image [https://i.imgur.com/Ow042MQ.png]

THE ABBAS

Monte couldn't stand up all the way inside the tunnel. He looked around and noticed the walls were no longer lined with stone, they were dirt, as was the floor. It would have been impossibly dark if not for a glow coming from further down the passage.

"Where are we?" Monte asked.

"Oh is this not nice enough for you? Need I remind you I just rescued you from capture." The stall owner said.

"Right, thank you. Now where are we?" Karth said, looking around at the walls just as Monte had.

"It's a big secret. We've been working on it for ages." The stall owner said.

"Who is we?" Monte asked.

"The pirates, of course. Pavani wanted a secret tunnel to give us access to the Abbas' palace. So we dug this. You're welcome." The stall owner said the last part in a sing-songy voice. Monte saw Karth roll his eyes, then they suddenly went wide.

"Who wanted a secret tunnel?" Karth asked.

"Pavani, silly. She's our leader." The stall owner said.

"I need to be getting back or there will be questions. I can't be the one who gets in trouble for this being discovered. I trust you two know what to do next?" The stall owner said, and without waiting for a response he slipped back out into the Underworld.

Monte looked at Karth. His eyes were still wide, and his mouth hung slightly open. Slowly he let out a sigh and looked back at Monte.

"I knew it was something bad, but I didn't think it was this bad." Karth said.

"I think it's great. They have a just cause!" Monte said, smiling.

"Of course, you would think that 'Monte the good', 'Monte the brave', 'Monte the Righteous'!" Karth mocked him.

"They would call you that too if you just lived a little sometimes." Monte said.

"What would you call going to that dance hall? I flirted with the bartender! I got drunk!" Karth said, feigning protest.

"Yeah you followed your sister down here and the bartender gave you shots of water for the past hour." Monte said dryly.

"Oh… I wondered why I felt so with it. It explains why those shots stopped working too, I thought it was me." Karth replied.

"Let's get going. We have to make it to the Abbas' palace so I can tell him I'm not taking part in his little scheme." Monte said. Then he started crawling deeper into the tunnel.

"Oh that's what this is about huh? Not you having a little crush on my sister?" Karth said, rolling his eyes. He heard Karth start crawling behind him. Monte could feel his face going flush, he was glad he was in the front, and the tunnel was so dark.

"Hey, speaking of bartenders. I never got the story. Why isn't Neera here with you?" Monte said, desperate to change the subject. Monte was expecting a little more verbal sparring and banter, but instead Karth went quiet. For a moment the only sound in the tunnel was the scraping of boots and hands across dirt. Finally, Karth let out another sigh.

"I've known her for years, but my parents…" Karth started. Monte and Karth had been friends since they met at the Academy, they'd spent some formative years together. Karth and Neera had known each other since before they were teenagers. Monte knew Karth's parents had known Neera at least as long.

"They just don't approve. It's been so difficult." Karth said with obvious pain in his voice.

"I'm sorry. That sounds rough." Monte replied. He meant it.

"I wouldn’t want to do anything to upset my mother. I know, because I have." Monte winced a little as he spoke. He wasn't expecting to be so transparent. Especially not as he crawled on his hands and knees though a dirty tunnel.

"Thanks. I know you get it. I love Neera, she's amazing. I just wish my parents could see it. Leaving her behind for this trip was so hard. She was great about it, of course. No offense, but I wish she was here." Karth said, letting out a sigh to punctuate each thought.

"None taken." Monte said, letting out a little laugh. Then Karth let out a little laugh and suddenly they were both laughing. About their problems, their parents, the ridiculousness of the situation they were in. For a moment they just laughed.

"I feel better. Thanks man, seriously." Karth said.

"Maybe you just need to tell you parents this is what you want, and ask them to support you." Monte said.

"You make it sound so easy. Maybe you need to go back to your town and mend things with your mother." Karth replied. Monte stopped moving.

"I'm sorry. That was too much, I went too far. I didn’t mean it like that." Karth said, trying frantically to apologize.

Monte let the words replay in his head.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

You make it sound so easy.

Going back to his town was what he needed to do. He'd known that for as long as he'd been gone. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. The pain, the guilt. Everything associated with that place and what happened. It was too much. But, his friend had a point. There was no way to get around doing what he needed to do. Monte turned around in the tight space.

"You're right." Monte said. He looked at Karth in the darkness.

"You're absolutely right. When we get back, that's what I'm going to do." Monte spoke with his most confident tone. Hearing it brought a smile to Karth's face.

"I'm going back to my town, I'm crossing into the Guard. And I'm going to repair things with my mom. No matter hard it is." Monte said, reaching out his hand.

"I'm going to tell my parents how I feel. And I will apologize to Neera for putting her through this, and make sure it stops." Karth replied, grabbing Monte's extended hand and shaking. He too had donned his most confident voice. Monte noticed Karth's sounded much more well-practiced. The two stared at each other for a moment. Then Monte turned around and kept crawling.

"One more time. Where are we going?" Karth asked.

"I have no idea." Monte said. Then they both laughed again, which cleared the air inside the tunnel the way nothing else could have.

"Oh wait, look at this." Monte said. The end of the tunnel was now in sight, not far ahead. Just before the back wall was a ladder leading up.

"Subtle." Karth said, as the ladder came into his view.

Monte reached the ladder first and stood up. A dull light poured down into the opening, and Monte could see the ladder wasn't very tall. At the end of the ladder was a grate. It reminded Monte immediately of being in the Old City.

