“Menarik is a place where people sometimes live in icehouses,” he began. “All the ground is covered in snow, though I think that there are forests closer to the coast and the people wear animal fur so they can keep warm…”
* * *
After they had finished their belated breakfast, put on their shoes, and, in Darci’s case at least, tried their best to tidy their hair, they gathered outside the inn to be greeted by the late morning sunshine. Passers-by stole glances at the strangers without malice before continuing with their business.
Maledorian made sure that all knew what to do before heading off towards the docks to find a suitable ship. He wore a modified version of a suit of armour with only a chest plate, shoulder braces and thigh guards over a short-sleeved shirt that showed off his sizable muscles. No matter what he did or where he went, he would never forgo certain aspects of his knightly ways to the practicalities of discretion. However, to better fit in with the dockside culture, he covered his obviously knightly possessions with a great cloak, and left only his boots and the tip of his broadsword showing. With swift steps he soon disappeared out of sight of the Blazing Unicorn.
The rest of the group had no such troubles with blending into the local culture. Lief with his hood would have stood out in a hoodless crowd if it were not for his bizarre skills of staying unnoticed. Under her simple pants and shirt, Defyance still wore her armour, yet with it covered, she looked like a much larger woman. She too knew the advantages of blending in, so instead of walking around as if she owned the place, she lowered her face to the ground, allowing her usually well- kept blond hair to creep over her eyes, hiding the irremovable look of boldness. Taslessian and Darci were the most unremarkable of the group, dressed in the simple clothes of a commoner with no large weapons or distinguishable clothing to hide. Without a word, they all trundled off down the road towards the market.
The push of the crowd, strange smells and the noise of many, assaulted the senses. Darci’s eyes were again wide with wonder as she stared at all the different stalls in the bazaar. She felt as if she had been transported to an Arabian street market with medieval architecture. People were selling exotic silks, pottery or magical charms; others were selling all sorts of weapons, or anything that they could lay their hands on. On occasion mouth-watering smells wafted past on the wind, hinting at stalls still out of sight.
Above the general incomprehensible din, the traders were enthusiastically spruiking their products, each one trying to be louder than the next, some even trying to shove their products into potential customers’ faces. The atmosphere was charged as people haggled for the price they wanted. The storeowners were acting as if they were being robbed, all seeming to have starving children, whereas their customers were all feigning poverty as they bartered.
The stores themselves were simple wooden tables, some with homemade wood signs, some crudely painted, others skilfully carved. With many goods within reach as she walked by, Darci was beginning to wonder how the store managers stopped their products from being stolen. Shoplifting was a common enough occurrence back home, and she wondered whether or not this was the case in Nahaba. Unified steps of many began to reach their ears through the noise of the bazaar as a group of foot soldiers marched down the street. People made way for the fierce, uniformed men, some crying out as if in fear of being trampled, others giving a slight nod in greeting. Darci rightly assumed that they were the ones who dealt with any thieves.
Unseen behind the stalls lay the ordinary wooden buildings – homes for the vast majority of merchants. These buildings parted frequently to allow for small alleyways through which people entered and departed, all going about their day-to-day lives. It was into one of these alleys that Defyance, Taslessian, Darci and the hooded Lief stopped to talk.
Defyance placed her arms around Taslessian and Darci, pulling them close so that she did not have to shout. “We’re going to split up. Tas, you and Darci are to look for ropes, boots, some shoulder packs and a food seller who can deliver to the ship. Lief and I will go for the warmer clothes, some ale to keep us warm, and anything else we find that we think we need.” The warrior woman locked her eyes with her two youngest comrades, nodding her head when she knew that they had understood. Before they left, Defyance placed a firm hand on Taslessian’s shoulder.
“Make sure to be careful. Nothing should happen in the middle of the city in broad daylight… but never let your guard down. At the moment, I’m expecting more trouble if someone finds out about Lief. Going with Darci you must be sure to look after her, and vice versa.” The two teens nodded solemnly, a spring in their step, as they were quickly swallowed by the Chinta crowds.
