The Necromancer’s Daughter – Chapter Seven

The Amethyst that split the sky II

Meloreana II
“Lady Emerald, you have a visitor.” The messenger that had let Mel into the underground base talked through the door behind which their leader presumably was.
“Let them in,” a soft voice said from the other side.
The young man opened the door and Mel stepped into the office. She looked around the space, taking in what she saw. There was a large bookcase covering the back wall and she couldn’t help but notice that some of those books were from the royal library. The table made of dark wood looked simple in its make. There was some paper in the center with an inkwell as well as a half empty wineglass to the side. Three chairs were placed seemingly at random in the closer half of the room with one of them having some clothes laying on them. On the wall to her left was a single painting of a ship. Besides that the room looked pretty barren. Standing behind the desk stood a relatively young elven woman wearing simple clothes. Her hair was tied up in a bun and mostly covered by a porcelain mask of a court jester. She waited patiently for Mel to say something.
“I don’t believe we’ve met yet, my name is Meloreana Cane.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Cane. I am Lady Emerald, leader of the Emerald Jesters.” She pointed at one of the empty chairs. “Please, have a seat.”
“I’m alright with standing, thank you.”
“Very well.” Lady Emerald sat down on her own chair behind the desk and crossed her arms. “I’ve been told you were insistent on getting a meeting with me, so I obliged. What can I do for you?”
Mel moved her hand in a twisting motion and one of the books came flying off of the bookshelves and into her hand. She opened it up and looked at it for a moment. “Interesting books you have lying around.” She could see the woman reach for something under the desk, probably a hidden weapon of sorts.
She slammed the book shut, startling the woman behind the desk. A smile crept onto her face. “I have an offer for you, Scarlet Fyrston.”

The cold winter wind hurried Accipiter along the narrow streets of K’tapur. The smell of freshly baked bread dragged him out of the small pathways and into the main thoroughfare where he quickly spotted the stall that seemed to be the origin of this smell. He felt the cold on his face and when he looked in a nearby shop window he saw the frost on his eyelashes. He wiped it away with one of his gloves before making his way to the baker’s stall.
“Good afternoon lad, what can I get you?” The jolly woman behind the stall had rosy cheeks from the cold but that couldn’t get rid of her bright smile.
“Anything you recommend? I’m hungry and this all smells amazing.”
“You have a keen sense of smell, but if I can let you in on a secret, these cinnamon rolls are by far the best thing I have to offer right now.”
“How big of a secret is it when there’s a big sign pointing to them?” Accipiter replied. They both laughed. Accipiter paid for the freshly baked cinnamon rolls and with a friendly wave he made his way further down the street. Viras was always crowded since it was one of a few harbor cities along the coast of Fyrston. Although the city was known to have some darker dealers than some of its southern counterparts, the center of town was just as normal as any city you’d find. A soft rain started and Accipiter felt like the temperature was going up ever so slightly as the afternoon reached its highest point. Perhaps winter was about to be over but the rain would still keep spring at bay for a little while longer. This wasn’t his first time in Viras and he knew exactly where he was headed so after he’d left the main road he quickly found himself going from alley to alley until he reached the shady looking Sawblade Tavern.
The first thing that hit him when he opened the creaking door to the tavern was the smell. Where he expected the smell of alcohol, sweat and other unsavory smells he was instead pleasantly surprised. This was a dingy bar by all accounts but there was a lovely fragrance of flowers hanging in the room. Accipiter looked around to locate the source of the smell but there were no flowers in sight. Who he did spot was his captain, waving at him from a booth in the back of the establishment. Accipiter nodded and headed to the bar to order.
“What can I get you?” A middle aged man with several missing teeth asked him politely.
“Some local ale please, whatever you recommend will do.”
“Some Brambleburry Ale then.” He went and poured Accipiter a big tankard. He put some money on the counter and after retrieving his change he walked over to his captain.