"I don't know what's up there, but I think we should split up once we get inside the palace." Monte said, lowering his voice.

"Split up? No I'm with you remember, I want to get into trouble." Karth said, whispering. Monte could hear the smile opening across his face.

"I don't want you getting caught up in whatever the Abbas wants with me. I have a feeling when I tell him I'm not going to be is lackey, he isn't going to take it too well." Monte whispered.

"Well if he's anything like my dad you're probably dead right." Karth said, forgetting to keep his voice down.

"Okay, fine. I'll meet you outside. Good luck Monte." Karth said, remembered to whisper again. Then he gave a little tug at Monte's boot as Monte began to climb the ladder.

"Good luck. We'll be back to this stag party in no time." Monte said.

Monte pushed on the grate and to his relief, it gave way easily. He emerged into what appeared to be a kitchen, empty given it was the dead of night. Before Karth could make it up and change his mind, he made for the door and hurried up the first set of stairs he could find. Monte remembered that from the outside, the most ornate room in the palace was on the top floor.

The lack of security in such an important and wealthy person's home became unnerving after Monte found the third set of stairs. He assumed most people never made it this far, and therefore the Abbas chose to leave his inner chambers empty. Still, something felt wrong about it. Monte found a door of rich deep colored wood, bound in fine brass metalwork, and pushed on it. It gave way, and he immediately learned why he hadn't seen a single soul.

A burly arm grabbed his forearm and pulled him through the door. Monte was instantly surrounded by large men. They were dressed in dark colors. He noticed that one of them had an obviously fresh black eye. These were the men who had been chasing him through the streets, and he had just walked right into a room of them. And it appeared they knew he was coming.

Lucky me.

Monte heard a slow, single clap start. He looked around the room. It was impossibly well appointed. A bed made of red wood and gold with four large posts sat in the middle. The ceilings, the windows, and the bed itself were all draped in fine deep purple velvet curtains. The walls were covered in gold-leafed paper that glistened like seams of ore in the light of the single lamp that hung from the center of the room.

The clapping grew louder until Monte could see the source. A tall, slender man dressed in a black gown with a black turban, his eyes lined with dark paint, and his mustache and small beard all greased into points. Monte had no trouble identifying the man, though he looked nothing like who he'd met earlier in the day. It was the Abbas.

"Very good Monte. Very good." The Abbas cooed. He waved a hand almost imperceptibly and the men who were holding Monte let go.

"I knew I picked the right man for the job. Your reputation precedes you. And now I see why." As the Abbas spoke, Monte could almost see his tongue slipping across his teeth.

"I'm here to tell you-" Monte began to say, but was cut off.

"Ah ah ahhh… None of that yet. First I must tell you of your reward, for when you deliver the pirate queen to me." The Abbas said seductively.

"I've hired so many fools. Some of them stand among us now." The Abbas looked around. A few of the men looked sheepishly at their feet.

"None could penetrate the Pirate's ring as quickly as you did. You're an artist, Monte. Your canvas is crime, and your brush? That sword there, I suspect." The Abbas said.

Monte instinctively reached for the hilt of the sword. He had forgotten he was even wearing it. Instantly the men around him grabbed his arms again.

"Yes, I know it well. Or perhaps… that’s a fake. Who can say? The copies are so believable." The Abbas said cooly.

How does he know that?

"Now, to business. I trust in my presence you will keep that blade sheathed." He waved his hand again as he spoke, and Monte was let go.

I need to stop getting into these situations.

"For delivery of the pirate queen, I will grant you two chests each of the jewels I control trade over, and one chest of diamonds. A fortune unlike any you could ever hope to find. Yet a small price to be rid of these thugs." The Abbas said.

Monte couldn't help but think about his life in the Capitol. He wanted to be done with that. He needed to go back to his town, become his own man. With that much wealth he could go where he wanted. His mother could have anything she could dream of. He could be a Guard, or never work another day in his life. He certainly wouldn’t need to pull another double shift by the docks.

But the thoughts were fleeting, replaced as quickly as they came with Pavani and her family. If they didn’t approve of Neera, what would knowing their daughter was a crime lord do to them? Monte was certain the Abbas would have her killed. It would destroy them, and it would destroy Karth.

I'm here for my friend, not me, and not them.

Just then, Monte heard a faint sound. It was a single bell, ringing alone at a slow cadence. He glanced around the room and found an open window. The look on Monte's face must have hardened in that moment, because he could see the eyes of the Abbas widen.

"I wouldn't lift a finger for you for all the money in the world." Monte said as he drew the replica sword.

"Then you will die!" The Abbas shouted, his eyes shrinking to narrow slits.

Before one of the men next to him could move, Monte turned and slashed down on his forearm with some significant effort. The blade made contact with the man, but simply bludgeoned him.

This fake is a piece of junk.

Monte made quick work of the other man standing next to him with a blow to the side of the head. Like a flash he bounded to the window and looked out. Below, he confirmed what he knew would be there. The ship that had passed in front of their vessel was directly below the window. On the deck he could see Pavani and Mavlo. Monte turned back and looked into the room.

"Get him!" The Abbas screamed. Not a soul made a move towards Monte, having seen what he did to the other two.

"You can keep your jewels, and you can keep this!" Monte shouted, and he threw the fake sword directly at the Abbas' head.

Before he could hear it make contact Monte leapt from the window. This time, he could feel the time he spent in the air. Maybe it was the smell of sea are or the rush he felt, but Monte felt he was suspended above the water forever.