The City of Towers

CHAPTER 36

It was almost the eleventh bell by the time Daine returned to the Manticore. Pierce had draped the ruined cloak over Jode’s body. Lei was studying sheets of parchment, her eyes still red with tears.

Daine sat down on the empty pallet and removed the shreds of his chainmail shirt. “What have you found?”

“His mark was removed,” Lei said. “Moreover, I think it was removed with these.” She pushed a sheet of parchment across the floor. It was the description of the deep dragonshards Alina wished to have returned. “The other day I told you that such a shard might be able to bind the energies of a dragonmark, to create some sort of defense against a mark. I think someone managed to take that one step further. They drew out his mark, his spirit, everything that defined his mystical identity.” Briefly, she recounted the results of her autopsy.

Daine drew his dagger while she was talking and slowly carved grooves in the floor. When she mentioned the missing brain he slammed the dagger down, the adamantine blade passing through wood as if it were paper. He ground his teeth and pulled the dagger from the floor. He’d seen so many die over the past two years, and right now there was no time for sorrow or fury. He took a deep breath and set down the dagger. He drew his acid-scarred sword and laid it next to his armor.

“I need restoration. We may have a battle soon, and I don’t want this shattering the moment it strikes steel.”

Lei nodded and picked up the sword. As she ran her fingers along the blade, the metal began to flow and reform. Within moments it had been restored to its original condition. Then she turned to the armor.

“I’m going to have to stretch the metal to make do,” she said. “It won’t be as strong as it was before.”

“Whatever you need to do,” Daine said.

There was a knock on the door.

It was still too early for Rhazala to show up. Daine snatched his restored sword and rolled over to the door. Remaining in a low crouch, he indicated that Pierce should open the door. As soon as there was enough space, his hand was through the opening, the point of his blade poised at the belly of their visitor.

A human woman stood on the other side of the door. She was dressed in black leather and wool and carried a large satchel. The courier’s crest of House Orien was emblazoned above her heart. She didn’t flinch or blink. Apparently she was used to suspicious clients.

“You would be Daine?” she said.

“That’s me.”

Daine stood up. He lowered his sword but not his guard. He had been expecting a courier, but after Jode’s death he couldn’t be sure of anything.

The courier’s eyes flicked down to take in the Deneith symbol at the pommel of Daine’s sword, and she nodded. Apparently that had been mentioned as an identifying feature. She produced two objects from her satchel-a small leather pouch and a sealed letter-both of which she handed to Daine. Opening the pouch, Daine dug out a double crown and pressed it into her palm. A moment later she had vanished.

“What was that?”

Lei said. She had just finished with Daine’s armor. The links were thinner than they had been, but at least it would cover his torso.

“Orien courier from Alina.” He shook the pouch. “We’ve got a purse of silver sovereigns. That should help buy the time of the goblins. I guess we’d better pay off Dassi as well.” He broke the seal on the letter and unfolded the parchment; the message was written in an elegant, flowing script.

With the passing of my former employee, you are to find the goods that he was carrying, regardless of what shape they may take. As these goods may be removed from the city, if you cannot resolve this matter within two days I shall have to consider our new partnership to be a failure, which would be a tragedy for both of us. Good luck.

“Anything?” said Lei.

“Not really. Alina wants the shards, ‘regardless of what shape they may take,’ and if we can’t settle the matter in a few days, she may get … upset.”

“And this is a concern?”

“She’s hired us for this job because she needs outsiders. I don’t think that the same restrictions would apply to disposing of ineffectual employees.”

“I see.”

“You said you’re about done for the day, right?”

Lei nodded. “I could perform minor repairs, but that’s about it. I need rest.”

“What about that wand-the one that destroyed that thing in the sewer?”

Lei reached into one of the side pocket of her pack and produced the wand. She tapped the row of dragonshards running along the shaft. “Lightning discharge, powered by the embedded shards. But it’s drained. It’s going to take time for the energy to build up again.”

“So if we’re looking for a fight,” said Daine, “we should wait until morning.” He paused, thinking. “A lot will depend on what we find out from Rhazala. For now … empty out your pack, Lei. I want to see what else we’ve got available.”

“All of it?”

“Yes.”

She shrugged. It took a few minutes to pull everything out. Daine had forgotten how large the central compartment really was. But his memory had been correct, and he smiled. “All right, Lei. Here’s what I want you to do.”

