I’m pleased to report that Kirido has won its first naval engagement.

Suliel didn’t freeze at Kelsey’s message. She was walking in front of a detachment of her troops and didn’t want to get trampled. Instead, she gave a mental sigh and marshalled the numerous objections she had.

First of all, she sent back, Kirido doesn’t have a navy. If we did have a navy it would be a Zamarran one, but we don’t.

Why doesn’t Zamara have a navy?

We’re too small. Both the Tiatian and Elitran navies take a dim view of armed ships in what they consider their waters.

Oops, Kelsey replied.

Furthermore, Suliel continued, having a navy is something that sovereign states do. For Kirido to have its own navy would go against what we’re trying to convince the King of: that we remain a loyal and subordinate demesne.

Well… at least no one knows you have a navy? Kelsey tried. We’re not flying a Kirido flag or anything.

Thank the gods for small mercies.

Do you… have a flag? Anton didn’t know.

Suliel let an impression of blistering scorn flow down the channel. Second of all, she sent, didn’t you already win a battle at sea?

Eh, Kelsey sent, We can’t really count that one. An inflatable motorboat and the torpedoes were hand-held. We’d get laughed out of the naval annals if we tried to get that one in. We’ve got a proper boat this time, and we didn’t have to get whisked away by a friendly Fae.

Is everyone all right? Suliel asked. She was pretty sure Kelsey would have let her know if that wasn’t the case, but it was best to be sure.

Everyone’s fine, Kelsey assured her.

Then can we focus on the matter at hand? We’re here.

They had reached the entrance of Kelsey’s cave. In the light of late morning, it looked quite innocuous, but no one here was fooled. Holding her hand up for quiet, Suliel thought she could make out a few faint growls and gurgles.

He won’t be long, Kelsey told her. Those zombies aren’t slowing him down at all.

Suliel nodded. Kelsey couldn’t hear that, so she allowed the dungeon access to Suliel’s senses.

Lovely day, Kelsey commented. I really should do something with this entrance, it needs sprucing up.

Suliel didn’t respond, waiting for Kelsey to notify her of the man’s arrival. Finally, it came.

Here he comes. This will be his final jump, Kelsey sent. Arriving… now.

“Now.” Suliel echoed. Thought was faster than her voice, but Kelsey was adept at adjusting her timing to account for that. She was annoyingly good at such details, Suliel had found.

The man appeared as soon as the word left Suliel’s mouth. Her men were impressed but were not distracted from levelling their blades at the intruder. At first glance, they hardly needed to.

He didn’t look like a dangerous third-tier adventurer. The black leather and cloth that he wore matched his dark skin, making it difficult to tell where one began and the other ended. Adding to the effect was the thick coating of grime and dust that covered him from head to foot. Suliel had been told that he’d dragged himself at least part of the way up from the twelfth floor, and he looked it.

The reason for his difficulties was, of course, his missing leg. A blood-soaked tourniquet was still in place, but he’d used healing potions to scab the wound over.

He must have been on the edge of his endurance because he took one look at the waiting guards and collapsed back to the ground.

“Stredyn’s blood-soaked teeth,” he groaned.

“Secure him,” Suliel replied.

They’d been expecting this, so the guards knew what to do. Two of them sheathed their swords and came forward, dragging the man into the light. Kelsey had said that most of his Traits were shadow-related, so they made sure to drown him in sunlight. Before manacling him, they searched him, cutting off his backpack and belt and feeling under his clothes for the hard shapes of concealed blades.

Don’t forget his cloak, Kelsey sent. It’s Tier Three. Suliel passed the information on.

Throughout all this, the man did not resist. He barely seemed to be conscious. Finally, they were done.

“Calling on the God of Murder,” Suliel said. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

With great effort, the man looked up at her. “I figure he appreciates a heads-up when one of them is going to happen. Can’t hurt to have a god feeling grateful when you’re about to pop off.”

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“You’re not going to die today, Draven Blackthorn,” Suliel said. “I have questions.”

“Reckon I might,” Draven disagreed. “Got bit a few times going up, got a few poisons running through me that the antidote didn’t take care of.” He paused for thought. “Maybe they were diseases or curses, I dunno. Lost our cleric, you see.”

“I’m aware,” Suliel said. She gestured for Therin to come forward. His maroon and gold robes identified him clearly as a priest of Tiait. “We can arrange for healing.”

Draven looked at the priest without any kind of hope. “Healing, and then what, the rest of my life in a cell?”

“I’m not under any illusions about my ability to keep someone who can shadowjump locked up,” Suliel said dryly. “That’s why you’ll answer my questions now, then get healed. After that, you’ll spend some time in a cell, yes. I should think you’d appreciate the rest. A month or two, then you’re free to leave.”

His eyes narrowed. “You want to keep me from letting anyone know what I told you.”

Reasonably certain of what she’d find, she activated Nobility’s Privilege on him.

Draven Blackthorn, Level ??, Family: None, Loyalties: None

“As I thought,” she said. “You don’t have a loyalty to anyone. I’ll wager that you used to have one toward your teammates. The Stormguard wouldn’t have the reputation they did if you weren’t a close-knit team. But they’re gone.”

Draven’s jaw clenched. “Aye, they are,” he agreed. “And who’s to blame for that?”

“You can blame the dungeon if you like,” Suliel said. “She welcomes your hate.”

I do! Kelsey agreed.

