what happened.”

So I did, leaving out nothing, and when I was done he leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression.

“I’ve heard of Suran. This is all quite troubling indeed.”

“Can I ask you why you decided to remain neutral in this matter?”

He sighed. “I never enjoyed the responsibilities, Reikk, and this felt like too much of a headache. I figured they’d eventually sort things out, one way or another. But now you’re here, and that changes everything.”

“It does?”

“Of course! I still owe you, and I always repay a debt. So, I shall assist you in resolving this matter. My men and resources are at your disposal.”

“I appreciate that. The people here have been rather... sullen.”

“These have been trying times, I’m sure you understand. But we’ll get some answers yet, don’t you worry. In the meantime, you are my guest. I’ll have a room readied for you and we’ll have dinner together. One of my men will bring your things over from the inn.”

“That is generous of you, thank you.”

***

The next day, we began studying the murders. Tharak, despite his unwillingness to get involved, had gathered much information on each of them. When I pointed out that sacramant was involved, he grimaced.

“I suspected as much but refused to accept it. The thought that one of my colleagues could be involved in dark magic is alarming.”

“Has any of them ever seemed drawn to such matters?”

“Not that I’ve noticed.” He pondered for a moment. “Though I must admit Vedavan has a dark disposition.”

I grunted. “Can’t say that I disagree.”

As we went over the details of each case, one of Tharak’s men walked in and whispered something in his ear. He jumped out of his seat and urged me to follow him.

“What’s going on?” I asked as we hurried out of the room.

“My men caught the killers red-handed and followed them to their lair.”

“Them?” I frowned. “I thought there was only one killer.”

“It makes sense, though, doesn’t it? Easier to evade pursuit, or to fabricate alibies—not to mention false evidence. But we’ll get to the bottom of this. You and I.” He winked at me as we walked out of the house.

I’d brought my horse over from the inn and it waited for me next to Tharak’s mare. Both whinnied when they saw us. The servant who’d brought them out stepped back as we mounted and watched us head out.

“You’re not taking any men?” I asked.

“From what I recall, you’re quite capable of handling yourself.”

“Still...”

He shrugged. “I’ve given orders. My guards are gathering and will join us there. I didn’t want to lose any time, though. I’m concerned the killers spotted my man and will move to some other local.”

His reasoning was sound, so I did not press the issue.

The ride took us a mile outside Elenhac, to an encampment by a lake. We dismounted and hid behind the bushes, watching the goings-on in the camp.

“That’s a lot of men,” I remarked.

I’d counted twenty heads but there were more.

“Look!”

Tharak grabbed my shoulder and pointed toward some rocks in the back. I squinted and saw men going back and forth... Was that an opening?

“What is this place?” I asked.

“Bandits used to operate from here until we rooted them out a few years ago. Looks like Vedavan decided to take up residence.”

I glanced at him. “Vedavan? How can you—”

He gestured toward the soldiers. “Look at those uniforms. You wouldn’t recognize them, I suppose, but I do! These men work for him.”

They looked exactly like the men in his service or the ones I’d seen at Devar’s and Ladral’s. There had to be distinctive signs, though—likely too subtle for an outsider but quite obvious for a local.

“This is the proof you needed,” I said.

He made a face. “There’s nothing illegal about this. It could just be a training camp, with the killers hiding among them.” He glanced at me. “And just because they’re here doesn’t mean they work for Vedavan.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?”

Tharak looked back toward the opening in the rocks. “I suspect our answers lie in there.”

“You can’t be serious!”

“Come now! Don’t tell me you’re daunted by a little challenge.”

I stared at him. “May I remind you your men will be here any minute now, and these soldiers don’t look like they’re going anywhere soon.”

He clicked his tongue. “My men won’t be enough to handle this lot. Better go covert. Come on, follow me.”

Before I could protest any further, he slipped away, slithering between the bushes. I cursed as I hurried behind him.

There are ways to handle a large amount of enemies, but none of them are pleasant. This was madness.

And yet, somehow, he took us around the camp without getting us noticed. I looked through my veil and saw he’d only cast a few minor spells, though I could not determine what some of them did.

Before I knew it, we’d reached the tunnel entrance and Tharak stepped in without raising the alarm. Torches on the walls helped light the way, though we kept to the shadows, hoping anyone coming this way would miss us.

They didn’t.

Two men arrived and jumped when they saw us, drawing their swords. Tharak was already voicing Words as he stepped out of the shadow.