Ten minutes later, Pierce, Rhazala, and Daine were back on the streets of High Walls. The goblin and the warforged flowed across the streets like shadows. Despite his bulk, Pierce had been built for reconnaissance, and he moved with a fluid grace the bulkier warforged warriors couldn’t match. Next to his companions, Daine felt clumsy and loud, as if he were a bear hunting in the company of panthers.

After five minutes Rhazala came to a stop. “Somewhere near the center,” she said, pointing.

“You’re sure?” Daine said.

“Yes, yes. The tunnel comes up underneath. Runs through Khyber’s Gate, just like the tunnel of waste and water. And a bad place it is below there. The quiet folk have lost scouts in that region before. Usually they lose to eaters or the red jackals, but there are worse things in Khyber’s Gate, and I believe this is where at least one may live. The quiet folk, they won’t go near to it.”

“Very well. Good job, Rhazala. Here’s your payment.”

He had tied the pouch of coins around his neck, but when he reached up he found it was gone. Turning, he saw that Rhazala was holding it out to him. She showed him the two sovereigns in her left hand.

“I only took for my services,” she said smugly. “This time.”

Daine sighed and took the purse. Rhazala smiled and bowed, and a moment later she was gone. Daine blinked. Was her disappearance the work of her skill and his own exhaustion, or was magic involved? Whatever the answer, she was nowhere to be seen.

Daine shook his head. “Let’s go, Pierce. I don’t want to take this any further without daylight on our side, and I could use a good night’s rest.”

“As you wish, Captain.”

The two began walking back towards the Manticore. Daine studied his warforged companion for a moment. “You all right, Pierce?”

“Captain?”

Daine gestured vaguely. “Well, with Jode … you know, it’s just got me thinking about the troop. You’ve served with me since I first accepted my commission. You’ve been everything a commander could ask for in a soldier, and you’ve never let me down. You’ve followed my every order without question, and I’ve come to rely on that.”

“I am gratified to hear that, sir.”

“But … we’re not in the army anymore, Pierce. I’m not your captain anymore. I’m just your companion, your friend.”

“I understand, but I am most comfortable operating under a military chain of command. You had a life before you entered the Cyran army. I did not. I was forged with the knowledge of war burned into my mind, and I was on the front lines within a week of my … birth, if you can call it that. War is in my nature, and it will always be part of how I view the world. As long as you will have me, you will always be my captain.”

“You served in the guard more than four times as long as I did. Don’t you feel that you should be the one in charge?”

“You don’t understand, Captain. Humans are born without a purpose. You must find your path in life. I was made to accomplish a specific task, and I have always known the nature of that task. I was not made to lead, and I have no desire to try.”

Daine shrugged. “Fair enough. But Pierce … humans often think they know what they’re supposed to do with their lives, and they aren’t always right. Just because someone’s told you what your purpose is supposed to be … are you sure it’s the truth?”

“I was born of design. I was made to excel at a specific task, and I would never be able to be as successful in another field. Is there a point to this discussion?”

“I was just thinking about the sphinx again. She said that you don’t know your purpose yet.”

“It seemed to me that you gave little credence to her words.”

“I didn’t-at the time But now …” Daine shook his head. “After what we’ve seen tonight, I can’t help but wonder about the other things she said.”

Pierce remained as impassive as ever. “If I have another purpose, it may become clear in time. Until then, I am content.”

“Very well. But Pierce, you don’t talk much. I understand if you just don’t have much to say. But if there is ever anything I can do, I want you to tell me.”

“As you wish.”

Daine studied Pierce, but the warforged had no expression to read. Daine still felt that there was something that Pierce wasn’t talking about. Perhaps it was Jode’s death. Daine had sent Pierce to watch Jode, and the warforged might be blaming himself for the death of their friend. I’ll just have to watch and wait, Daine decided.

The first bell of the new day was ringing when they returned to the Manticore. Daine was exhausted. It had been a long day, and the coming dawn promised to be even more dangerous. The thought of bed-even a wretched pallet on the floor-called out to him.

At this hour, Daine assumed that the common room of the Manticore would be empty, but he was mistaken. A single man was sitting at one of the tables, watching the door and drinking from a chipped mug. As Daine and Pierce entered the room, the visitor set down his mug and rose from his chair.

“It’s about time you arrived, Daine. And what trouble have you been getting into now?”

It was Grazen ir’Tala, Captain of the Sharn Watch.