The four walked down the street, turned left into a thin alley, and right into a courtyard surrounded by buildings. The road finally ended in front of two huge double doors guarded by a large man with half his face tattooed like a skull. The man had his hand on the hilt of his knife and looked ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
"Stand down, Bones, he's with us," Jafa said with several indistinct hand gestures and continued forward. Bones nodded and pushed on a massive door that swung open inward. The four walked in.
The inside opened into a vast domed chamber adorned with stained glass windows and sculptures of saints from some long-forgotten religion. In the center stood a table featuring an upside-down crown, echoing the black ring, with the letters' E,' 'P,' and 'T' etched at the tips of its spikes. A golden skull was resting atop the intricately painted crown, its hollow eye sockets fixed intently on the room's entrance. Surrounding the table were chairs that seemed insignificant compared to the grand throne that dominated the head of the table. Colorful light poured through the stained glass, casting vibrant patterns across the otherwise empty space.
The four made their way past the table and through a long corridor on the right. Benj noticed paintings of burning corpses and bloody weapons pulled free from destitute warriors. Jafa came to a stop in front of a door and waited. Once everyone caught up to him, he threw open the door and gestured for the others to go in.
Benj felt his pulse quicken as he took in the scene. The room was filled with a motley crew, the air thick with smoke and the scent of stale beer. They were gathered around low tables, engrossed in games of chance and spirited conversations. The walls, draped in animal skins, seemed to close in, but the atmosphere buzzed with an undercurrent of camaraderie.
"Reese!" Jafa's voice boomed, causing Benj's stomach to drop. Not Gallows Reese, he thought, anxiety knotting in his chest.
"Not now, I'm winning!" a man replied from the back table with voice too familiar for comfort.
"This bloke says he knows Gallows. Even got his signet ring!" Jafa announced, throwing a casual glance over his shoulder at Benj.
The room froze. Eyes turned, assessing the newcomers with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
"If you peek at my cards, I'll tie your legs apart and hand you over to Bash," the man called Reese retorted, rising from his seat. He moved with a fluid grace that suggested a sense of authority.
Benj exchanged a glance with Lucia and mouthed, You're Bash? She dismissed the question with a wave.
"So, my brother gave you his ring, did he?" Reese stepped forward, taking the ring from Jafa. He was dressed in light linen pants and an open vest that revealed an array of tattoos. The crown insignia over his heart mirrored the ring he held in his hand. His long blonde hair was tied back, framing features that bore a striking resemblance to Gallows, albeit more adorned.
"He doesn't usually work well with others," Reese remarked, inspecting the ring with a mixture of intrigue and wariness. "People can find him… difficult."
"You're telling me," Benj replied, gesturing at the ring. "You can't crack a joke without him pulling a sword on you."
Laughter erupted from the group, and the tension began to ease. Benj felt a flicker of relief. Maybe he wasn't in as much trouble as he'd thought.
"Sit, sit!" Reese beckoned, motioning to an empty space at the table. "Let's hear your story, then."
Benj hesitated but felt a pull of curiosity mixed with apprehension. He took a seat, and Lucia joined him, the two of them flanked by the others. The atmosphere shifted; it was no longer a hostile interrogation but rather an invitation to share tales.
"Gallows and I had… an understanding," Benj guessed at his make-believe story. "We met under unusual circumstances. I had something he needed, and he had something to trade for it."
The group leaned in; their interest piqued.
"Something like a barter?" Pots asked; his gullible expression made him appear the simple sort. Maybe he was?
"More like a life debt," Benj blurted out, recalling the tense moment when Gallows had drawn his sword on him.
"Life debts don't come cheap," Reese cut in, his tone shifting to one of respect. "So what was it?"
"A wedding cake," Benj said after an unsure pause. "I'm a baker."
Everyone in the room laughed. Benj rapidly devised a story about Gallows and a wedding cake, but the subject changed when Reese asked what he was good at. Benj began explaining how he makes good cinnamon rolls when Reese cut him off
"We're all outlaws here. You don't have to pretend to be something you're not around us," Reese stopped himself. "Wait, are you taking a piss at my expense?"
Before Benj could think of anything to say, Reese continued, "No wonder he likes you; you're just as big of a rotter as he is! You two even dress the same!"
