Chapter 12: The Good, the Bad, and the Living

As it turned out, no-one had actually seen Darren protect the ship. The crew and family had been below deck. And the ship had been too far from town at the time for passerby to notice someone on the mast.

Sara went to the lower deck and helped the family out while Darren talked with the captain about various concerns. Darren returned as the boat was docking.

Sara looked at him quizzically. “Why didn’t we go to the cabin when the storm started?” Darren gestured towards the door. “Go see for yourself.”

Sara pushed on the door. “The lock won’t turn, and the door won’t open. What gives?”

Darren stepped up to the door, looked around to make sure no-one was watching, and kicked hard on it. The door flew into the room, small pieces of wood falling off. Sara leaned in.

The bolted down furniture had come loose, and from the dents and holes in the walls, had slammed all around the room. Darren shook his head. “I noticed during our shared pain that the furniture was easily moved by thrashing. They always skimp on the safety of the guest cabin…”

Sara swallowed hard and went to check on the family. Darren walked down the gangplank to dry land, looking around him. A windblown sign proclaimed the town to be Quidan. It was much larger than B’thda, certainly. Multiple bars, inns, shops for food and traveling, and much more could be found. {Sara, it’s time. Bring the family.}

Sara and the family caught up and fell in step beside him as he walked down the main road. Darren glanced from side to side as they made their way down a well-hidden backstreet to a surprisingly upscale inn.

Darren opened the door, still watching the street. Sara ushered the family inside, and only then did they relax. Darren stepped into the back room to talk business with the manager while Sara showed the family to their new home. The mother was grateful beyond words, and after a while stopped speaking altogether. The boy did his best to keep up his act of toughness and unconcern. But happiness shone on all their faces for hours.

Darren tugged at Sara’s sleeve. “We need to go.” They said their goodbyes and left.

Sara sighed as they left the inn and walked back the way they came. “Helping out people brings happiness. Is that why you became a Guide?”

Darren drew his cloak tighter around himself, warding off the chill morning air. “Partially.” He chose not to elaborate.

They kept walking towards the ship, when Darren made a sudden right turn down another backstreet and knocked twice on a nondescript wooden door. It opened within ten seconds and Darren quickly stepped inside, motioning for Sara to come with him.

Sara didn’t understand much of what was going on, but she came anyways, resting her hands familiarly on her knives. They made their way through darkened rooms in maze-like fashion, to confuse thieves and intruders. A sudden entry into a brightly lit room made her shield her eyes, drawing back to protect herself.

Darren laid a hand on her shoulder. “Relax. We’re among friends.”

Sara gazed around the room. It sure doesn’t look that way. Big men carrying obviously concealed weapons dotted the room, scowls on their faces.

One of them, marked as the leader by the red piece of cloth pinned to his shoulder, spoke up. “Darren. You come back to us on a ship laden with gnib, containing runaway slaves, heralded by rain, thunder, and lightning, and you expect us to welcome you?”

Darren thought for a second, and then replied, “Pretty much.”

All the men burst out laughing, the leader slapping Darren on the back. “Ha ha! We should’ve recruited you years ago! Good work, Kinsley. We’ll take care of the smugglers and make sure your refugees are alright.” The group exited through a hidden door, still laughing.

Sara turned to Darren. “I thought you weren’t going to report the smugglers?”

Darren half-smiled. “What they did was illegal, immoral, and causes problems for thousands.”

Sara shook her head dubiously. “But you told them you wouldn’t. You lied?”

Darren looked at her strangely. “Would you prefer I hadn’t and let them continue ruining lives throughout Shirn? By not reporting them, I would be indirectly contributing to the deaths of hundreds every day; the continuing addiction would be partially my fault.”

Sara shrugged. Darren sighed. “Look, I’m not justifying what I said. Yes, it was wrong. But I sleep better knowing that two dozen evil men are behind bars and unable to wreak havoc on the general population.”

Sara held up her hands. “Alright, alright. So now we have to gather a group of people and head for the library.”

Darren searched her eyes, looking for something she seemed not to be saying. At length, he spoke. “Yes, we’ll have to head for a couple bars. Not the best place to find people, admittedly, but I have some friends with skills you won’t find anywhere else. We’ll head for the Running Toad now. If we get separated for any reason, don’t head for the bars. Go east out of town and find the large rock formation nearby. We’ll meet there.”

Sara waved it off and walked out the door the men had left open. Darren followed quickly.

They were in a totally different backstreet again. This came as no surprise to Sara, who was beginning to become slightly nervous about Quidan, even if she didn’t show it.

Darren led the way to the main street, avoiding people altogether until they could no longer stay hidden without looking suspicious. Sara automatically took the space a little behind him and to his right, always on the lookout for something wrong.

The Running Toad was one of the better bars in Quidan, which Sara thought said a lot about the town. Again, there were catcalls and comments from men around the room, some of the women shooting Sara murderous glances and envious looks.

