Dark Legion (27 page)

Solas walked up to the old man, who was shaking visibly, and held out his hand. “I'll make the announcement, if you please.”

“What in the hells is that bastard doing?” I asked.

“Making himself known, I suppose,” Marcus said.

Marcus jabbed me in the ribs with an elbow, and I realized that I was sneering at the emperor. Practically drooling. I snapped out of my bloody thoughts of revenge. The thought of killing him in front of an audience was appealing. Kill him as he killed my parents. But I took a deep breath in an effort to slow my furiously beating heart.

The old man handed the sheet of paper over with a shaky hand, then quickly retreated to the edge of the crowd to join the others from the panel. I had not even noticed them leave. I was too occupied with my murderous thoughts.

“And the winner is…” Solas said, slowly turning his head, scanning those around him. “The Bleeding Wolf Tavern with their imperial pale ale.” The crowd applauded, but the emperor's presence had put a real damper on my enthusiasm. The emperor and his Inquisitors stepped aside and stood in an empty circle. The townsfolk were giving them a wide berth. The applause actually got louder as they stepped away, but it did not last long, and soon there was a fight in the barrel area. The custom was that once the competition was over, the town could have at the mostly full barrels submitted to be judged. Our ale was being fought over.

Neysa came running at us from the crowd, screaming in the high-pitched squeal that only young girls were capable of. Marcus enveloped us both in a hug. Neysa had used her previous experience as a player to fashion an incredibly realistic mask, making her appear to be an old hag. This of course made the squealing like a girl thing all the more humorous.

“Well, that's part one of our plan in the bag,” I said. “The rest should be easy, right?”

Neysa punched me on the shoulder. She was surprisingly strong for such a slight girl. “Don't curse us, you fool. Though, that weird fortune-teller told me mostly positive things… I think. She was a bit vague.”

“Oh, you saw her too? I think she implied Marcus and I will be lovers…”

“I could do worse,” Marcus said.

Neysa smiled at us, “I knew it! You guys will be so happy.”

“Excuse me, excuse me,” Malakai said, barging his way through the crowd to climb onto the circular table. “Can I have your attention for a moment? I have prepared a spectacle, the like of which you have never seen. Behold!” Malakai jumped from the table, ever the nimble old man, and walked to a small box. The emperor walked closer and leveled a hateful stare at the old man. Neysa had mentioned that the two had a history. “Can you clear some space, please? Come now, don't make me hit you with a stick, make some space,” Malakai said. There was grumbling, but soon the crowd cleared, revealing several metal tubes.

The three of us backed away, much further than the rest of the crowd. I did not trust the old bastard's tubes—I had seen what they could do. Malakai crouched down next to the box. “Behold,” he bellowed again, pressing down on the lever protruding from the box. Initially, it did not seem like they were going to do anything. Malakai came running over to us, then turned and watched with anticipation.

Fire erupted from beneath the tubes. They shot straight up into the sky and exploded at a great height. As they did, giant colorful clouds and sparkles erupted with loud bangs, lighting the night sky. The crowd flinched with each explosion. I hate to admit this, but it was a beautiful sight, and as the show ended, the entire town cheered. Malakai was jumping up and down, whooping with laughter.

Emperor Solas and the hooded man were still watching Malakai, and they looked at us as well. Solas cocked his head to the side, keeping his eye on us as he spoke quiet words to the hooded figure. I'm not sure exactly what it was about the exchange, but I sensed that Solas looked up to the hooded man. I had a bad feeling about it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Congratulations

 

To: The proprietors of the Bleeding Wolf Tavern

 

It pleases our Beloved Emperor Solas to announce that your entry was deemed the best ale in the second round of the imperial brewing competition held in the capital of our glorious empire. Your establishment is hereby granted the honor of having its award-winning ale served at the Imperial Harvest Festival this year. The festival shall be held within the palace grounds of our glorious capital, Morwynne.

 

Up to a maximum of five of the Bleeding Wolf Tavern's owners and/or employees are granted admission to the Imperial Palace on the day of the festival. Please note that all attendees are required to allow for their own accommodation within Morwynne unless expressly indicated otherwise.

 

Please note the following requirements:

 

The Bleeding Wolf Tavern is to supply a minimum of two hundred and fifty (250) barrels of ale, matching the winning entry.

 

Each of the barrels to be supplied is to be tasted and graded on quality. A stamp or similar marking is to be left on each barrel: blue for the best quality, red for the poorest quality, and green for quality between those previously mentioned. Please note that barrels graded as red are still required to be of excellent quality.

 

The minimum numbers of barrel per grade shall be as follows: Blue - 50, Green - 100, Red - 100.

 

The Bleeding Wolf Tavern is required to have the above ready and stored within the Imperial Warehouse located at the Imperial Port of Sagemont a minimum of one week in advance of the Imperial Harvest Festival.

 

Our Beloved Emperor Solas will reimburse the Bleeding Wolf Tavern for each empty barrel at the rate of one gold or every two barrels. Unfinished ale and empty barrels will be returned to the Bleeding Wolf within one calendar month of the Imperial Harvest Festival.

 

In the event that the Bleeding Wolf Tavern believes that it is unable to fulfill one or more of the above requirements, it is necessary to inform the writer within one calendar month of the receipt of this letter, at which point the runner-up will be accepted.

 

Regards

 

Percival Vitorri

Senior Imperial Administrator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Separating Silence

 

The day we received the letter of congratulations was a good one. The next day, less so. Much celebrating was done, and it filled me with… something. Perhaps it was happiness. All the same, it gave me hope that my bad luck was at an end.

