“S-s-shaaadow Coooins!” he pressed out.
“And what does the Thieves’ Guild want with me? Isn’t standard protocol to report my arrival? Why the tail?” asked the man, as he relaxed his grip, allowing him to breathe again.
It felt as if the yellow eyes bored into his soul. “Please, I can’t. They’d cut me throat.” The fist to his rips told him his answer displeased his captor, but he was a slow learner. “They’d kill me if I squeal!”
The grip tightened again. “You dim-witted maggot! I’ll kill you if you don’t tell me what I want to know.”
He wasn’t keen on dying, and he’d rather take his chances later than die right now, so he showed he would cooperate and the man released him. “They told me a man in a black and a dark-haired pearl be at the gates today, and that I should follow the man. I swear that is all I know.”
Old yellow eyes seemed happy with that as he thought about something. “Where is the man that gave you your assignment?”
The possibility of a quick death was starting to seem less likely with every passing moment. “Please, if I betray the guild, they’d be taking their time when they kill me. Please just let me go.”
The man closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. At first nothing happened, then darkness slowly began consuming the edges of his vision, progressively narrowing it until he could see nothing other than the two golden glowing eyes.
“Tell me the name of the man who gave you your assignment.”
He felt his mind flow towards the memories of the previous night. “Handsome Jack be his name.”
“Good. Now where exactly would you usually find Handsome Jack?”
His mind recounted his memories of Jack. “He be always at the Broken Keg getting drunk.”
“The Broken Keg?”
“It be a sailors’ tavern packed with shore leftovers. Near warehouse one by the docks.”
“I see. Now, give me a description of this Jack.”
He giggled as he recounted Handsome Jack’s crooked nose, lazy left eye, and unusually large ears.
Killmar regarded the
rowdy crowd inside the Broken Keg tavern with aversion. The bar counter was located at the western wall, and tables dominated the interior of the tavern in an unorganised fashion.
A barmaid saw him scanning the crowd and headed over. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“I am looking for Handsome Jack.”
“What business do you have with that old drunk?” she asked merrily.
He spotted a man fitting the boy’s description in the northeastern corner of the tavern and pushed pass her. “Never mind.”
Some of the patrons noticed it and got to their feet. “Is he causing you trouble, Ellie?”
He ignored the fools and stopped in front of Jack when a slender man rushed over. “Now, gentlemen, I don’t know what’s going on, but you best not start a brawl in my tavern,” he said, placing his cudgel on the table for emphasis.
Jack turned his right eye to the barkeep while his left seemed to focus on Killmar. “No worries, Travis. Me and him are old buddies.”
Travis seemed to relax at the reassurance and then turned to those still standing. “You can sit back down, you bunch of sea dogs!”
The men laughed and quickly resumed their previous conversations.
Ellena served some men their drinks before rushing over to the man who was still just standing by Jack’s spot. “What can I get you?”
Jack smiled, exposing a set of broken teeth. “A jack of the local stuff for myself. I don’t know if my friend here is thirsty.”
Killmar finally sat down at the table. “I would like some grape juice.”
Ellena looked at Jack confused, then back at the man. “You want what?”
“I would like some grape juice.”
Handsome Jack laughed and slapped the table, exposing a multitude of crooked fingers. It was not a deformity common among men who used their words to convey a message. “You heard the man, get him some grape juice.”
She looked unsure as to what her reaction should be. “And where in the lower hells am I suppose get some, Jack?”
Killmar turned to her. “You use grapes for some of your dishes, do you not?”
He clearly made her nervous as she fiddled with her dress. “Well, for the posh ones, yes.”
“Then it should not be impossible to grant my request.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Squeeze them,” he said annoyed.
“I suppose I could manage that, but it will cost you the price of two whores and a Slippery Eel.”
He pointed to Jack. “He will pay for it, right,
friend
?”
She turned to him inquiringly.
“Yes, dear, I’ll be paying, as sure as Henensu waits for my drunken soul.”