The soldiers froze, a startled expression on their faces.

“Lord Esculiath?”

Tharak made a Gesture and the two men’s heads exploded as their bodies slumped to the floor.

“You didn’t need to do that!” I said.

He had no time to respond as shouts echoed from further down the tunnel and soon five soldiers came rushing at us with their weapons drawn. Tharak slipped back into the shadows as I brought out Firnenth, though I heard him muttering more Words behind me. I had no idea what he was up to, but whatever it was I needed to buy him time to cast his spell. I considered casting one of my own, but they were already on top of me. Luckily, I’d kept up a shield ever since the bowman incident, only dropping it while I was at Tharak’s.

For each man I cut down, two more popped up, and I was quickly overrun. I was slicing through flesh and bone, right and left, blood spurting all over me, when I felt a surge of power behind me. A wave of heat engulfed us and I dove backward, recognizing the spell. My shield would protect me against the brunt of it, but I was not going to take any chances with something that powerful.

Screams rang out as flesh began to melt, and metal blades fell to the ground as bodies crumpled.

One man survived, his face very pale. I looked at him through my veil and saw he had a shield up as well. A spellcaster, then, which explained why he had no sword. He was too shocked to react, but Tharak was not.

In just a couple of steps, he reached the trembling man, grabbed him by the throat, and shook him.

“Are you working for Vedavan?” he asked with a shout. “He’s the one who set you off to kill all those people, isn’t he? Admit it!”

“Lord Vedavan?” The man choked under Tharak’s grip. “No! No! He knew nothing! I—”

“You disgust me,” my friend said as he stabbed the mage hard enough to drive the blade through the man’s shield.

He let the body fall to the ground, then turned a bright smile toward me.

“There you have it!”

“What the heck just happened?”

“Isn’t it obvious? These men acted without Vedavan’s knowledge. You heard him.” He motioned toward the dead mage. “No one on the Council was involved, as I suspected. Just a psychotic lot who acted on their own. We’ll have them all rounded up and locked up in no time.”

“I thought you didn’t have enough men?”

“I made calls while you were fighting. The other lords are sending some of their people.”

I shook my head, still a bit stunned by how it had all played out.

“How about the souls?”

“The souls? What souls?”

“I told you about that body I inspected yesterday, didn’t I?”

“Oh. That.” His expression soured. He looked around and grunted as he pointed at the body again. “This one’s a mage. He probably dabbled in sacramant.”

I grimaced at the thought, but had to admit it was possible.

As we headed back toward the exit, I paused and knelt next to another body.

“What is it?” asked Tharak from over my shoulder.

“This one. I only saw his face briefly, but I’m sure it’s the bowman who shot at me. Are you sure he works for Vedavan? At the time, he still thought I was Suran, so why would he try to kill me?”

“It doesn’t matter, Reikk! These people all had their own agenda. It had nothing to do with Vedavan—or Devar, for that matter.”

“All of them?”

“Yes! Isn’t it obvious?”

I stood with a sigh. “Perhaps. I just feel like this was all too easy.”

He shrugged. “We got lucky, Reikk. It happens. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

As we headed back toward his house, I tried to look at the events through different lenses, but none made more sense than Tharak’s conclusion. I shrugged it off.

“You know,” he said as we dismounted, “I’m surprised you haven’t been to the Ghurdhim Pass yet.”

“It’s a long way down from where we met.”

He blinked. “Why not port there?”

“I can’t port to a place I’ve never been, Tharak.”

“Oh. Yes. Of course.” We walked into his house. “I would have offered to take you, but today’s events have depleted my energy. Perhaps in a couple of days...”

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think I want to stay any longer in Elenhac. No offense.”

He grinned. “None taken.”

I took a bath and shared another meal with him.

The next morning, I rode off, happy to put that damn town behind me.

I still had a long road ahead.

Thunder clapped and rain soon began to fall.

If you like my writing, please consider buying a copy of my novel, upgrading to a paid subscription, or making a Paypal or Ko-fi donation. As an independent author, any of these would help a lot!

Want to read more of Reikk’s adventures? Here are the first two installments:

• Deathbringer (where Reikk meets Tharak for the first time)

• A sorcerer’s son (where Reikk looks for the disappeared son of a hated man)

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Text (c) 2024 by Alex S. Garcia.

Header: royalty-free stock images, edited by me.

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