Sara placed a hand on a knife, and the men quieted a bit, but not much. These were fighting men, men used to seeing weapons, and although they could tell she knew how to handle them, they still thought it worth the risk.

Darren stepped up to the bar, Sara still at his side. The bartender glanced up from the glass he was cleaning, and almost dropped it. “Darren!”

“Barkeep. Good to see you again.” The look on Darren’s face said the exact opposite.

The bartender backed away slightly. “Now listen, Darren. I didn’t tell anyone where you were going, I swear!”

Darren sat down on a stool, and Sara did the same. “That’s funny, because I was followed not once, not twice, but five times. I’m not here for revenge right now, however. I’m looking for Milar and Legerra.”

The bartender jerked his head towards a dark corner where two men in full armor sat at a small round table. “You’re early, but they’ve been here since yesterday.”

Darren smiled for the first time, but it seemed to Sara that the bartender cringed at it more than the lack of a smile. “Good. Thank you for your services, kind man.”

They left the bar and headed over to the table, Sara dodging the groping hands and leering eyes. If I was here by myself…I’d have already started cutting people.

Darren sat down in the empty chair on the left without waiting to be invited, a broad smile still on his face. Sara took the right. They said nothing, apparently waiting for the others to say something. Finally one of the armored men spoke, leaning forward into the light.

“You’re late.” He began to chuckle, his companion joining in a bit. Darren and Sara decided against it. The companion leaned into the light as well. “Ah, come on, Darren. Lighten up! We were here first and so we won. Now, the prize has yet to be decided upon…but your friend seems good enough.”

Sara glanced at Darren out of the corner of her eye. {I’m giving him ten seconds and then he’s going to be VERY cold.}

Darren burst out laughing. “Ah, Legerra. You’ll never know how close you continue to come to your slow and painful death. Sara, that…thing that looks human but acts like a total jerk is Legerra.”

Legerra bowed as best he could from a sitting position. Sara could easily tell why he was a womanizer: just because he could be. Tall, dark, handsome, and probably in his late twenties, he liked to be noticed.

Darren continued. “This other man is Milar.” Milar was also tall and dark, but more grizzled and aloof, with an air of knowledge made perfect by age. He nodded politely.

Darren spoke to Milar, now. Sara did her best to ignore Legerra’s eyes and listen to the other two. “Milar, have you heard from anyone else?” “No, they were supposed to come here, but you’re early. They still have time.”

Darren frowned. “The earlier we leave the better.” Milar stood, armor slightly clanging. “Well, you can go look for the others. Legerra and I are still tired from our long journey. We’re staying at the inn upstairs here.”

Darren stood, Sara rising as well. “Well then, friends. I take leave of you. Legerra…I would highly advise you against any…unwanted advances towards a certain blonde-haired young woman. Consider yourself warned.”

Legerra grinned and winked at Sara. Sara rolled her eyes and started to follow Darren towards the door they came in, when suddenly,

“Darren Kinsley! Come out unarmed and alone!”

Darren turned to Milar. “Wasn’t me, Darren. I’ve been with Legerra, and we haven’t moved from this spot the entire day.”

Darren looked at the bar. “No bartender during the noon rush? I should’ve guessed…what’s one more betrayal when he’s already done five?”

Darren walked towards the door, handing his sword to Milar. “Hold her if she tries to follow.”

Sara defiantly walked after Darren, mentally preparing the magic to push Milar away as he moved towards her.

Darren stopped dead in his tracks, turned, and looked Sara directly in the eyes. {Low profile, Sara. No magic. If I come out with someone else, not only have I lost my chance to find out who it is, there’s a chance someone innocent could get caught in the crossfire before I get them away.}

Sara let the magic die slowly, stubbornly, Milar’s gentle but firm hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, Sara. Just following orders.”

Sara looked up at him. “Is there any way I can see what’s going on?”

Milar scratched his chin. “Well…we could head upstairs, I guess.” Seeing the look on Sara’s face, he sighed. “Let’s go.”

Sara reached the upstairs window just as Darren exited the bar. {Be careful, Darren.} {Aren’t I always?} {No, you’re not!} {I’ll be careful this time, but…I won’t let them appear kind.} Sara shook her head. {What do you mean by that?} There was no answer.

From her vantage point, Sara could see at least two dozen archers with full quivers, bows strung, and arrows drawn back, ready to fire. Hidden well, they formed a semi-circle around the entrance/exit to the bar. Darren stepped off the wooden porch and looked around, raising his voice. “Let the speaker step forth!”

Two men detached themselves from the shadows in an alley, one of them the speaker. “You’re alone. Are you unarmed?”

Darren laughed. “I’m never completely unarmed. However, for this one meeting, I have taken leave of my sword.”

The speaker stepped forward. “It wouldn’t have helped much even if you had it.”

Darren blinked. “So you say…is it really Louis? So the one with you must be Martinez.”

The two stepped into Sara’s view. The doctor did say there were others…but there’s still one unaccounted for.

Darren was thinking the same thing. “Did Antonio survive?”

