CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
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Alaric Sampson
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23rd of Decepter, 935 PC
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In a realm riddled with poverty, disease, and crime like Resk, anything elegant and beautiful often appeared overwrought and blindly optimistic. There were countless hopeless villages, with ten times as many hopeless villagers. The towns were no better, nor the cities, except for one spectacular exception to the rule at the southern border. Of course, most considered Pearl City to be part of Morne, but in truth the city belonged to King Boelock, not Queen Nala. Naturally, Tripelthin had strongly recommended the diamond in the rough be their first stop along the Dirt Spine. Alaric had agreed, suggesting they stay in The Stonehill Inn; a glamorous establishment known for its high-class patrons and an ability to avoid Lotus patrols. Those in the High Chamber had often used the place as a way to escape the reality that was crushing the rest of the realm when they’d travel through Resk – same story, different day.
They arrived around noon on the second day of riding to find the inn looking every bit as quaint and welcoming as Alaric remembered it. Nobles and diplomats filled the long porch that ran the length of two sides of the inn. The innkeeper’s assistants were fiddling with the finely-crafted lanterns that hung from the columns holding up the second-story balcony above. The men and women eating up there reminded him of the several fine meals he’d enjoyed there in the past. A third story stretched outward over the balcony to protect guests from inclement weather. No concern of that today though, as it was an uncharacteristically warm day for Decepter, nothing but blue skies in every direction. The candles that stood softly in each of the windows sat below beautifully crafted wreaths that changed with the season. All-in-all, it was hardly the kind of place a resistance group could call home, but certainly somewhere they could try to blend in quietly for a single night. At least that was the plan before Tripelthin had spotted Nathaniel Ames walking amongst the diplomats on the porch. Imagine the look on the informant’s face when he saw Alaric and his band of Purists staring at him from the stables.
Ames had ratty agility, fast feet with a head on a swivel, looking anywhere and everywhere for a way to escape. He shoved women and slammed into men. Quite the scene for people of this status.
“Manaya,” Tripelthin said calmly.
Alaric would have preferred a more subtle approach to apprehending the informant, but the woman was already on the move. That, and he wasn’t opposed to saving his own magic. Manaya unhitched a chain from her chest as she walked. The intimidating sellsword would be enough to startle anyone upon first glance, but with her chain slithering along on the ground behind her the entire crowd was in a panic.
Diedro took off without being asked, taking a route toward the other end of the porch that would cutoff Ames’ escape into the hills behind the inn.
Manaya didn’t quite stomp up the stairs on the left side of the porch, but she wasn’t formal about it either as she dipped and dodged through scattering guests.
Alaric couldn’t see the chain as it flew down the length of the porch but he did see Ames tumble down the staircase at the other end, feet wrapped tight in the iron whip. Diedro stepped on the man’s back and held him there as Alaric and the others walked by the thinned-out crowd of onlookers.
“Our apologies, everyone,” Alaric said several times. “Just a little debt that needs to be collected. No one will be harmed. You’re all perfectly safe.” He looked at the sniveling informant and spoke quietly, “Except you.”
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“This place is incredible,” Lily said as she came through the door holding a plateful of desserts.
Therrin wasn’t far behind. “Free pastries! Just giving ‘em out.” He had his own plate piled even higher with doughy delights.
It may have taken quite some effort to convince the innkeeper to let them stay there if it weren’t for the unintended luxuries of magic. A quick blip of no control over his body had sent an ominous message to the man behind the front desk. He offered them three free rooms, but Alaric graciously only took two.
Lily sat her plate on the crisp, smooth tabletop and moved toward one of the two beds on the other side of the room. She plopped down beside Therrin, who she’d taken quite the liking to on the ride to Pearl City. A strawberry fritter from the top of the healer’s smorgasbord found its way into her mouth, held there by her teeth while she pulled the braid out of her silky black hair.