Benj looked down at his clothes; they were Gallows' clothes. He had almost forgotten.
"Where is that little weasel anyway?" Reese asked, letting down his guard.
"I thought he would be here by now," Benj improved as if his life depended on it. "He said he was going to meet up with me yesterday. When he didn't show up, I assumed he came here instead."
"That's odd, he never came here." Reese considered, allowing silence to fall on their conversation. "Let me make the introductions for him. I'm the Front Lieutenant Larkin Reese of the thief's guild. You might have heard of me, but if you haven't, If I ever catch you calling me Larkin, I'll hand you over to Bash. Which I see you've already met.
"Some of these people don't matter," he pointed at two women and a darkly dressed man. "They're from different guilds, assassins mostly. This is Priest, Draiden, Pots, and Jafa."
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Benj greeted everyone at once. "I'm Benjos B-" he realized he did not want to say anything about baking ever again. "Bird, but I go by Benj," he continued, "And if I ever catch you calling me Larkin, you'll be spending time with Bash first."
"You have yourself a deal, Bird," Reese laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "Since my brother runs point, I assume he's taught you everything he knows?"
"I know some stuff," Benj said, thinking better than to extend his index finger.
"A man with humility is a rare thing. You certainly didn't learn that from my brother."
"There were some things I taught him," Benj said, making a mental note not to be humble.
"It's settled then!" Reese flipped the ring towards Benj, "If my brother doesn't return before tomorrow night, you'll get a trial by fire. I assume that's why you have his ring, is it not?"
"You are absolutely correct," Benj said, trying to sound confident. "I already have a job lined up," like getting the blackened ashes out of town.
"With Gallows?" Reese asked, "This is that job."
"Alright, I'll go get my belongings and come right back then," Benj tried extricating himself again.
Reese asked where his belongings were. After Benj told him about his horse near the bakery, he snapped his fingers and pointed to Jafa and Pots. "Did you hear that? His horse is at The Flaming Loaf. Retrieve his things and pay the boy. I'll reimburse you later."
They reluctantly agreed and left.
"Bash," Reese said, watching Pots and Jafa leave. "Put him in the guest room for now. Are you hungry?"
"I am," Benj said honestly.
"Lunch is in an hour," Reese announced, "Bash, make sure you show him around."
Lucia nodded her head and beckoned for Benj to follow.
She took him to a room, calmly shut the door, and quietly yelled at him, "You never told me you worked with that scum! You said you owned a bakery! Who are you anyway?"
"You mean Gallows Reese?" Benj asked quietly with a quivering voice, "I've never met the guy. Somehow, I have his jacket. It's a long story. But all I was trying to do was to keep you from getting felt up by those guards when you brought me into a den of dangerous-looking people. Then I went into survival mode. I don't know; I just freaked out and started agreeing with them. I need to leave now. How do I get out of here?"
"Look," she said, placing a calming hand on his arm, "They are bringing your horse here. Now is not a good time to leave. Trust me, I've tried… It's also a long story. Just keep up the act, and when you have a horse, I'll tell you when it's a good time to leave. In the meantime, I'll teach you what you need to know, but don't go all rogue and leave. It will not go well for anyone."
"Cursed pikestaff," Benj swore. "Smoking ashen shields," he swore again, stretching the creases out of his forehead with the palms of his hands.
"It'll be okay," she said, calmly now in a low voice. "You saved my life back there. I'll make sure you survive here."
Benj had no other option except to trust her. He followed her around as she gave him a tour of the Crownsmith Cathedral. An hour later, he found himself sitting around a large table surrounded by pickpockets and petty thieves. Lucia sat to his left, and the man whose brother he killed sat across the table.
Reese took his knife and tapped on the side of his wooden cup.
"Attention, everyone," he said, but a low murmur continued from around the room. "Shut your ever-loving mutton holes before I shut them for you!"
The room got silent and stayed that way before Reese started speaking again.
"Now, as some of you know, we have a new prospect for our team. This is Benjos Bird. He comes to us from Thannon where he spent time with my brother. Some of you know Gallows Reese-"
"I bet most of us wish we didn't know him!" One of the men said, cutting Reese off.