“Accipiter, so good of you to join us here today.” Layek stood up and grabbed him by the shoulder, a big grin on his face. “Do you remember Sarilas?”
Accipiter looked at the nervous looking man with his hair tied into a tight ponytail and a nervous smile on his face. “I believe so, we met maybe a year or so ago, did we not?” Accipiter knew exactly when he met this man, but being too keen won’t make people lower their guard as easily.
“Yes, I do believe we spoke once before. It was in Viras, if I recall correctly, about a painting that was going through some less proper channels.”
Accipiter smiled. “Of course, I remember now, has business been good since then?” He sat down and took a sip of his ale.
Sarilas wiped some of the beads of sweat off of his forehead. “Business has been steady. Things have been hectic in Fyrston recently, but a little bit of chaos tends to be good for our kind of business.”
Layek put down his own ale a little bit louder than he probably intended. “Let’s not waste each others’ time then, we’re here for a reason. What have you got for us?”
Sarilas pulled out a bag from below. “I’ve obtained some correspondence about an auction in Viras in a few weeks. They’re selling the.” he paused for a moment. “Merchandise you’re interested in.”
Accipiter shot his captain a look, who shook his head. They’d talked about this many times and Accipiter wasn’t going to bring up his complaints here and now, but he was still opposed. The merchandise Sarilas was talking about were slaves. Layek was of the opinion that they could help these people out and get cheap labor at the same time. A good outcome for both parties. Accipiter had told his captain that there’s no such thing as being a good slave owner. It was an evil practice that was rightfully outlawed. But with the Zanian forces occupying Fyrston, the normally quite uncommon practice was slowly becoming more common. It was all pretty much fucked, but he wasn’t in a position to change things. His captain definitely listened to his input, but ultimately it was up to Layek to make the final decision, and his decision was that they needed the cheap labor that only slavery could provide. Accipiter tried taking some solace in the idea that these people would at least be treated better than if they were to end up elsewhere, but if you kill a man without causing much pain, you’ve still killed a man.
“So we’re sure that the security is only being handled by the sellers, right?” Accipiter asked.
Sarilas nodded. “They’re mainly focusing on keeping things as quiet as possible. So to avoid scrutiny they’ve left security light and I believe they might have paid off some of the nearby city guards to have them turn a blind eye.”
“When corruption appears at the surface, be well aware it was bubbling deeper below for a while before it got there.” Layek said. He smiled. “Thank you for your help Sarilas.”
The man nodded and got up. “You know where to find me if you have more work for me.”
He turned around and left the building, almost bumping into someone who entered.
“I don’t understand why you trust that guy,” Accipiter said.
“Sarilas does good work when you pay him well, that’s all Layek needs from him.” A voice said behind him. Accipiter looked over his shoulder. “Lisanna, you made it.”
“It was a bit of a journey, but I got back here on time.” She looked at Layek. “Captain.”
“Lisanna, just in time. We’re sailing for Viras soon.”
“So you’re going through with this plan after all? I was sure that this one would have convinced you to try something different by now.” She pointed at Accipiter.
“I think this is necessary. We need to get started on the search as quickly as possible. I’m not as young as I once was, and there’s no point in becoming rich when I’m senile.”
“I suppose that’s right, I always feel bad for humans. Your lives are so short that you need to rush through everything.”
“How was your business in Celeran?” Accipiter asked, changing the topic.
“Interesting. There’s something there that I’ve been curious about for a very long time and let’s say that I’m excited to see what will happen next.”
“I see that you’ve not become less cryptic in your absence,” Layek said.
Lisanna laughed. “I’m afraid that won’t change that easily.” She took a sip from Layek’s drink. “So, when are we leaving?”
“By the end of the week. If you have any more business in K’tapur before we leave, you’ve got time.”
“Excellent, I still have some places I need to step by before I can move on.”
They sat for a little while longer, catching up.

