Thorns

Arn had no trouble receiving leave from Mahan; he still seemed apprehensive if not hostile towards the Tyrian, but he could not go against the will of his dominus in this matter. And with three golden crowns as his recent winnings, Arn had a good excuse for why he wanted to go into the city, should anyone wonder.

Not that people usually asked him how he spent his time outside the ludus, but Arn worried that the weapons master might guess the truth about his prowess in the arena one day; he studied Arn's fighting, on and off the sands, and he had opportunities to stumble upon the truth. It seemed best to have a ready explanation for his visits to the docks.

Walking on the streets, Arn kept his pacing swift. As ever, the need to return before last bell ended hung around him like a noose, slowly tightening. It galled him, being accustomed to living free on his own terms, but he would endure it while it lasted.

The Broken Mast looked the same as ever; Arn crossed through to find Lucius in the backrooms. "Ah, the silent Tyrian!"

Arn pulled his hood closer around, wishing he could slap the man for announcing his origin so loudly, especially with a spellbreaker hunting Tyrians in Aquila.

"Come to do business? I'll take you to the see the big chief. Come along." Leaving his card-playing comrades behind, Lucius got up and led Arn through the establishment, same as last.

Magnus was alone in his office this time, thankfully. "Our – I forgot. What was he again?" he asked of Lucius, seeing the pair enter.

"Spellblade, chief. I guess what them savages would call a mageknight."

Nothing close to it, but Arn had no interest in educating thugs on the nature of magic. He held up his tablet. Ready to work. Same deal.

"Ah, good. We appreciate a skilled man hungry for work, don't we?" Magnus looked at his crony.

"Sure do, chief."

"And after we saw what you did to the champion of Aquila in the arena, we got no doubt you can carry out my new plans."

Seeing the smile widen on Magnus' face, Arn's own expression froze. They knew he was a gladiator, which gave them powerful leverage over him. While he might trust that Helena would keep quiet, having her own secrets, he had no such faith in these criminals. He could no longer refuse to do their bidding; worse, they might deny him payment and simply demand he complied, silence being his only reward.

"Ah, look at him, so crestfallen!" Magnus laughed. "Be calm, my friend. This need not affect our arrangement. You do as we ask, and you get your little pebbles from old Helgi. We all keep quiet about each other, and we all stay friends."

Acceptable, assuming the rogue could be trusted. Though Arn doubted he had a choice; if he tried to back out, he imagined that threats would quickly follow to make him comply. Better to do the task and get something out of it. He had two runes left to restore, one granting him speed, the other faster recovery from injuries. While the latter was useful for a gladiator, Arn expected the former to help him avoid getting wounded in the first place. What's the task?

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"Same as last, really. Another thorn in my side that needs removal. Fellow named Karl. Nasty sort, built like a tree trunk with fists like sledgehammers. Prefers to use them for hurting people – he likes the personal touch rather than cutting someone up with a knife, say."

Despite the gruesome description he gave of the man, Magnus seemed more delighted than anything. Arn got the feeling he probably would have offered this Karl employment if the situation had allowed it. Where is he?

"He's usually holed up in a warehouse near merchant's gate."

Not far from Vera's place, Arn thought to himself.

"There should be a caravan coming in the next days, which means he'll be there overnight, sorting out goods, handling ledgers. He's not just muscle, this Karl." Magnus' smile faded. "There'll probably be others around him, but if you go in at night, use a bit of the sneaksman's craft, you can get him alone. Or you deal with all of them." He shrugged. "Shouldn't be hard for someone of your mettle."

I'll get it done.

"Never had any doubt." The smile returned. "We'll have your payment ready. Have you told old Helgi already?"

Arn nodded.

"Excellent. I look forward to hearing news of your exploits whispered from corner to corner."

*

With his hood all the way up to cover his face, even if the damage seemed done, Arn left the tavern. He did not see Iris on the way out, who could be the actual reason that her employer now knew about Arn as a gladiator, though as he considered it, it seemed unlikely. She was unaware of his magical gift and why his current, involuntary profession could be used to extort him. For once, the truth was probably as told to him; his victories and subsequent fame won in the arena had come at a cost.

And Iris had provided valuable information to Arn, allowing him to piece together certain truths that Magnus with certainty withheld from him. Vera had not been a direct adversary to Magnus, running her own criminal ring, but the lieutenant of another woman, a Sindhian named Aja. Probably, this Karl was another henchman. Magnus was using Arn to systematically dismantle his main rival's organisation.

This had good and ill implications; it suggested that Magnus had further need of Arn to keep fighting this war until it was won. With a little luck and skill, Arn would have completed his revenge and his escape from Aquila before Magnus considered any form of betrayal. On the other hand, the killing of Vera would have made alarm bells ring in the rest of their organisation, and they would be on the lookout for would-be assassins.

The location also added further difficulty. Unlike a tavern, Arn would have no excuse to walk inside a warehouse and collect intelligence ahead of his task. Still, any knowledge was better than none, and with a few hours left before he needed to return to the ludus, Arn set a course for the northern gate.

*

Following the instructions provided to him, Arn found the warehouse with relative ease. He did not linger, but simply walked by it once. Guards stood outside; if he hung around or moved past it a second time, they would take notice.

The building had no windows and a single, large gate allowing carts to pass through. Since its purpose was to protect goods from theft, Arn doubted it would have a door or windows in the back; the fewer points of entry, the harder for thieves to gain access. Still, Arn had an idea of how to get inside when the time came.

Walking home to the ludus, he considered everything he did not know. How the building was laid out inside with rooms, stairs, floors, where his quarry could be found, and how many else might be present. Arn was not concerned whether he could defeat a handful of thugs, regardless of number, but any complication could have unforeseen consequences. Fighting the henchmen might allow his target to flee, or a hidden nook could conceal an enemy and give them the chance to wound him. They would undoubtedly be skittish after the death of Vera, another high-ranking member of their band, and he expected plenty of resistance.

Everything taken together, Arn felt uneasy about this task; yet it had to be soon. Getting inside without being observed by all and sundry required a moonless night; if he delayed just a few days, he would end up having to wait another month, and more than ever, time felt against him. A spellbreaker pursued him. Mahan was suspicious. Helena knew his secret, as did Magnus; Helgi even knew his true identity.

Reaching his home, however much he disliked considering it such, Arn knew that he had to act. Not tonight; he would sleep and spare his strength in tomorrow's training, and strike afterwards.