Coranth walked with the affable Jamie, Head Sherif in Chief of the Kingdom of Boarslo and Kyle, Outlaw extraordinaire the magnificent. They were a silly pair, but nice enough. They had insisted on taking him to the tavern party for the two other out of towners. Coranth figured it couldn’t hurt to find out how much trouble he was in now rather than spend another night in the wilderness. Besides, a warm bed was too tempting to pass up. It could just be a couple of refugees heading to a safer corner of the kingdom.

The Count of Jet had been just shy of open rebellion before the war had started. Now that it was in full swing, he wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest that a civil war would be in full swing.

“So you said the bridge was out Sherif?” Coranth asked.

“Yessir! It is. ‘The Maruk boys hiked down fraum the city an’ set er ablaze they did. No winnin any war doin that to yer people.’ That’s what the butcher told my pa.” More likely than not the Count of Jet had the bridge burned as soon as things looked grim for Maruk. The report and accompanying letter were likely in the hands of the Maruk king. Coranth imagined it said something like, “Fuck you and fuck your horse tax!” Perhaps with a bit more tact.

“So, do many refugees come through this way?” Coranth asked while they walked down the lane.

“We had maybe a dozen since the winter an’ that’s countin you and the couple that came in earlier today.”

The sun was sinking to the horizon as they approached the inn. Candlelight flickered through all three of the windows out front and long shadows stretched from the building. Looking about the small town it was the only one made with brick and taller than everything but the iconic hexagonal church of Tarun.

In the shadows of the building next to the inn, something caught his eye. He quickly focused his eyes on the spot. There were two people barely visible in the darkness. He carefully averted his gaze and hoped the quick glance wouldn’t make them skittish.

“I think you kids should run in and announce the new earl from Hannover to your pa and I’ll be waiting to make my esteemed grand entrance.” He winked at Jamie.

“Waaaa! Woah! No way yous an earl!” Kyle said in awe.

“Come on Kyle he’s no more an earl than I’ma sherif.” Jamie marched towards the inn.

Coranth stopped following the pair in front of the building with the mysterious shadows. The kids dashed into the inn racing to the mayor no doubt. As soon as they barged through the door Coranth shrugged off his cape and drew his sword effortlessly. Twirling the blade around his hand at the end of the motion before catching it.

The shadows didn’t bother talking. A flash of silver out of the darkness and a puff of smoke was the only reply from the deepening darkness. Coranth dove to the side and a dagger flashed through the air towards the ground where he had stood. Another puff of smoke and the dagger vanished before hitting the ground.

Coranth leaped back as another puff of smoke to his right sent the dagger flying past him low to the ground. If he had ducked instead of jumping back he would be dead. The dagger sailed through the air and sank into the ground.

Then there was a large puff of smoke, tinted a light blue. A man-sized puff of smoke. Coranth dove away from the enshrouded man and rolled to his feet. He heard a shuffle of feet nearby. He swung his sword to his right. The tip seemed to just barely connect with a second shrouded figure. A sharp intake of breath was enough for Coranth to know the blow had landed.

“Rala! Take his weapon!” The man’s voice was mixed with worry and determination.

“I can’t! The steel… doesn’t want to!” Her voice responded indignantly.

Coranth spun to face the man. The man stood in the fading light with drips of shadow falling away as the enchantment was lost. The man had drawn two throwing knives in each hand. He flicked both his wrists and sent the four blades sailing towards him.

Coranth could see their spins. Two would hit handle first and two -.

All four of them disappeared in the blue smoke. Coranth dove diagonally to his right and rolled twice before pushing off with his legs and landing on his feet. He really wished he had a shield.

The daggers erupted from smoke crossing where he had been a second before and then skittered into the ground.

“The mayor is gonna be out soon.” He said.

“He won’t care when he knows the price on your head. Hell, he might help.” The man said.

“Klein!” Rala said, sweat dripping from her brow. “Kill him!” “And give me a dagger to play with!” She grinned. Klein flipped two more daggers from his belt and tossed them haphazardly in the air. They spun aimlessly through the sky and weren’t even headed towards Coranth.

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Klein drew his sword and a small buckler no larger than a dinner plate. Coranth charged towards him with his sword gripped tightly in both hands. Coranth swung hard with his blade aiming at the rim of Klein’s small shield.

Klein moved the shield so that the center bulb glanced the blade away. Coranth continued his forward momentum and used the guard of the hilt to slam Klein in the head. Simultaneously catching the flat of his opponent’s sword between his bicep and chest. A dangerous choice to be certain.

The hair on the back of his neck rose and he dove to the side. Klein’s blade carved a slice into his bicep as he fell away.

The two haphazardly thrown daggers sailed through the air directly towards Klein. Klein ignored them completely and charged forward in pursuit. Two puffs of blue smoke erupted just in front of him and they vanished again.

