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Unknown Location
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Orange light filtered through the silken fabric of the curtains, the sun sinking below the horizon while it desperately clung to its few last strands of life. Strangely poetic in a way. Like the sun was drawn to an inevitable end, weakly struggling against the inevitable. And in the morning, the sun would rise again, defiant. But she would not let the sun rise for those that worked against her. Not anymore.
She sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking over the city and plucking absentmindedly at the cloak that hung over the back. That girl, that blasted girl, she would probably be dead by now. She had to applaud that choice of bodyguard, being able to keep her safe for as long as he did. It had only taken a few days of digging before they had found somebody that could tell them more. A trader, if she recalled correctly. A dark alleyway and a thorough beating later they had all they knew. From what she heard, the man had been an older gentleman, tough and persistent. But eventually, he spilt enough information. A quick blow to the head and a few spells later, they’d left him on his inn’s doorstep.
Blowing a strand of black hair out of her eyes, a slight pang of guilt pierced her heart. Harming the old trader hadn’t been part of the plan, but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. Poor sod. At least he wouldn’t be able to remember a lot from the encounter with her people nor would he remember that he’d given information, and no permanent harm was done to him. He would be able to live his life as normal, trading and travelling where he pleased. In the end, he would be better off with that pesky maid and her guardian gone too. In the end, he’d surely be thankful.
The majority of her plan had gone without a hitch, progressing even better than she’d hoped in some ways. Her new allies in Zavand had proven to be surprisingly willing to help once they found out a relative of theirs was providing assistance to her quarry. Even sent out quite a force to retrieve him. The matriarch of that family had been a pain to converse with, however. She could practically smell the woman’s pride and haughty nature through the spell her servant had used to communicate. Didn’t even want to help her secure Ayuen. Just that bastard son of theirs. That was enough for her though. With her bodyguard gone, the Pyrn girl would be vulnerable.
And according to her scouts and mages, there was only one location she could be headed that had any provisions she could use. A little mining village called Tinker’s Song. She didn’t exactly know why Ayuen was heading there, but she didn’t mind. The less populated the area, the bolder she could pursue her and bring her down before she stuck more of her nose where it didn’t belong. The pieces had been set, the game was progressing. And she was on the verge of making the final move.
With a content sigh, she leaned back and laid her head on her arms, her feathered wings hanging down beside her on the sides of the chair. Soon, her vision for a perfect future would become a reali-…
Suddenly, three loud knocks sounded from the door. The interference made her frown and sit upright in her chair. Who would have the gal to disturb her when she was in such a cheerful mood? This would better be important. She cast an icy cold glare at the door as if she tried to freeze it over on the spot.
“You have permission to enter.” She called out with an annoyed tone of voice. “If you value your position and life, this interruption has better be worth my time.”
At her command, the door opened and an armoured Yrus with mottled brown wings appeared from behind it. The captain of her personal guard, Yarran. He was a useful pawn, even if he was too keen to serve her sometimes.
“Good evening, ma’am.” He greeted her, saluting before entering the room properly. He held his helm below his arm as he walked towards her seat. “We have gotten news from the Tyheart family. They’ve dispatched a squadron of their guards to get the bastard mercenary back. We should have good news coming our way before long.”
Well then, it seemed like the Tyheart family were fast workers. Excellent. The faster Ayuen’s protection was taken care of, the better it’d be. For everyone. After all, she was doing this for the continued benefit of everybody here in the Dusk.
“Excellent.” She replied with a smile, standing up from her chair. Stretching her wings and arms, she groaned happily. “That’s news that you can wake me up for. Any news from our little informant though? Any messages she sent us?”
“I’m afraid not, ma’am. No sign that contact was made. The last thing we heard from her was that they were near the town of Maiden’s Vale at that point. With a bit of luck, we should have contact again soon.”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“One would hope, captain. One would hope. For all of us.”
Yarran’s eyes shifted to look at the rapidly darkening landscape outside and nodded slowly. The orange light of the setting sun made his frown look even deeper than it already was. She tilted her head just a tad, somewhat puzzled by his reaction.
“Something the matter, captain?”
His eyes refocused on hers, the man shaking his head.
“No, ma’am. Just thinking about what has to be done. I have to admit that sometimes… I get a bit weary of it. Questioning if it’s truly necessary to go through with this.”
Ah, the hesitation. She could understand. Not everybody was as steadfast as she was. Walking closer she laid a hand on the captain’s bronze-plated shoulder, pointing towards the buildings of Marlight below them.
“I know your pain, captain. But you’ve heard and seen about the crimes commited by our enemies. In the end, we’ll all benefit when they are gone. Yrus, Anor, Iruk, Cloudiz and Prevaz, all of us. Even the Natural Races will send us praise.”