Martinez and Louis glanced at each other. Louis drilled a small hole in the dust with the toe of his boot. “We…don’t know. We’ve been trying to find him. And we’ve decided to ‘coerce’ you into helping us find him.”

Darren shook his head. “I haven’t seen or heard of him. But he’s not in North Shirn, so he’s probably on this continent. How would you plan on getting me to find him?”

The two looked at each other again, and this time Martinez spoke. “Well, you did that…thing with the cathedral. Are you saying that’s gone?”

Darren laughed again. “I’m not omnipotent, guys.”

They took that to mean a ‘yes,’ just like Darren wanted them to. Milar chuckled. “The man’s a master of deceptions.” Sara glanced up at him, and then turned her attention back to Martinez and Louis.

They smiled evilly. “Well then, you’re no use to us. We might as well kill you, then.”

Darren shrugged. “Your move.”

Louis looked at him, then around at the scenery nervously. “You got friends here?”

Darren studied him, weighing his intentions. “Yes. They’re inside.”

Martinez instantly looked over Darren’s shoulder into the bar. “Is Sara with you?”

Darren looked at him. “What’s it to you? Antonio’s the one after Sara. If he wants her, let him find her himself.”

Louis smiled triumphantly. “So she is with you. Excellent. Kindly step into this alley, so we can tie you up and not have to kill you.”

Darren narrowed his eyes. “You really think I’d do that?”

Martinez sighed. “No, but you can’t blame us for trying. Killing you wouldn’t get us a good reputation; just the opposite. But if we have to, so be it.”

Darren shrugged. “Your move.”

An arrow came from a bush towards Darren’s chest. He quickly dodged, letting it fly past him, hearing it slam into the wooden wall of the bar. A moment of dead silence hung in the air.

Another arrow was loosed, then another. Despite Louis’ order to stop, the archers kept firing. Darren looked around quickly while jumping and twisting to avoid dozens of arrows, noticing how they went wild and got stuck in walls, sometimes coming close to hitting an onlooker. There are too many people around. Someone’s going to get hurt. The archers stopped firing, finally hearing Louis’ shouts. Fine, then. My turn.

He watched the next archer nock an arrow. He stood in the center of twenty four archers, all ready to fire at him when the order was given. I’ve had worse.

Darren reached down and picked up a rock. The archers craned their necks to see it, wondering what was going on. Martinez and Louis stared at him, suspicious. Louis raised his hand. “On my signal, fire at him until every last one of your arrows is spent!”

Darren looked at him, and then threw the rock directly at Louis’ head. Louis dropped his hands to protect his face, realizing as he did so the mistake he had just made. The archers fired and would not stop, no matter what Louis shouted now.

Darren watched twenty-four arrows travel towards him, all at the same time. He made no effort to dodge, watching the world slow down. He reached out and lightly ran his hand against the closest arrowhead as it came within inches of his body, feeling the coolness of the sharp metal, watching the rest travel towards him.

He shook his head. Closing his eyes and clearing his mind, he watched himself move. Twisting, spinning, arms and hands constantly moving, he caught the arrows as they flew towards him. Dropping them onto a small pile gradually growing larger, he made no effort to attack. The pile grew, and he began tossing them out of the way, not caring whether they landed neatly. His cloak was moving so quickly that dust billowed in clouds at his feet. He continued harvesting the arrows from the air as the archers kept planting them. He was both the puppet master and the puppet, both inside and outside his body.

The barrage couldn’t have been more than a minute long. The archers ran out of arrows, realized their peril, and fled. Martinez and Louis stood stone still, resigned to their fate. Darren stood by 624 arrows lying on the ground, a carpet of dust, wood, and metal surrounding him.

Darren took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and looked around. The people watching might dismiss what he had just done as quick reflexes…or they might not. Either way, might as well have a fancy ending. He picked up an arrow in each hand and walked to his two scared adversaries. Milar raised an eyebrow. “Finishing them off? Very un-Darren-like.” Legerra nodded.

Darren stood in front of the two that had tortured him, the two that had threatened Sara, and the two that had escaped death. A memory resounded in his head. Let it be…He tightened his grip on both arrows until they snapped in half. He lowered his voice so only Martinez and Louis could hear him. “Go. My fight is not with you anymore. If Antonio wishes to continue this…this ‘rivalry’ he has started, it’s up to him. I offer you the chance to leave me in the past and not look back. Take it and move on with life, leave it and continue holding on to grudges, do whatever, but don’t come back to fight me without Antonio leading in front. Or next time, you will die. Understood?”

The pair nodded and shuffled off towards another part of town, heads hanging low.

Darren kneeled and watched them go, deep in thought. Loyal followers without a good leader…if only I could guide them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely.

He straightened up and looked around at the people standing around, shocked looks on their faces. He looked again at the numerous arrows littering the ground in front of the bar, then back at the people.

Darren pointed to a random person in the crowd. “You, sir! You look like you could use some arrows, and it just so happens I’m having a sale.”

- posted by Nick @ 4/24/2004 02:37:00 PM