Layek’s ship anchored at the harbor of Viras the day before the auction would take place. The weather had taken a turn for the worse and the snow of the past few days was all but gone. Rain and thunder were all that were present in the sky like an omen of what was to come. Thunder even struck in the distance as Accipiter stepped back onto the ship. They’d grabbed some provisions and were getting ready. Accipiter went to Layek’s cabin, which was the biggest space on the ship and often used for meetings. Lisanna and Layek were already waiting, bent over a map. He could hear them talk as he opened the door and got out of the cold rain.
“So what you’re saying is that there’s an outcropping here we can use?” Lisanna said.
“I think so, yeah. I remember a friend of mine telling me there’s an old smuggler’s den there. It’s too well known to really use as a base, but several folk still use it to quickly get in and out. And it’s surprisingly close to the auction as well. It’s a perfect spot.”
Accipiter said hello to the other two and sat down. “Is everything in place?” He asked.
Layek nodded. “Once Stasey and Gilbet are back we’re taking off again. We’ll spend the night on the ship at the small beach we’re leaving the ship at.”
“Sounds good to me. How far is it from the auction to the ship?”
“Not that far. We want to get the deal done, walk out the door and then make our way to the ship as quickly as possible. Apparently the town guard has been bought – just as we expected – but they’re not responsible for anything that happens outside of the grounds. So there’s a good chance that once you’re leaving the auction you’ll be a target. It’s a pretty messed up business and there’s no real rules at all.”
“I don’t mind a couple of these scumbags getting caught.” Accipiter replied.
“I don’t disagree, but if you think the slaves will then be treated better you’ll be very disappointed.”
Accipiter wanted to comment but there was a knock on the door.
Stasey peeked her head inside. “We’re all back, captain, should we set off?”
“Yes, I’ll be right,” Layek replied as he got up. “We’ll talk more when we’ve landed again.”
“Sure,” Accipiter replied. Lisanna nodded.
After Layek left, there was silence for a little while before Lisanna spoke. “I know that you don’t agree with the direction we’re taking. I was the same initially. But you know that things are dire at the moment. If we want to pull this off, this is our best. I first spoke with Layek about this when he only told me about it. I told him more or less the same things as you did. He told me that if I could come up with a better plan, he’d immediately abandon this plan. Thus I spent the next few weeks thinking about an alternative plan, but I couldn’t think of one that was better and more efficient. It’s just the reality we’re living in right now.”
Accipiter sighed. “I know you’re right, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“You can sulk about it all day long, but I need you fully focused tomorrow.”
“I know, I know.”
Lisanna got up. “We’ll figure it all out, don’t worry too much about it.” She got up and left the room as well.

Accipiter stayed for a little while longer, organizing his thoughts. Then he got up and went to look out at the waves for a while. That always calmed him down.
The small beach they were stationed at was very convenient. Accipiter thought it was a real shame that the local guard had discovered this place. There was enough room to put down boxes and even sit and eat on the beach while there was tons of cover. The cliff above wasn’t particularly high, but it had eroded in such a way that it had quite a bit of lean over the beach, so hiding from anyone above was fairly easy. The road that ran past was also quite a bit out from the cliffside, so no one just traveling would hear sounds coming from here if you weren’t too loud. A little bit further up the beach there was even a place to walk up to the higher ground. It was almost too perfect, which explained why it had been discovered eventually. This is where they parked the ship and spent the night, so that the next day they could easily walk up to the auction and take part.