“She might say that you were trying to kill her and it was a fair fight to the death, which your companions lost,” Suliel said.

Well, except for that bit about fair, Kelsey commented. Suliel sent a bit of her irritation back down the connection.

“I say it was Magister Tikin who sent you to your deaths,” Suliel said, ignoring the interruption. “Blame him, if anyone.”

Draven glared at Suliel for a bit longer, before dropping his gaze.

“We all knew what we were getting into,” he admitted. “Risking death is part of the job.”

He looked at the ground for a moment more. “Do I get my stuff back when I’ve served my time?”

Oooh… I know someone who could really use that cloak, Kelsey wheedled. Suliel ignored her.

“If you cooperate fully, yes,” she said. “If only to stop you sneaking around looking for it when we let you go.”

He chuckled. “Fair point,” he admitted. “But since you can’t stick me in a cell to rot until I change my mind, what are you going to do if I say no?”

“We’ll just throw you back in the dungeon,” Suliel said coldly. She pointed, and the guards parted so that Draven could see the entrance.

Standing right at the entrance to the cave, two zombies were waiting, drooling hungrily. Suliel wasn’t sure what made the tableau more concerning: the presence of the zombies themselves, or the fact that something was holding them back.

Draven shivered at the sight. “I didn’t really believe Tikin when he said the Baroness was in league with the dungeon,” he said. “I mean, how?”

“I’m asking the questions,” Suliel said.

The adventurer looked at her. She saw the hard look in his eyes. He was over twice her level… but he bowed his head. Her Class thrilled to see it, and some more experience trickled in.

“Aye, your ladyship, that you are. Ask away, even if it seems you know all the answers.”

“To start with then, who were Tikin’s backers?”

“Backers?” Draven asked.

“Tikin escaped from here with the clothes off his back,” Suliel said impatiently. “He had no magic, his connection with the Rose Circle died with my father. Where does he get the money to outfit an expedition for the Stormguard?”

“God’s teeth, girl, your father was a member of the Circle?” Draven said in alarm. “Why are you telling me this?”

“What do you know of the circle?” Suliel asked, her eyes narrowing.

“I know that talking about it is a good way to get killed!” Draven retorted. “Are things different out here?”

“I trust all the men here,” Suliel said confidently. “What do you know about them? Their goals? Anything that they’ve done?”

“That cell is starting to look awful welcoming,” Draven muttered. “All I know is that they’re for nobles only. That, and there’s a standing contract out for anyone who talks about them.”

“A contract with who?” Suliel asked. Draven hesitated.

I bet it’s the Shadowblades, Kelsey said. It’s in his Class.

“The Shadowblades?”

“You know about that, too?” Draven groaned.

“It’s hardly a secret when it’s right there in your Class,” Suliel pointed out. “Are they some kind of assassin guild?”

“A loose one,” Draven said. “You’re right, it’s not much of a hidden secret. It’s more like, most people are smart enough to not poke their nose in their business.”

“I’m afraid I’m just an ignorant country noble, with no idea of what I should or shouldn’t be doing,” Suliel said with a little bit of amusement.

Draven looked askance at her. “Whatever it is you are, Lady, it ain’t that.”

Suliel gave him a thin smile. “Back to the subject at hand. There is a contract with the Shadowblades to kill anyone who mentions the Rose Circle.”

“Right. If one of us hears about someone asking questions about them, we pass it up the chain. Soon enough word comes down that the hit is sanctioned and we’ll get paid for it.”

“Did your companions know that you were a hired assassin?” Suliel asked.

“I’m mostly retired,” Draven told her. “Once you get to a certain level, it’s a very loose association.”

“Hmm. Back to the original question. Tikin’s backers?”

“I dunno. At least, I couldn’t tell you if they were where he was getting his money. But I did check him out.”

“And?”

“We had three meetings with him, hashing out the details. I followed him after, to see where he went. After two of them, he met with another group.”

“And they were?”

“I only knew one of them to look at. Kalren Voss, he’s a mage at court. I figure him and Tikin go way back.”

“The others?”

“I didn’t recognise the other two, but they were nobles from the look of them. No one important at court, not wearing any heraldry.”

“And the other time you met?”

Draven grinned. “He went straight to a brothel.”

“And that’s all you know?” Suliel asked. “You didn’t follow the others?”

“It isn’t wise for the likes of me to get involved in noble's business,” Draven said. “Or mage's for that matter. A bit of extra information can help but I didn’t want to dig too deep.”

“I see,” Suliel said. She nodded to the priest. “Heal him.”

She started heading back down. Half her detachment went with her, the other half remained to guard the prisoner. Halfway down, she was met by Syon, her chamberlain.

“My Lady! We’re late! The coach has arrived!”

Suliel nodded. Part of her wanted to break into a run, but his Majesty would wait a few minutes more.

“Is everything ready to go?” she asked. On your end, as well? she sent to Kelsey.

“Yes, my lady, all packaged and prepared and loaded onto the carriage,” he said.

What he said, Kelsey replied. We’re all ready to go. Oh, there was one thing…

What. Suliel sent. It was a bit late for last-minute requests.

You wouldn’t happen to have a map of Elitran waters I could look at, would you?

I don’t think so, Suliel sent, but I could probably find one in the Capital.

Don’t worry about it, Kelsey replied. We should have found one by then. We’ll just muddle through in the meantime.