El-Vador's Travels (25 page)

Eihblin
nodded. 'Very well then, if it leads to the apprehension of that
snake and retrieving my heirloom then we shall do it.'

El-Vador
wondered why it took her so long to come round to his way of
thinking, but he did not speak his thought aloud and instead pinned
it upon her stubbornness. He had little time to think of such things
anyway, they needed to make it to the gate before Anacletus. He also
failed to notice the eyes that watched him as they made their way
through the city streets.

Anacletus
was at an impasse. He knew that the Elf and his friends would have
rushed to the gate to ambush him after fading away from his trail
through the city. He could scale the city walls in the darkness of
the night and escape if he needed to but ultimately he required his
quarry to follow him. To elude them totally at this stage, so close
to the fortress itself, was foolishness. The darkness surrounding him
would render him all but invisible to even the most prying of eyes
and sharpest of senses, he needed to find a way to have them follow
to the fortress with all expediency without getting an arrow in the
back from that Elf's cursed bow. Even his own capabilities did not
render him entirely immune to physical attacks, and he had no doubts
that this El-Vador was a keen shot.

It
had been a welcome change, to not have any threat hounding his every
move, but ultimately it was one that he did not appreciate entirely.
The longer they tarried in this city with its strange inhabitants,
the more troublesome bringing them to Sarvacts would become. He had
no desire to test the Orc's patience, it had already been stretched
thin enough.

It
had taken him some time as he racked his brain for other
possibilities but he had finally carved out a plan of sorts. There
were any number of mounts outside with a minimal guard detail, if he
were to appropriate one of the beasts he could gallop toward the city
gates. It would require a great deal of energy on his part but it may
be possible to pass through unmolested. Anacletus would slit the
throat of whoever guarded the horses at the time, then don his
clothing and make his way to the gate. If anyone were fool enough to
question his actions or discover the body prior to his departure he
would have to break into a gallop and hope that nobody shot at him.
Ordinarily such a plan would require that he also convince the gate
master to open up, but then Anacletus wasn't an ordinary person.
El-Vador and his friends would be keeping a close eye on the gate and
when they saw this occur they would know that they must follow.
Anacletus didn't care if the Elf was vengeful enough to shoot the
mount from under him, so long as he gave them enough reason to follow
he would be satisfied.

With
these thoughts clear in mind and a sense of purpose guiding his every
step, he made his way silently into the shadows of the night.

The
guard of the mounts proved to be more incompetent than he could have
possibly hoped for, half asleep and easy to slit the throat of.

He
divested the guard of his clothes abruptly so as not to let the blood
pool over them. It only took him a brief moment to saddle the fastest
looking horse and mount it. He hoped that the Elf and his friends
were keeping watch over his actions this night, he did not want to
have to come back to this city again.

The
feeling of being watched poured over him once more, sending a slight
shiver down his spine. To be seen in a crowded street during day was
an inevitability and rarely spelt danger, but at night? Well, many
things could happen under the shroud of darkness.

He
kicked the horse lightly and started off, eager to be away from
prying eyes and such an ominous feeling. Let them raise the alarm if
they must, he was departing this city one way or another, if he need
paint the streets with blood to do so then he would.

The
chill night offered little comfort for El-Vador and his companions,
the sliver of moonlight provided even less illumination for them to
witness the departure of Anacletus. El-Vador was currently on watch
as the others slept soundly in the hay of the abandoned cart they had
chanced upon. There was always an uncertainty about the waiting, had
they let the assassin slip through their grasp once more? Was he on
his way to Sarvacts and soon to be protected by the unscalable walls
of the fortress? No, he had no doubt in his mind, if the man had been
deliberately circling the city there was no way he could have beaten
them to the gate.

From
El-Vador's position, he could easily see the gate and the shadows of
the buildings flanking the cart that hid him from all but the
sharpest of views.

The
galloping of hooves signalled the arrival of their target, nobody
else would be making such a reckless sound at this time of the night.
The guard at the gate held up his torch suspiciously as the noise
grew closer, peering into the dark as if he hoped to see what was
causing it.

El-Vador
had slipped out of the cart and was now deliberating on whether to
draw his sword or bow. The shot would be difficult with the minimal
light, but surely the man would have to slow down as he approached
the gate?

Drawing
his sword, El-Vador crept closer to the gate as his foe thundered
toward it through the dark.

Anacletus
reigned in the beast, it was frothing from the exertion and
frightened at being driven through the night at such a pace.
Something was wrong.

'Halt,'
the guard stated, approaching the horse with torch raised and a
suspicious look in his eyes. 'Who seeks to exit the city at such a
late hour?'

His
stalling with the horse had allowed the guard to come over, more
worryingly he brought illumination with him. Anacletus could imagine
the Elf smiling as he drew back his bow for a clear shot on his
target. He shrugged at the guard. 'I am a humble messenger, can a man
not come and go as he pleases from these city walls?' He didn't have
time for this.

'I
was not informed of such a departure, everyone who leaves after
sunset must do so under authorisation.'

Anacletus
grew tired of this fool, unsheathing his dagger he thrust forth his
shadow arm and embedded it in the man's skull. No one would think to
look for him until the assassin was far from the city walls.

Or
at least, that's what he wanted to happen. Instead the dagger pointed
outward from his extended arm which remained but flesh and blood.

The
guard frowned at him. 'Is that supposed to be some kind of threat?'

Anacletus
shook his head in disbelief, something was dampening his
capabilities. Had he underestimated the Elf?

He
stared about him, trying to figure out what was happening but the
night air offered him no answers.

'Very
well, I want you to dismount straight away. I'm taking you to the
guard house.'