The day of the auction came filled with rain. A barrage of thunder was constantly creeping through the sky and the atmosphere was dark. Accipiter spent most of the day pacing back and forth under the cliffside, out of the rain. Several of the other members of the crew were playing dice and got increasingly frustrated with Accipiter’s nervous pacing. No one said anything though, since they all knew where it came from. Truth be told, they were worried too. These kinds of auctions could get violent if things went wrong, tensions were always high at these sorts of places. It was the same at a smuggling deal. Everyone involved was always on edge. Although the sun never showed, dusk eventually showed up and nine people solemnly made their way towards the venue for the auction. Besides Accipiter, Layek and Lisanna there were six crew members that accompanied them. With the help of Sarilas they’d obtained proper clothes for everyone so that none of them would stand out as uncultured and not belonging.
The auction was already about to start when they arrived and most of them stayed towards the back of the open area. Only Accipiter and Lisanna sat further forward. Lisanna would be fine no matter what happened and Accipiter was there in case she did need back-up for something. The two of them would also do the bidding. Layek and the rest were in back, keeping an eye on everything to make sure no funny business would happen.
As the announcer was still getting ready, Lisanna put her arm around Accipiter’s shoulder and held his ear close to her. “You see that woman sitting over there?” She motioned to the front row.
Accipiter nodded. “What about her?”
“I’ve seen her before. She’s an advisor for the Zanian King. I don’t know if other people here will recognize her, as she’s not often seen in public.”
“What do you think she’s doing here?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”
“How do you even know who she is?” Accipiter asked.
“Long story, but I spent some weeks in their palace a while ago.”
“Why am I even surprised at this point?”
Lisanna let go of Accipiter as the announcer walked up on the stage. “Ladies, gentlemen and others, welcome to tonight’s auction,” his nasally voice struggled but ultimately prevailed against the sound of wind and rain. He smiled and bowed at some of the – presumably – more important guests in the audience. “Not only do we have some fantastic wares for you all to bid on, but we also have a big announcement to make at the end of tonight’s auction so make sure to stick around until the end.” Accipiter followed his eyes as he said the part about an announcement. His eyes went to the woman Lisanna had pointed out. Things were already getting complicated, better to keep their heads low. “We humbly thank Lord Zeredin for sponsoring tonight’s event.” People started clapping and Accipiter and Lisanna joined in. Lord Zeredin was a local lord who was probably just a proxy for Lord Viras, the ruler of this city.
The announcer continued explaining the way things worked but Accipiter wasn’t paying much attention to him. He was more looking around to scout out the environment. Thunder came rolling in and went again. This weather was truly awful. The wind was biting and the rain was stinging. Fitting for a night like this to be this awful. The first group of slaves were brought out. Five young elven women stepped onto the stage, fear in their eyes. Bidding started and quickly got heated. Lisanna partook in the bidding for a while, but tapped out before the final bid was made. The second group was mostly men and they didn’t go for as much. Lisanna managed to get the highest bid for this group. When the third group came up on the stage the wind was howling so hard that some of them struggled to stay upright. Lightning struck nearby as they were led onto the stage and bidding began for a third time. Lisanna didn’t get the highest bid on this one either. Part of Accipiter’s mind was trying to rationalize what they were doing. Since this auction was happening with or without their presence, maybe it wasn’t all bad that they were participating. They could make life a little bit less miserable for some of these people at least. “Sold!” The announcer yelled out as thunder accentuated the moment from a distance. There was a growing nervous energy among the crowd. What if thunder would strike too close to this place, wouldn’t that be dangerous? There was more hurry and even a few people who were already leaving. Accipiter hoped this would mean their chances of getting more people were higher.
The fourth group walked onto the stage. As the announcer spoke up, thunder interrupted him mid-sentence. “Well it looks like the weather might be getting worse, we’ll probably have to get through these last few rounds a bit quicker so we can all go home and take a nice bath.” He laughed nervously.
Accipiter looked at the five women on stage and lingered on one woman on the edge of the group. Her messy brown hair covered her eyes until a gust of wind blew it all back. Her eyes were bright pink. Accipiter had never seen anything like it. He felt a weird kinship to this woman immediately, as if he knew who she was. But he didn’t know who she was, he’d never seen anyone with eyes like that. This wasn’t natural. This was magic. She looked at him, no, she didn’t look at him, she locked eyes with the person next to him. He looked at Lisanna whose jaw had gone slack. There was a fear in her eyes that he never thought he’d see.
“Accipiter, we need to get her?” Lisanna said. “We have to.” She started to reach out her arms to the woman.
Thunder struck once more, slamming into the center of the stage, hitting the woman with the pink eyes as it did. With an excruciatingly loud noise she collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
“Now,” Lisanna yelled.
Accipiter wanted to tell himself that he was good at following orders. That he knew what his crew members wanted and was perfectly aligned with their needs. But he knew that would be a lie. No, the real reason he lept to the stage was a boiling rage that had been bubbling under the surface for days, weeks. This was wrong, and even nature and the gods were telling them so. So he did not follow Lisanna’s order to jump into action but instead acted on that rage and lept before the word had even left her mouth.
“What the hell are you doing,” a voice said next to him. The announcer had regained his composure and started in Accipiter’s direction. Accipiter whipped his head around to look at him. The announcer immediately took a step back, suddenly unsure of his command of the situation. Accipiter ignored him and moved to the girl. Putting his head to her chest he felt she was still breathing and alive. Good. He picked her up. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he yelled at the other four. It was now that the reality of the situation had properly reached the rest of the clearing. Chaos ensued. Accipiter locked eyes with Lisanna who was already climbing up the stage as well. He searched for his captain but couldn’t find him.
Two guards ran towards him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” One of them yelled. Without a moment of hesitation Accipiter sidestepped the swipe of his sword strike. Continuing the motion he planted his knee fiercely into the man’s side, making him buckle under the pressure. Not letting go of the unconscious woman he lifted his leg up high and kicked the man’s head to the ground. It hit the wooden stage with a sickening crack and the man stopped moving immediately. The second guard walked up to Accipiter but before he could come close he stopped. Accipiter saw the arrow sticking out of his neck immediately. Without hesitation he jumped off the stage, woman still in his hands. The announcer came up behind him but Lisanna stood between him and Accipiter. “Go,” she yelled at him. Accipiter didn’t hesitate and ran as fast as he could towards the exit of the clearing and in the direction of their ship. He didn’t even look behind once as he ran and ran through the howling wind, stinging rain and violent thunder.