The Price of Faith (48 page)

“The why is less important than the act. And now, just recently, you have killed the kidnapper Kessick and raised his city to the ground.”

“They pinnin' this on me too are they?” he asked. Seemed the majority of the Black Thorn's recent accolades belonged to others, most of them Thanquil, and yet he was the one bearing the weight of the consequences.

“People from all over are calling you
the Guardian of the Wilds
.”

Betrim growled. “That your doin'?”

“Yes,” she smiled up at him and he found he couldn't blame her, not when she looked so damned beautiful. “The blooded are terrified you'll come for them next. The outlaws run and hide at the mere mention of your name and the law folk are all worried in case you go back to your old ways.”

“Right,” said Thorn. “Heroes meant ta get everyone shittin' themselves are they?”

She nuzzled into his chest. “Sometimes. This time.” She started absently picking at the laces to his trousers and truth was he didn't feel much like stopping her. It had been a while and then some and her desk was looking like a right fine place for a proper reunion.

“Did Jezzet kill him?” she asked. “Kessick.”

Even wrapped in a distracting concoction of her perfume and his desire the oddness of the question made it through the haze and struck him as more than a little odd. He gripped her by the shoulders and pushed her away, held her at arm's length. “How do ya know 'bout Jezzet?”

Rose looked up at him and frowned. “I delivered her to Kessick,” she said slowly.

“At Drake's order?” he could feel some of that desire being replaced by anger. It would not be the first time they had argued about Drake, wouldn't be the first time it had come to blows either though Betrim had never once hit her back.

“At his request.”

“Drake don't make requests.”

“And I don't take orders.”

Betrim let Rose go and turned away, stalked over to the window and gave it his very best one-eyed glare. “Jezzet was a friend of mine.”

Rose didn't say anything for a while. Letting Betrim simmer a little, he reckoned.

“I'm sorry, Betrim. I liked her...”

“Reckon I need a favour,” he interrupted her. “Need ya ta organise a boat ta Sarth soon as ya can. Fastest one ya can find.”

He felt her hand at his back and she stepped into view beside him. Damned woman could move silent as a ghost when she wanted. “I'm sorry. Didn't realise you'd want to flee all the way to Sarth.”

He looked down at her. “Ain't fer me. Reckon it might be best we get Thanquil on a boat soon as possible. He finds out ya had anythin' ta do with Jez's death an' I reckon he might try ta kill ya. Not sure I could stop him.”

A smile played at the corner of her mouth. “Are you protecting me?”

Betrim took a deep breath and sighed it out. “Well I promised to didn't I?”

She took his hand then, so small but with a grip like iron when she wanted it, and he let her lead him over to the desk.

Betrim stood looking at
the Road Well-Travelled
with Thanquil beside him. The Arbiter had used his time back in civilisation well. He had shaved off his mess of a beard, bought some new clothing and even given his coat a clean. Truth was he was starting to look more like a witch hunter and less like a drunken beggar. Still had that haunted look about him though, almost like he could see her ghost everywhere he went.

“Two days,” Thanquil said. “Anyone would think you wanted rid of me, Thorn.”

“Ya could stay,” Betrim suggested already knowing the answer. “Bloody useful person ta have in a crew, I reckon. All ya gotta do is trade huntin' heretics fer outlaws.”

Thanquil gave Betrim a humourless smile. “Thanks.”

“Had ta make the offer.” Ya goin' back ta the Inquisition?”

Thanquil nodded and went back to watching the sailors load the sleek, little ship. “My actions have consequences and I have to face them.”

Betrim took his turn to nod. “What'll they do ta ya?”

“Well I killed an Inquisitor and they slapped me on the wrist so now I've crippled their lines of communication for all time... I expect they'll promote me.”

Betrim laughed. “Reckon you'll ever make it back here?”

He saw Thanquil's head drop. “I hope not.”

“Well if ya do, drop in, say hello.”

“Thank you, Thorn.”

The sailors finished loading the cargo and the captain waved down at them, eager to leave but ordered to stay until the Arbiter was ready.

“Good luck, eh?”