Satisfied, she nodded and hurried off.
The two men sat quietly for a while, as if trying to sense each other’s thoughts.
“Mind telling me how you knew I was going to arrive here today?” asked Killmar finally.
He chuckled. “I have to say, out of all the questions I expected you to ask first, that was not among them.”
“You have been expecting me?”
He grinned. “Of course, I never thought that boy could shadow the legendary Blue Rose without being caught.”
Killmar grabbed his arm when the barmaid arrived with their drinks interrupting further action.
Jack gulped down some of the ale with the hand available to him. Smiling, he wiped his mouth with his shoulder, adding to the colourful rainbow that was his shirt. “Ellie my love, you just saved my life.”
Killmar released the sweaty arm. “Indeed.”
She gave them a strange look then left.
“I suppose you have other questions now.”
Killmar sipped at his grape juice. “You are playing a dangerous game.”
“The bit of shit in my breeches is making me painfully aware of that.”
“Tell me how you knew my identity and when I was going to arrive in Larin.”
He drained the remaining contents of his mug. “I am afraid my answer is not as noteworthy as you would expect. Our agents have spotted you several times in different cities over the years. We quickly spread a basic profile of you amongst those of high rank. So when you were spotted at Willow Way, an agent tracked you, taking painful and expensive precautions not to be detected. He finally concluded you were headed for Larin and sent word of your estimated arrival.”
Killmar took another sip from his mug. “I see. Quite impressive. Which leaves why?”
Jack smiled. “There is an annoying group of mercenaries that have muscled themselves into Larin. We would like you to assassinate their leader.”
“A contract? This is why the Nexus exist, so you fools do not pester me. I am going to kill you now, and everyone who was involved in this waste of my time.”
The old thief paled. “The Shield of Yonil! That’s the payment.”
“Why didn’t you use the Nexus?” hissed Killmar.
“The Phantom Mint himself gave the order to contact you directly,” he blurted out.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“All I know is these Sapphire bastards are costing us a lot of money, and the boss said that this way would be quicker.”
“This contract seems a bit simplistic to require my services. Any number of assassination institutions would be far less costly. Why do you need me specifically?” he asked, taking a sip from his mug.
Jack relaxed at this and ordered himself another ale. “There are two reasons. The first being that the man leading the Sapphire Wolves is frighteningly skilful to the point that dealing with him otherwise, though possible, would also be costly. The real problem however is the Phantom Mint don’t just want him dead, he wants him humiliated and toyed with before he’s sent to Henensu’s Hall. And since failure will only add to the man’s reputation, we need someone who can guarantee success.”
Killmar sat back and stared into the contents of his mug. “Tell me about these Sapphire Wolves.”
Jack drained his mug and ordered another. “They are a small outfit. At the moment, they are only forty-one, the leader included. But what they lack in numbers, they make up for in skill.”
“A common Eranian mentality.”
He paused as his ale arrived. “Yes, but strangely enough, they are all human lads. They occasionally take contracts from some of the families, but mostly their income comes from the local businesses. Protection they call it. The store owners don’t have much of a choice whether they want the service, but they do actually deliver. They killed a hundred of my boys within the first week.”
“Being protected from thieves by the thieves currently robbing you . . . An interesting concept.”
“It’s new. I’ll give them that.”
“Why haven’t the city guard dealt with them? You said they’re skilled, but they are still only human. The ewiens only assign those of the fifth tier or higher to a city’s guard. Five guards would be more than enough to deal with them.”
Jack emptied the mug of bitter liquid down his throat and ordered another. “That’s what we thought when their leader first arrived here, but then he fucking killed eight of them by himself.”
“Impressive, more so when you consider that he is human. I’ve not yet heard the name of this man.”
“Well, about that, we don’t rightly know.”
Killmar turned his head inquiringly.
“The name he’s using is clearly an alias.”
“My patience is wearing thin.”
Jack looked at him as if not sure how to respond. “Well, he . . . he calls himself Killmar.”