He
did not relish a head-on confrontation with an armed guard without
his powers, but if he stalled any further that was exactly what was
going to happen. He needed to make a move now.

It
would appear that the move had been made from him.

Dark
smoke billowed from an unknown source, covering the ground and
causing the guard to step back in confusion. Anacletus strained his
eyes against the darkness, trying to determine what this smoke was
and where it came from. This boded ill for his chances of escaping
the city, or it could prove the perfect diversion. All he need do was
kill the guard and open the gate. Power or no power, he would be free
so long as the Elf did not take his shot. As he watched, the smoke
drew closer, filling the street. Then it seemed to shift its
direction, as if controlled by some sentient force.

It
headed directly toward Anacletus.

He
spurred his horse forward and knocked the guard over into the smoke,
he hoped the glancing hit was enough to keep him down as he unbarred
the gate.

The
smoke was rising.

He
managed to lift the wooden bar off its hinges and haul the doors open
enough to admit a man and his mount, then he looked back at the
panicked beast and realised there was no need to take it with him.

The
guard that had gone under in the smoke had not risen again.

Making
his way from the city gates, Anacletus began to run.

The
fallen torch of the guard briefly flickered yellow light through the
smoke that trailed across the street floor. It had happened so
quickly that El-Vador could neither intercept the man with his blade
or get a shot away.

The
smoke coursed over him but did no damage beyond a faint tickling of
his ankles. There was no way he could have avoided it even if it had
been deadly.

El-Vador
stood still, appraising the scene and realising that his foe was
already on the move.

The
crazed horse had bolted clear, that could only mean that he was on
foot. They now had a chance of catching him before he reached the
fortress. He needed to return and rouse Eihblin and Phaedra first,
they would not forgive him for going after the assassin alone and he
may yet need their help in dispatching such a slippery foe.

The
smoke washed over him as he waded through it, now up to his waist in
depth. They needed to leave this place soon, it seemed harmless
enough now but he had no intentions of breathing it in.

Yet
as he thought this the pooling seemed to cease and the smoke moved
off, seemingly having a will of its own. It streamed through the
gate, blocking their path to Anacletus and preventing them from
giving chase. He was not going to brave such a mass of fumes for the
sake of getting a little closer to vengeance, they knew which
direction Anacletus was headed and if they could secure mounts they
would be upon him long before he made it to safety.

Assuming
that wasn't who the smoke was also following.

Had we known that which we were racing against I doubt that we
would have given chase, it was an impossible thing to know all the
same so I regret not our actions. Ultimately this hunt had become
less about bringing the assassin to justice and more about slaying
Sarvacts.

A
lthough
time was now on their side, they lacked sufficient coin to purchase
the mounts necessary to chase Anacletus down. According to Phaedra
there was only a small village between the city and the fortress and
there were no stables there so Harlven's killer would have to
continue by foot until he reached safety. This gave them a window of
opportunity to acquire horses and a respite from the constant
chasing.

Since
they hadn't the funds their only recourse was to turn to thievery, an
occupation that none of them were familiar with. Somehow they would
have to acquire at least a pair of robust stallions from a nearby
stable without arousing suspicion and escape through the gate. With
the guard stricken by the strange smoke and the horse that Anacletus
had come in on long gone, that made their task all the more
difficult. They could attempt to steal coin and purchase mounts
legitimately but Phaedra had warned them that city folk likely kept
their purse strings tight for fear of such pickpockets.

This
wasn't their only problem. Not far from their position a man was
watching them, much like he had been watched in the pool of water
back at the keep and a number of times throughout this city. The
frustration that El-Vador felt at not being able to catch Anacletus
was exacerbated by this constant watching. It was time to do
something about it.

He
made to move past the man and into an alley, beckoning his confused
companions to follow him and making it seem as ordinary and
predefined a course as he could. The man's eyes continued to bore
into him without restraint, did he think him a blind fool? He was no
city-dweller with senses dulled from the ever-lingering crowds.

As
they got closer to the man the Elf reached out and grasped the hood
of the man's cloak, slamming his back against the stone wall of the
building.

'What
are you looking at?' El-Vador asked.

'I'm
sorry,' the man stuttered, terror in his eyes. 'It's just that I've
never seen... one of your kind.'

El-Vador
wasn't buying it, he had seen this same person watching them multiple
times. 'You lie to us, I don't care for liars,' he said, not having
to mimic his anger or his desire to vent it upon someone.

The
man swallowed. 'What do you want from me?'

El-Vador
unsheathed his sword, not looking back at his undoubtedly aghast
companions. 'I ask the questions here. Why were you looking at us?'

The
man's eyes flicked down to the blade and he let out a shuddering
breath of resignation. 'I was paid to watch a servant of Sarvacts,
when I noticed that you pursued him. I was about to report back to my
master that he had fled the city but caught sight of you once again.'

'We
are no servants of Sarvacts,' El-Vador replied. 'Why watch us after
your target had gone?'

'My
master wanted to know why one of Sarvacts' men was within his walls
in the first place, I thought perhaps you would provide an answer.'

El-Vador's
eyes narrowed. 'You will get no answers from watching me. I may spare
your life if you can afford it.'

The
man paled even further. 'Yes. Of course, I have plenty of money,
however much you require I will be willing to pay!'

'If
this coin is not upon your person things will bode ill for you.'
El-Vador replied, pushing the tip of his sword against the man's ribs
and hoping that none of the guard would notice.

'In
a small bag on the inside of my robes.' the man replied, his terror
almost enough to make the Elf feel bad for doing this. Almost.

El-Vador's
hand slipped into the man's robes and came away with a bag laden with
coin. If this was the man's definition of small then he was wealthy
indeed. Why would a man of such means spy upon them at all?