Sonea moved through, Regin following close behind. The city was quiet, a luminous twilight settling over all as they made their way towards the centre. Once again, Sonea felt conspicuous in her black robes, but they were not as stark against the white walls now as they had been in the morning light. She held a strong shield around them both. The first side street they turned into was also empty, but there were distant figures in the next main street.
“Well, they’re going to spot us eventually,” Sonea said, then stepped into the street. Regin’s only reply was a chuckle.
If the people saw them, they were not concerned. No one moved from their position. At the next turn Sonea saw two Traitors further down the street, a man and woman walking arm in arm away from them. From the way they leaned against each other, they were either exhausted or had already enjoyed a celebratory drink. She shrugged and followed, Regin beside her.
They had only taken twenty steps or so when two more people stepped out of a door, after the Traitors had passed it. Regin stopped and she heard his breath catch at the same time that she froze, recognising the cut of the men’s jackets and the glint of the knives in their hands.
Ashaki.
“Watch out!” she shouted.
The pair looked over their shoulders, saw the two men and spun about to face them. One of the Ashaki glanced back at Sonea and Regin, then made a dismissive gesture and turned back to the Traitors. The other struck at the woman, who flinched and pushed her companion behind her. They both began to back away.
“They’re weak,” Regin said. Sonea knew he did not mean the Ashaki, who had seen two Kyralian magicians and remained unconcerned.
They must have enough strength left to think they can ignore us. Perhaps they’re assuming neither of us could be a black magician, since we’re Kyralian.
“Are you going to do something?” Regin asked. “Because I can’t stand by and watch them kill those two. Not when the Traitors have won anyway.”
“I wish we could.” She looked at him. “But that would be interfering.”
“I’m sure the Traitors would forgive you if you saved two of them.
“My actions will be taken as actions of the Guild, and the Allied Lands.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want to belong to a Guild that didn’t help in this situation. Besides, you don’t have to kill the Ashaki. Just scare them off.”
The two Ashaki had separated and were circling around the two Traitors. The woman looked toward Sonea and Regin, her eyes wide with fear.
Regin’s right. The Traitors and Guild can sort out the consequences later. Drawing power, she sent it in two strikes at the Ashaki. As they struck, the men staggered, then recovered and turned to face her. The Traitors took the opportunity to flee, running to the corner of the next main street.
The Ashaki exchanged a look, then one started toward Sonea and Regin. The other hesitated and followed.
“They don’t look scared,” Sonea observed.
Regin chuckled. “They don’t know who you are.”
Strikes flashed toward her, and she strengthened her shield. They weren’t particularly strong – probably only meant to test her. She responded with an array of firestrike to intimidate them. They stopped and she heard the murmur of a conversation too low to hear.
Then the two Traitors reappeared at the corner. Followed by four more. The Ashaki stumbled forward from a new attack at their rear. They turned to see their intended victims lift their arms, holding something toward them, then they glanced back at Sonea and Regin.
Trapped, Sonea thought. But this is the Traitors’ fight now. She watched as the Traitors wore the Ashaki down until their shields failed, then winced as they fell under a final blow. Regin made a small noise of surprise, but as she glanced at him he shrugged.
“They don’t take prisoners, do they?”
She shook her head, remembering the Sachakan king’s suicide. The Traitors walked past the dead Ashaki toward Sonea and Regin, one of the newcomers leading.
“You are Black Magician Sonea?” the woman asked.
“Yes. This is Lord Regin.”
“I am Speaker Lanna. You should have stayed where we put you.” She made an imperious gesture. “Come with me.”
As the woman turned away, Sonea looked at Regin and saw a flicker of annoyance and amusement. She fell into step behind Speaker Lanna, suppressing a smile as the other Traitors moved into position on either side, flanking them as they were escorted toward the city centre.
At the sound of approaching footsteps in the corridor, Tayend looked up at Dannyl. They had been sitting on either side of Achati’s chair in the Master’s Room, mostly silent, for the hour or so since they’d descended from the roof.
“Responsibility and duty returns.” Tayend sighed. “Are you ready to face the people who killed him? We could go find Achati’s ship and take the long route back to Imardin instead.”
Dannyl shook his head. “No. That would ruin both of our careers. The Traitors... though I wish that they could have spared him, they did not know him. They did not know he was worth sparing. How could they? He was an adviser to the king, who represented all they hate. And...” He sighed. “Despite everything, I want to stay here in Arvice. Not forever but...”
From the corridor entrance Merria walked in.
She looked different, and it took a moment for Dannyl to pinpoint the change. She looks older. Not aged, but mature. Almost stern. She reminds me of Lady Vinara. Hmm. Shouldering responsibility clearly agrees with her.
But it was time he took charge again.
“Lady Merria,” he said, standing up and holding out his hand. “Thank you for your help.”
She hesitated, then reached into her robe and brought out the ring. As he took it she gave him a measuring look. Judging whether he was fit for resuming his ambassadorial role? He nearly smiled at that.
“King Amakira is dead, as are the rest of the Ashaki,” she told him. “He killed himself, and the rest forced the Traitors to kill them by attacking the Traitor queen. Sonea and Regin are making their way here to meet you. Osen says we are to join together and request an audience with the queen.”
“What are the Traitors doing now?”
“Entering the nearby houses. They’ve already found and killed an Ashaki who hid during the battle.”
Tayend drew in a quick breath. “Achati’s slaves.”
Dannyl felt his heart skip a beat. “They’ll kill them.”
“Will they?” Merria asked. “They might not.”
“We can’t take that chance. We must warn then.” Tayend took a few steps toward the corridor.
Merria frowned. “If they can get away, they will have done.”
Tayend stopped and looked back at Dannyl. “But if they can’t...”
“Then we’ll take them with us,” Dannyl said. “If they choose to come with us. They are free men now.”
“You’d hire them as servants?” Merria asked, frowning. “When they don’t have much choice. Surely that’s no different than slavery.”
Dannyl shook his head. “It’s better than death. But I think... we will simply offer to take them with us. The rest is up to them.”
“We have to find them first,” Tayend reminded them. “If they’re here, they’re hiding. And we might not have much time.”
“Then we split up,” Dannyl decided. “You go with Merria for protection. They may attack you if they can’t see you, thinking you are a Traitor. I’ll look upstairs, you stay on this level.”