Thanquil nodded and started towards the ship. He stopped after a few paces and glanced backwards. “If you see Drake Morrass... Tell him to run.”

Betrim smiled sheepishly and nodded. He watched his friend board the little vessel. Part of him hoped he would see the man again and part of him was scared he might.

The imperial palace of the God Emperor of Sarth looked smaller than Thanquil remembered, smaller and dimmer but then he shouldn't be surprised; the whole world seemed a dimmer place these days.

His journey back to Sarth had been mostly uneventful; no pirates, no monstrous sea serpents, one very wet storm. They made good time. He reported to the Inquisition straight away and the council of Inquisitors wasted no time in demanding his accounting. Two months after their communications with all their Arbiters had been cut and still they were left wondering why. So Thanquil made his report and made no apologies and spared no one the truth. The Grand Inquisitor himself did not seem best pleased upon learning of the involvement of his son in delivering the demon blade to Thanquil. Still, the Inquisitors did not kill him, nor torture him, nor confine him; they did, however, order him not to leave Sarth until their judgement on the consequences of his actions be decided.

It was just two days after his arrival in the city of sun the God Emperor sent for him. A familiar-looking young man with a full, and very neatly trimmed, beard came looking for Thanquil and this time he did not look like he was willing to wait while Thanquil bathed. Not that Thanquil cared about making himself more presentable.

The palace still gleamed but the light seemed to have gone out of it. The corridors were no less ostentatious than before but Thanquil barely noticed the finery. The armoured guards watched him with wary eyes, full of suspicion as was their job, and he ignored them all with equal measure. Even the God Emperor's meeting chamber seemed a smaller place. Even the God Emperor himself seemed smaller, less the titan that Thanquil remembered and more a man like any other.

“Thank you for coming, Arbiter Darkheart,” the God Emperor said as Thanquil entered and the bearded young man left, closing the door behind him.

Thanquil glanced around the austere room with it's redundant fireplace, marble floors and row upon row of bookshelves. No guards, he noticed. Here the God Emperor felt safe.

“I didn't really feel like I had much of a choice,” Thanquil said walking over to the emperor's desk of runes, flicking a few aside and blatantly pocketing a rune of judgement.

“You of all people have choice, Arbiter Darkheart.”

Thanquil snorted out a laugh. “You know about that?”

“I have heard about your report. No need to repeat it.”

For that Thanquil was glad, he had repeated his story far too many times in the past two days and the end was still much like a knife in his chest. It had taken him a long time to admit to himself that he had sacrificed Jezzet's life for the Inquisition and admitting it to others always brought the pain right back.

“I wasn't intending to do so.”

“I should thank you,” the God Emperor of Sarth said in earnest, a warm smile on his handsome features. His short blond hair and trimmed blond goatee framed his face perfectly.

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you.”

Thanquil glared at the man. “Suddenly it all seems worth it.”

“Careful, Arbiter Darkheart.” The God Emperor adopted a stern expression. “My good will only extends so far.”

Thanquil always had had a habit of pushing people's good will to its limits. “What will the Inquisition do now?” he asked.

The God Emperor's face softened again. “We will cope. Volmar never intended the chains to be permanent but it was the only way he could find to control the demons.”

“What are you?” Thanquil asked.

“You've asked that before. It doesn't matter what I am, only what you believe...”

“I've accepted you're Volmar reborn. The demon told me you come from the void.”

“Ah,” grunted the God Emperor. “I am not Volmar only... a part of him. His avatar on this world.”

“And that isn't an answer to my question,” Thanquil said unrelenting.

The God Emperor took a deep breath and stood, he towered over Thanquil even more so than most folk but it took more than a man wearing big boots to intimidate him. “Volmar does come from the void.”

“So he's a demon?”

“No,” said the God Emperor. “He is something else.”

“And you're a part of him?”

“Yes.”

Thanquil wasn't certain whether that made it more or less likely that he was part of Myorzo. He was even less certain that he wanted to know one way or the other.

“The demon showed me the same thing he showed to Kessick,” Thanquil said. “An image of an army of the dead. The Dread Lords rising and sweeping across the world like a plague. The demon said it was coming soon.”