She leaned in, whispering in his ear as she moved behind him, her voice nearly a purr. “And you can be on the forefront of it all.”
“I… realise, ma’am. But is a war the only answer?”
“It’s the only answer we have left. If we leave them unchecked, it will only spell disaster for Marlight in the end.”
She continued circling him, like a bird of prey circling its prey.
“But…”
Before he could continue, she gently put a finger on his lips, preventing him from speaking further.
“Sshh…” She softly hushed him. “There is no ‘but’ anymore. The only course open to us is action.”
She turned on her heels and walked back to her seat. With a swirly gesture, she took her cloak and donned the colourful purple garment with one fluid movement. Casting one final glance at the city, she walked out of the door, gesturing for Yarran to follow.
“Speaking of action, captain.” She said, eyes focused on the deserted hallway in front of her. A click of a lock behind her, and the captain’s heavy footsteps followed soon after. “The Pyrn girl’s parents. Have you managed to deal with them?”
She’d been trying to get Ayuen’s parents out of the picture for a while now. Even if they were imprisoned and disgraced, the two Pyrn still had friends in somewhat influential circles. Especially the mother. A beloved captain of the guard, as fate would have it. It would be best if she got silenced as soon as possible. Behind her, the sound of Yarran’s footsteps faltered for a moment before speeding up to catch up with her. As he spoke up, his voice was soft, still doubtful. She’d have to be a bit stricter with this one.
“I’m afraid we haven’t, ma’am. As you’re undoubtedly aware, they’re kept in the Royal Palace’s prison block, together with the majority of higher profile Pyrn prisoners.”
She grimaced at the reminder. A couple of days ago, after a series of near-fatal accidents in the prison blocks that might or might not have been her doing, the council had decreed all Pyrn prisoners were to be kept separate from those hailing from other races. It had been their understanding that it was a normal prisoner revolt caused by the current upheaval happening inside the city. The ghost of a smile touched the corners of her lips. Little did the council know that they were sorely mistaken. Sending an agent or two into prison was easily done. But unfortunately, the council wasn’t entirely incompetent. After the incidents, security had been tight enough to thwart any further attempts without risking discovery.
“Hhmm.” She murmured. “Unfortunate but expected. I’d like you to keep searching for an opening, captain. One of the guards could still be our way in.”
“Yes, ma’am. But if I might be so bold, it’d be easier if you would allow me to bribe a Pyrn to-…”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” She shouted before he could finish his disgusting proposal, whipping around with a swirl so she could glare at him with a deathly stare. A sudden rage filled her eyes with cinders and anger ran through her blood like streams of boiling magma. “You are NOT to use the help of those disgusting creatures in any shape, way or form! I should execute you for even daring to think about committing to such an attrocity!”
At this sudden outburst, the captain seemed to shrivel up despite his normal disciplined demeanour. As if he wanted to hide in her shadow to escape her wrath. Indignation oozes out of every pore of her body as she awaited the man’s answer. Eventually, he softly mumbled a couple of words incoherently.
“What was that, captain?” The rage in her voice was replaced with cold and ice, the promise of a swift and gruesome death underlining her words. Yarran gulped away the lump in his throat and spoke up with a clearer tone, even though his voice was still shaky.
“I… Yes, ma’am. Please forgive me. I was wrong. I’ll make sure I won’t think of consorting with any Pyrn in the future.”
For a moment longer, she looked at the captain, after which her expression softened up and she nodded at him. She was genuinely relieved, although this sentiment seemed to confuse the captain.
“Good. Very good, captain Yarran. I’d hate to see your pure spirit corrupted by those membraned beasts. Your assistance and friendship mean a lot to me, captain.” A soft hand floated to the captain’s cheek and softly traced the contours of his face. “Losing you would devastate me.”
“Right.” Yarran’s facial expression shifted between multiple emotions, both positive and negative. “I will do my help to provide you with my assistance, ma’am.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me. And please, we’ve known each other for a long time now, Yarran. No need for ma’am anymore.”
His cheeks turned red as the Yrus man nodded silently. The strange mixture of emotions on the captain’s face didn’t faze her, nor did it diminish her opinion of the captain. People made mistakes, and he was no different. He was skilled and useful, somebody to keep very close to her. She did find herself wishing that she could hold her temper back a bit better.
Taking a deep breath, she willed away all traces of her prior fury as she smiled warmly, turning around to continue her way. After a brief hesitation, Yarran followed suit. There was a lot of work to be done after all and there was only so much either of them could do alone.
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