Coranth whipped his dagger towards Klein with a grunt. It cut effortlessly through the air towards him. Another puff of smoke and his dagger vanished. Klein stormed through the smoke hardly even slowing down to acknowledge his near death.

Two more smoke clouds erupted to his right and left. At the same time, Klein swung his own sword in a downward cut. The daggers were aimed for his head. He dodged into Klein’s guard again and spun Klein into the ground flecks of blood misted into the air from the cut he had drawn across the man’s side.

“Klein!” Rala screamed her voice tinged with worry. The daggers strewn all about the street simultaneously evaporated and fell from high up in the air.

He spun to locate Rala. She was still standing in the shade of the nearby building. The irises of one of her eyes was a bright purple and the other was bright teal.

The hair on the back of his neck rose.

He dove sideways. One dagger flew into the wall of the empty building. Another puff of smoke flared to life sending a dagger deep into the meat of his thigh. Pain jumped through his body, but his leg held his weight when he stood up. Another puff of smoke. He dove. Another, He rolled. The daggers whipped towards him relentlessly and it was all he could do to roll and jump in as random a pattern as he could. Despite his efforts, pain lanced across his arm. He could feel blood welling up out of his thigh. A bright red cut across his forehead oozed scarlet blood. Klein stood wobbling. His sword arm uselessly dangling by his side. And his other hand was held to his side.

Coranth drew two throwing knives. The dagger in his thigh fell hitting the dirt with a thump.

He tossed them both at Rala. The mage spun away from the blades rather than vanish them in smoke and she stumbled as she steadied herself.

Klein roared and rushed towards him once again. One arm uselessly trailing behind him and his good arm holding a skinning knife. Despite his state, Klein swung rapidly if not accurately at him. Coranth stepped backward and his leg screamed in protest but held. He drew his own dagger and stepped away from yet another blow.

He parried aside a third.

Coranth watched Klein extend his leg a hair too far and watched as the weight sank awkwardly. The fourth strike swooshed past his face and Coranth pushed the arm as it stroked past and Klein stumbled to the ground.

Rala stumbled in her own exhaustion holding her wounded arm. Coranth glanced between the two of them, holding his dagger unwavering. Neither of the pair met his eyes.

He sheathed his dagger. “I don’t normally kill in towns I’m a guest in.”

The two rogues huddled together in the dirt. Coranth picked up his sword with the lion’s head pommel. He collected several of the daggers off the ground.

He heard Rala sob next to Klein as he opened the door to the bustling inn.

Immediately, he noticed the bizarre presence of a magic pot. The only other time he had seen one was in the Tarunian Grand Commune celebrating Prince Seldaris’s wedding.

And then he noticed the silence. He closed the door behind him and shuffled to the pot feeling the stares of the tavern on his back. He closed his hand around the wooden handle of the iron ladle. Coranth poured the stew into a crude wooden bowl and the sound was deafening in the silence.

The door to the inn was forced open with a thwack as it hit the wood frame of the building. The young woman he had been battling was staggering into the inn with her friend slung around her shoulders. The tense silence redoubled.

“I think you folks ought to find another town.” Coranth turned to the sound of the voice. A man had stood from a table towards the back of the inn. The fire and cauldron, positioned conveniently in the middle of the room now hindered his ability to clearly see the new face, but he suspected he would see Jamie and Kyle nearby.

The collective group held their breath, but Coranth poured another spoonful of stew. He hadn’t had warm food in at least a week. “Boarslo is a quiet town and we pride ourselves in hospitality, but it only goes so far,” the sheriff continued.

“We are all good Tarun loving folk here,” Coranth began. His voice rolled through the quiet space like an ocean wave. “I am sure that we can work out our differences without disturbing you good folk.”

“Right then,” the sheriff nodded slowly. “If I’m not happy I’ll have ya hauled off on the next cart to Jet and let them deal with you folk.”

“It’s funny, hearing a deserter describe himself as decent folk.” Klein accused. “If it wasn’t for it bein the middle a town an all he would have killed us dead and taken all our things.”

“Just look at what that man did to my sweet.” Rala mourned hugging Klein’s arm. There was a murmuring in the crowd and Coranth could feel the stares of a hundred suspicious eyes from the tavern patrons.

“He does seem to have roughed the two of ya up, but it’s not like you both aren’t prickling with daggers and ready for a fight yourselves.” The sheriff turned his attention to the remaining patrons.

“I think it’ll be best if you folks went home.” The sheriff suggested. There were some grumbling and half-hearted protests, but soon everyone had left the inn. Except for the three newcomers, the old sheriff, and Mary Rue who now all stood around an empty table.

“Now let’s get to the bottom of this, shall we?” The sheriff scooted back a chair and sat down heavily into it.

“I’m going to go get these poor dears some bandages and a round of drinks!” Mary Rue declared as she bustled away.

Coranth grabbed a chair opposite of Rala and Klein with the sheriff on his left. “Now to tell you the truth I don’t like newcomers struttin’ into town and stirrin’ up trouble.”