“What are his noteworthy characteristics?”
He had clearly expected some kind of outburst and now exhaled loudly. “You are a strange one. Most men would scream bloody murder if they found out someone was walking around claiming to be them.”
“I am not most men, and he is not the first, nor will he be the last.”
“Aye, there’s truth in that,” said Jack draining his mug. “The man you’re looking for is seven feet tall, has long blue hair, a magical alteration no doubt, and carries an unusually large great sword on his back.”
“How public do you want his death?”
“As public and brutal as you can manage. We want to send a proper message to those who think they can just set up shop wherever they want.”
“Do you want him to weep like a child or just beg?”
Jack laughed and slapped the table hard enough to topple the mugs causing purple liquid to spill over the surface. “Gods, man, if you keep this up I might just fall for you.”
“I take that as meaning I can use my own discretion. I’ll return when it is done,” said Killmar as he rose to leave.
Jack caught his arm and called to the barmaid for another round. “Don’t leave. Have a drink with old Handsome Jack. I’ll order you some more juice.”
Suddenly, he felt the air become heavy and his breathing became ragged. It was like the air had turned to water. Golden eyes bore into him from within the dark hood, and he felt his hand go numb before falling away. He didn’t know how, but he had somehow forgotten who this man was and made a grievous error. One that is now more likely than not to cost him his life. “Forgive me,” was all he could press out.
“Relay this to the Phantom Mint. He might think his mysterious identity keeps him safe, but if he ever has someone approach me again, I will show him just how easy it is for me to find him, and he won’t enjoy meeting me.”
Ellena rushed over to Jack with his order as Killmar left, and asked in hushed tones. “Who was that?”
Jack seized his mug like a man clutching driftwood, his eyes fixed on the spilt purple liquid. “A terrifying man, my love. Nine hells, it’s like those eyes gouge holes into your soul.”
“And so he
saved Princess Hinamori and brokered a peace treaty between the Empire and the Tohuran Collective.”
“And this was before he founded the Sapphire Wolves, correct?” asked Jessica.
“Oh yes, many years ago,” assured the old rotementa shopkeeper.
Despite knowing the real Killmar, she couldn’t help but be sceptical. “Sneel, are any of these tales based on truth?”
He smiled, and she really wished he hadn’t. It stretched the already taut skin even further, exposing his molars. “It is hard to believe, and granted, people love to add aspects to the tales they tell, but it is a fact that everything I’ve told you has happened. Why, you can ask any tohura you encounter. They would at the very least confirm he brokered the peace treaty. Though I would not recommend mentioning the kidnapping, as they don’t see it as such and are quite sensitive about it.”
“There is something else that has been bothering me.”
“What might that be?”
“Well, when I first entered the city, I was so dazzled by everything. It is only now that I realise I didn’t really see any ewiens, aside from the guards. I saw many other races, most of whom I didn’t recognise, but still it is odd, yes?”
He stared into her bright blue eyes. “Jessica, you should endeavour to read some books on the places you intend to visit.”
She smiled. “And miss this experience? Never.”
He returned the expression as he held up two pieces of fabric from which she had to choose. “The ewiens have a very unique social structure. Each and every man, woman, and child serves within the imperial government. They are assigned to an occupation according to their tiers, and since they don’t have the time to sufficiently swell their population, they rely on other races to fill non-governmental occupations.”
She moved her raven hair as he placed some fabric on her shoulder. “What do you mean they don’t have the time?”
“Well, you see, the ewiens only live to an average age of thirty. Their women are only able to bear children between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three and are with child an entire year before giving birth. Do you understand now? Their short lives don’t allow for much breeding, unlike my people.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Wait! They spend most of their lives as children?!”
He stared at her a moment before breaking into laughter.
“And what is so funny?” she asked, slightly irritated.
“Forgive me. You just seemed so sincere in your concern. Ewienian children achieve adulthood when they turn three. Their incredible growth rate is a well-known fact,” he said as he started packing away the tools of his trade.