There was a laugh from around the table. Reese picked up his knife and threw it with precision at the man's face. The man dodged in time to allow it to pass at the last moment. It was almost as if he expected it. The knife hit the wall behind him and clattered to the ground.
"Someone get that for me," Reese demanded while he scratched the knife tattoo under his eye. "As I was saying, Bird here is a point, so if my brother doesn't show up tomorrow, we're going to have a good old-fashioned trial by fire."
The table cheered and made a whooping noise.
"Benj here has told me that running Point isn't his only quality," Reese continued, looking at everyone at the table in turn. "He also enjoys long romantic walks in the sand and kissing under the stars."
Some whistled at this, others made kissing sounds.
Reese pointed with a fork around the table. "I believe I introduced you all earlier, so with out further delay, I present the newcomer's first toast. Bird, will you do the honors?"
Reese lifted his cup. The rest of the table followed suit. Benj stood and tried to remember the speech he gave at his coming home ceremony after the long trip to Mt. Asven. He started speaking before remembering all of it, "To the men who have gone before us and to the women they left behind…" He froze and couldn't remember the second half. Two heartbeats passed, and he said finally, "More women for us!"
Most of the table gave a loud "Here, here!" and drank; Lucia gave a deadpanned expression. Benj sat down, relieved it was finished.
A man sitting to his left with premature gray hair complimented him on his speech. He was the same man that dodged the knife earlier. He was older than the rest of them or appeared so with his short, cropped beard and long mustache that hung lightly combed to either side. His thick grey hair was neatly combed in some areas and braided in others. He got halfway through a story about Jafa's first speech when he had to dodge another knife. Benj was starting to understand why he was good at dodging knives in the first place.
"Stuff it, Priest!" Jafa said, cutting the meat on his plate with a spoon. "Your first toast was so bad that everyone who heard it is dead."
Priest winced, held up his hand, and rocked it back and forth to critique the insult and everyone continued their meal. They ate, drank, and talked excitedly about everything from almost getting caught in their dangerous endeavors to actually getting caught and running from the Royal Guard. Even Lucia told her how Benj had come to her rescue. Benj was relieved when she changed the story so as not to reveal his hidden talents. This got a good reaction from the table.
"He's ugly, but he's got some balls!" Draiden announced on Benjo's behalf.
Draiden's dark skin was made darker by his many years sailing various pirating vessels. He had colorful beads twisted and braided into his hair, which he kept tied together in the back.
"We'll see how he does tomorrow," Priest said, swirling a glass of dark red wine with his fingertips.
"I'm also excited to see what kind of point my brother brought me," Reese said, pulling a piece of bone out of his mouth.
Benj wrung his hands anxiously under the table and forced a neutral expression. He thought about how he was going to escape. If he ran "point," whatever that meant, he would be found as a fraud and probably killed. If he was found as a fraud and then charged with the murder of this man's brother, he would probably be tortured before he was killed. He was going to need to have a long conversation with Lucia to figure everything out. He was glad he had someone he could trust. The way she kept his secret was a relief because he had few other options except to rely on her.
"Bird, what relics are you good with?" Reese asked, breaking him out of deep thought.
He had heard countless stories about relics, but he had only ever seen three in his whole life, technically two of which were his touchstones. The other was the one Lucia wore when he met her. "There's so many."
"Can you use a sound sight? Windpunch? Or a torch?" Reese asked.
"Yes, but I am perhaps rusty," Benj replied with a lie.
"Right now, we only have the Soundsight," Reese said, tossing Lucia a small wooden box. "After dinner, take your boyfriend to the training hall for some practice tonight."
"Sure, but he's not my boyfriend, " she said, smiling. "Yet."
"I'm sitting right here!" Benj said, holding up his hands.
"Real cute," Draiden said flatly. "What time are we meeting tomorrow?"
"I would want to change the subject too if Bash had turned me down," Priest said, folding his hands in front of him.
"Twice," Lucia held up two fingers.
Draiden gave an embarrassed smile, "It was cold; I only asked if she needed help keeping warm."
"Grabbing me around the waist and asking me if I was into bad boys isn't keeping anyone warm," she said frankly.
"It could have," Draiden retorted.
She turned toward Benj, put her hand across his shoulder, and spoke loud enough for the whole table to hear. "I would love to help you train, even if it takes all night."