Alaric leaned forward and took a small bowl of custard from the other plate. “No spoon?” he asked the two youths.
“Oops,” Therrin said. “I forgot the spoons. Would you like me to get you one, sir?”
“No, no, don’t burden yourself.” Alaric dipped his finger into the bowl and sucked it clean – better than Aunt Bethunia’s and that said a lot. He watched as Diedro decided which of the two fritters to take before Tripelthin mindlessly snatched one, leaving no choice but apple.
And then there was Nathaniel. The scrawny blonde with a nose so crooked he was destined to be a traitor. He sat at the head of the table, hands bound to the chair, his mouth gagged with a cloth and cord. The sweat on his forehead glistened annoyingly bright in the candlelight.
“I couldn’t believe it when Tripelthin pointed to you on the porch, Nathaniel,” Alaric said. The informant grunted into his gag. “Though, I suppose it is about time I have some good luck. Life has a way of righting the ship if you keep from capsizing long enough. That's what my father used to tell me when I was feeling down. Always seemed like that left all the hard work to me though. Maybe that was the point. Who knows. All that to say, I couldn’t be happier to see you.” Another grunt. “Scream and you’re dead…” Nathaniel nodded which caused Alaric to nod which caused Manaya, who stood behind the captive, to take the gag out.
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“Alaric I’m-” The informant stopped at the sight of a powerful finger raised to Alaric’s lips.
“Don’t speak. Just listen and listen closely. I know you betrayed me. I know you sold information to the Lotus about my plans to take down Iris. You sold information to the fucking Lotus, Nathaniel.”
“I didn’t-”
Alaric slammed his hands on the table, causing the plate of desserts to bounce slightly. As badly as he wanted to raise his voice, he refrained. Instead, he spoke slowly and clearly. “Shut you’re fucking mouth.” Nathaniel wilted.
“Might I have a moment…” Tripelthin said.
Alaric leaned back in his chair again, dipping his finger in the custard and waving the other man on.
Tripelthin thanked him with a disingenuous smile and turned to the informant. “I think what Alaric is trying to say is that he’d like you to tell us a few things... With honesty as the highest priority.” That wasn’t at all what Alaric was trying to say, but now that he heard it out loud it did sound like a good idea. “Can you do that for him… For us? Old friend.”
“Aye,” Nathaniel whispered, not sure if his voice would bring another angry outburst from Alaric.
“Lovely.” Tripelthin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brown pouch made of leather. When he sat it down it sounded like coins were jostling around inside. I’ll be damned if he’s going to bribe information out of this traitor with Leos.
“Trip.” It was Alaric who was being shushed by a finger now. He didn’t like it at all but Diedro’s stoic stare somehow kept him from reacting.
Nothing came out of the pouch when Tripelthin undid the cords and tipped it over slowly, adding to the suspense in the room. “Who made you do it?”
“That dirty bastard, Gant,” Ames said. “Had us all bent over a barrel. Even took the time to find a way to make sure he could cut us each a different way too. If he had to. Nasty fucker.”
Everyone in the room studied the man closely, sniffing for any sign of a lie. Or perhaps, there was some kind of unspoken agreement that if they all stared at him long enough he’d snap under the pressure of awkwardness. Either way, Ames gave away nothing – the downside of interrogating a man you helped turn into a vault.
“And what was Gant’s reasoning?” Tripelthin asked.
Ames scratched his cheek with his shoulder the best his bound hands would allow. “Wanted something from one of the Lotus captains. That’s all I know.” If Alaric had learned anything during his time with the Crimson Nine, it was that when a criminal claimed he’d told all he knew, there was undoubtedly more to find out.
That’s not to say what Nathaniel had said was untrue though. It made good sense in fact. Gant was always working an angle in an attempt to get his brother back. He’d come to Thronerock a couple years before, hoping Alaric would put a rescue mission on his long list of things to do. Like any wise man would, Alaric had said he’d help in order to get a damn good resource on his side, then pushed the unnecessary obligation off to a time that didn’t exist. Gant must have gotten tired of waiting.