The God Emperor was silent for a while. He looked to be mulling over the information. “Demons lie, Arbiter Darkheart. They will often spin half truths in order to convince people to sign their contracts. But... I will have the claim looked into. Just in case.

“But this is the reason the Inquisition was created; to safeguard against the return of the Dread Lords. If they do return we will be ready.”

Thanquil nodded but he was far from convinced. “I need to call in a favour,” he said.

The God Emperor frowned. “You presume to think I owe you a favour?”

“I presume to think you owe me more than one,” Thanquil said back quickly.

The God Emperor looked far from impressed.

“I want you to pardon the Black Thorn,” Thanquil said. “The Inquisition sent a Templar to kill him. He is no heretic. He helped me kill Heron and he helped me kill Kessick. He has done more of a service to the Inquisition than most Arbiters and I promised him a pardon for his past crimes. I can't deliver on that promise but you can.”

The God Emperor nodded. “Done. I half expected you to demand a pardon for yourself.”

Thanquil snorted. “All I've done, I've done at your request, in your service. Do I need a pardon for carrying out Volmar's will?”

Silence erupted into the room. Once Thanquil might have felt awkward, might have sweated and shook and looked about for something to steal. Now he found he just didn't care. The Inquisition would do with him what they would and there was no sense in worrying about it. He wasn't even certain he deserved a pardon. He wasn't even certain he wanted one.

“Go,” the God Emperor ordered. “We will speak again soon.”

Thanquil turned. “I can't wait,” he mumbled and started for the doors stopping just as he reached out to open them.

“Inquisitor Vance told me I have no future. He said it was almost as if I existed outside of fate. The demon told me that the power to change fate is demon magic.” He looked back at the God Emperor. “Who did this to me? The demon or Volmar?”

“Does it matter?” the God Emperor asked.

“Yes.”

The God Emperor was silent for a while. “I cannot answer for what the demon may or may not have done but I can tell you Volmar is no demon. He does not have the power to rip someone out of fate's path.”

Without another word Thanquil pushed open the door and walked out. He found Inquisitor Hironous Vance waiting for him. The man was as neat as ever, immaculate white coat over pressed brown robes and his handsome face an expressionless mask.

“Arbiter Darkheart,” the Inquisitor said.

“Vance,” Thanquil said right back.

The Inquisitor cleared his throat. If the nearby guards found Thanquil's lack of respect amusing they did not show it.

“The council have made their decision,” Inquisitor Vance announced.

“And they send you to deliver my verdict?”

“They were undecided about how you should be dealt with. I convinced them.”

Thanquil said nothing, just stared a hole through the man.

“The Inquisition is... worried there may be more... insidious elements within its ranks,” Inquisitor Vance said. “You are perhaps the one Arbiter beyond suspicion. Your loyalty is unquestionable.”

Thanquil couldn't stop the frown appearing on his face. If the demon was telling the truth his loyalty was anything but unquestionable.

“They are placing you in the sole position of hunting down these insidious elements. You will report directly to the God Emperor and to myself.”

Thanquil found his mouth was open and no sound was coming out.

“Not the verdict you were expecting?” the Inquisitor asked.

“Uh...”

“I understand with your recent loss you may want some time to... recover.”

That snapped Thanquil's mind back into focus. Brought the pain right back as well. “What do know about what I've
lost
?”

The Inquisitor frowned at the dark tone of Thanquil's voice. “Take your time to come to terms with it, Arbiter. When you're ready, I have a task for you.”

“What is it you want me to do, Vance?” Thanquil asked.

“If you need to wait...”

The last thing Thanquil felt he needed to do was wait. If the Inquisition wanted him to hunt down his fellow Arbiters then so be it. He'd do their dirty work for them.

“What is it you want me to do, Inquisitor Vance?”

Making port in Sarth had always been danger for Drake. The
Fortune
would be boarded and probably scuttled on sight and he had a price on his head that almost made it worth turning himself in. Sometimes, however, needs must and he had an important meeting to make. So here he was in Sarth, in the holy empire of Sarth. Not many folk knew it was also the kingdom and city of his birth and that was, for the most part, because he had killed nearly all those that did know it.