News finally broke of the princes' death, but the reported mechanism of their demise differed sharply from my knowledge of the affair. They were said to have died on the ship, yes, but as a result of an increase in pirate activity around the Serpent Isles. The treacherous waters around the isles had long been home to pirates. However, when Solas first started hammering out his empire, they appeared to swell greatly in number. It was rumored that he supported them in order to disrupt trade and reinforcements to his enemies. They remained a force to be reckoned with, and the news of his sons' deaths was accompanied by an announcement that the imperial navy was being bolstered to deal with them. It appeared as though he'd used their deaths to deal with a problem he'd helped create. As much as I loved the irony, I was more pleased that my part in the colossal fuck-up remained unknown.

The celebrations soon came to an end, and our hard work got harder. We were having a great deal of difficulty keeping up with demand. Malvin and Smid were selling our ale as fast as we could brew it. Towards the end of winter, we purchased two additional taverns. They weren't good taverns, quite the opposite. But the money we made from our deal with Malvin enabled us to renovate them, fit them out, and staff them. We left their names as they were—The Anchorage and The Horse and Cart. But we hung a sign over the bar that displayed the Bleeding Wolf icon, and it proudly read: “A Bleeding Wolf Tavern.” They served nothing but our ale, but their primary function was to increase our brewing capacity. Having won the imperial brewing competition, we would need them. Our victory put our ale in even higher demand than it had been before.

I was busier than a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest, but I always kept an eye out for ravens. I needed to have a word with the old man about some issues that were bothering me. Then, one came. It was early in the morning, and I was by myself. Marcus had spent the night at the Blue Lotus, and Neysa was not one for mornings.

The raven and I made our way along the forest path, this time to emerge in an open field. I wondered why the old bastard had me walk as much as he did, when he clearly had no difficulty in moving his house wherever he pleased. When I arrived, I walked in without knocking and sat myself down in front of his desk.

“A good morning to you, Saul.”

“And you.”

He sat back. “Such manners. To what do I owe this visit?”

“I think you know well enough.”

“I can't read minds, Saul.”

“You can't? Seems you've been doing well enough at it up to this point.”

Malakai shook his head. “I watch, I observe, I listen. That does not mean I can read your every thought, child. Now, come, tell me why you are here.”

“You offered us a mutually beneficial arrangement when we first met. I would take you up on that offer. With some conditions.”

Malakai smiled and folded his hands. “Go on.”

“Firstly, I want to be free of your bonds. I will help you, as long as it does not conflict with my own plans. But I would do it of my own free will. I am no one's slave.”

“We are all a slave to something, child. But I can acquiesce.” I knew the instant he broke the bond. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. “What else?” he asked.

“I would know if my brother is alive.”

“He is. Anything else?”

I ground my teeth. “Really? That is all you will say on the matter?”

“I told you—you will know more when the time is right. I can promise you this: your brother is alive. I won't say he is well, but he is alive, and he will be just as he is now when the revelation comes. I have a clearer vision of the right order of things. If I told you where he was, you would drop what you are doing and chase after him.”

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “What of the Ubraian crown and Ring of the Lion? Are they still in Solas's possession?”

“They are in his vault, yes.”

“Okay,” I said. “What do you want from me?”

“Mostly, I want you to succeed, child. Our goals are in line with each other's. I only have one request. When you head to the capital, Neysa will go with you. When Solas and I parted ways, he took off with some of my manuscripts. They, too, are in his vault, and she will return them to me. She will be able to read them; you will not. Besides, she will be of use to you in Morwynne.”

I really did not want her to come with us. We would almost certainly face danger, and I did not want to put her in harm's way. But if I refused, he would certainly bind me again. I would not lose my freedom so soon after regaining it. “Agreed.”

“Any other questions?” he asked.

“This power of mine… what can you tell me of it?”

He steepled his fingers and leaned his elbows on the desk as he looked at me. “How much to tell…? Not much, I fear. I can tell you that your abilities are hereditary, and extremely uncommon. If another on this continent has the talent, I am unaware of it, and I know a great many people.” He was quiet for a long while, and I thought he was done. “One more thing. The Ring of the Lion, as your people call it, has a long history. I think you will find it was made with people such as yourself in mind.”

“Murderous ex-slaves?” I asked.

He sat back in his chair and lit his pipe. I got the sense he would not speak more on the ring, or my abilities, but I had one last question. “Do I have my free will? I mean,
really
have it? What is to stop you from using my true name against me if I choose to part ways with you?”

“Well, nothing would stop me, of course. But you falsely assume it's something I would do without great need. People can be of far more use when they do a thing willingly, child. Perhaps that's something you can try to adopt in your own life.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words, and my guilt twisted inside me. “Marcus, you mean?” He nodded. “Well… I'm sure you're right. But I need him. If I broke our bond now, he would surely leave me. I… I can't.”

“Child. You knew full well what I did to you. And yet, here you are. You've agreed to help me, and to let me help you, even though you know what I did, and know that I could do it again. Give him more credit. People are not as bad as you assume.”

I was living proof that he was wrong.

 

Later that day, I was cleaning tankards when Marcus came in. Evidently, the ladies of the Lotus had treated him well, as a huge grin split his face. “Afternoon,” I said. He nodded in turn, took a cloth, and joined me at my task. Malakai's words had been twisting at me for hours at that point. My friend's smile only added to my guilt. He really was a good person and a fantastic friend. But I was unsure of how much of that friendship had been forced on him. I surely did not deserve to have him by my side. We worked quietly for a long time, and the silence dug beneath my skin. The anxiety I felt continued to build until I could not take it anymore. My breathing was shallow, my skin felt cold, and my hands were shaking.