“Which captain?” Tripelthin asked.
“I don’t know.”
The way Tripelthin stuck his fingers into the pouch slowly reminded Alaric that he had hard candies in his pocket. He went digging for one as he watched the interrogator pull a single lotus capsule from the pouch and lay it in front of Nathaniel. A thin white residue coated its smooth faces and crisp edges. A faint scent of a lotus flower made Alaric grit his teeth as it crept into his nostrils. A gorgeous little package for a filthy little substance.
At first, Alaric was surprised that the advisor had lotus on him but then he remembered they’d used it in a similar situation a year before. No surprise, it had been Gant that had stolen it for them. Thinking about that night, what Tripelthin had done, made one thing very clear; there would be no line drawn in the sand this evening.
“Do you know what that is?” Tripelthin asked. Ames nodded, refusing to take his eyes off the capsule. “And you know what it’ll do to you? How it will slowly eat away at your blood supply until you're shriveled up like a prune if you don’t feed the addiction…” Another nod. “Of course you do. Everyone does. But did you know you can take too much? Flood your system…” Nathaniel shook his head this time. Slowly. Fearfully. “One won’t do it. Not at all.” Tripelthin reached into the pouch again and slid another capsule out, placing it beside its twin neatly. “Two won’t do it either in most cases.” He dumped the pouch out completely. Over a dozen capsules tumbled and slid across the tabletop toward the informant. Nathaniel looked down at one that had fallen onto his lap in terror, like it might burn through his clothes and skin on its way to his bloodstream. “I’d bet money you won’t last longer than four.”
“Ezil Ek’Regar!” Ames shouted. “Never met him. Ever. Swear!” Ames looked at Alaric. “Stop him, Alaric. Please. You know how important you are to me. I would never-”
Tripelthin slammed the man’s head down on the table. Alaric flinched. Diedro did not. The advisor turned torturer held the man down by the back of the neck and snapped a flame into existence. He slid his thumb right up to Nathaniel’s chin, close enough to let the heat chomp at the short beard there.
“What did Gant get in exchange for the Marsallas?”
“I don’t know!” The flame moved closed, burning hair now. It stunk.
“Hold him down!” Tripelthin said to Manaya. There wasn’t a single tremor of doubt in the woman. Nathaniel closed his mouth tight when Tripelthin gathered up a capsule but the burning thumb jammed into the man’s throat changed that quickly.
“The formula!” Ames shouted and the flame withdrew. “Gant needed the formula to trade with someone. To get his brother back. Told me he’d kill LeighAnne and the boys if I told anyone. That’s all-” He stopped talking when Tripelthin shoved the capsule into his mouth and held it closed, pinching his nostrils shut with the other hand.
A smile had just started to form on Alaric’s lips when Diedro’s blade slid into and out of Nathaniel’s temple so fast it could barely be seen. One second Nathaniel was squirming desperately, the next he was staring blankly at the wall, blood dripping from the pool in his eye socket.
Diedro wiped his dagger on his pants and put it away. “Ain’t no honor in that,” he said, looking at Tripelthin with dark, narrow eyes. “He told you what he knew. He deserved to die quick and clean. His hands were tied to a fuckin’ chair. Ain’t no honor in that,” he said again, shaking his head in disgust. “Ain’t no fuckin’ honor in that.”
Tripelthin didn’t back down and he certainly didn’t regret his decision. “I was about to ask him what he’d told the Lotus about our plans.”
Alaric grimaced at the thought of missing out on that information.
“You don’t deserve to know. Not with that horseshit,” Diedro said.
“I don’t think you’re the one responsible for making that decision,” Tripelthin said.
Diedro shrugged. “I’d say I ain’t but if it means giving the world some humanity, I’ll overstep my boundaries.”