Darci and Taslessian spent an interesting two hours haggling about the cost of everything. Darci paid close attention to the price of things. Nahaban currency consisted of chips, flats and rounds. Ten chips made one flat and ten flats made one round. The cost of products varied greatly from stall to stall. Taslessian managed to by two, thirty-yard ropes for two rounds and three flats. They also purchased a pair of sturdy boots for everybody in the group; the total cost was five rounds, two flats and six chips. With the boots the storeowner threw in a couple of large hessian potato bags for only three chips, which would help them carry it all. The cost of the food would be determined once the store owner knew the name of the ship, not willing to deliver goods to the seedier ships without great financial incentive.
Needing to head back, they were confronted with a major issue. The street was even more congested than it was before. With the sun just past its zenith, the entire town was awake looking for their lunch. Darci and Taslessian had to struggle to gain a few steps back through the constantly moving sea of people. Everyone seemed to be going in the opposite direction, making their progress hopelessly slow, and none too gentle, as they were jostled around in the mass. Finally, Taslessian dragged Darci into one of the side streets so they could have a rest.
“I don’t think that I can take this much longer,” Darci said almost breathlessly, her face red as she placed her bags on the ground for a moment. “There’s just too many people and we’re getting nowhere. If one more person bumps into me, I’m just going to have to kick them in the shin, or step on their foot, or something!”
“I agree,” puffed Taslessian, who was also a little red in the face. Volunteering to carry all of the heavy boots he had begun to feel like a much-abused pack animal, regretting his earlier bravado of offering to take the heavier load. The young wizard looked up and down the street before coming to a decision. “I think that if we go up this way, it will take us to the Blazing Unicorn. We just need to take a left and a right…”
Darci watched as the wizard talked directions to himself, feeling a little dubious. She did not think that Taslessian had been to Chinta before, so how would he know which way to go unless he had travelled it previously?
“Come on. It will be a shortcut,” Taslessian encouraged, but Darci rolled her eyes. In most cases, whenever she had been told they were taking a shortcut, it normally meant that they were going to take the scenic route. However, she trusted Taslessian so she did not argue with his decision. Besides, he probably knew something that she did not, with his skills as an apprentice wizard showing the way.
His path lead down one street and then into another that looked exactly the same. Two-storey houses with barred doors and battened windows walled the cobbled road. The few people that they saw in this part of town, had their heads down, making their way hurriedly back towards the market. Walking on the cobbled street, without the comforting noise of the market, their footsteps seemed to echo off the rows of lifeless houses. When they turned down another street, and then another, Darci was soon lost; the final turn taking them to a dead end.
“Huh?” Taslessian mumbled
When they turned around to retrace their steps, the alleyway was blocked by a small group of people. Darci jumped slightly, startled because she had not heard any of them approaching, only her own foo
tfalls.
“Hail friends,” said Taslessian with diplomatic flare. “Could you please tell us how to get from here to the Blazing Unicorn? We seem to have become lost.” One of the men stepped forward. He was wearing a torn green shirt with light brown pants. He stood out from the others as being the largest of them all, with shoulders almost as broad as Maledorian’s, but with a face covered by mangy red beard.
“Certainly, my unfortunate lad,” the man replied. Darci thought that she caught the slightest tone of mockery in his voice. “First, you get out of this alley, go back the way you came, and then you will be able to find your way.”
One of the other men began to fidget with his hands. He was looking down at the ground, shifting his feet from side to side. Eventually he spoke what was obviously on his mind. “Aw, come on Red, don’t play with ’em. Get it over and done with. They’re only kids for cryen on ya grave, n’ you know how I don’t like to make Kuffs mad.”
Chapter 5
“Shut up, Fiel,” the man called Red snarled. His face contorted into a mask of anger as he chastened his wayward comrade. How dare such a lowlife pickpocket even make a suggestion to him, one of the most feared thugs in Chinta, soon to be the greatest, even if he was considered a little heavy handed. He smiled to himself at the thought before turning back to the pitiful young man before him, not even looking at Darci; treating her like she did not even exist. “Look lad, we’ve been ordered to take this girl to this man. Now we’re going to do it and hopefully no one has to get hurt. Let us have what we want and out of the goodness of my heart…”
“What heart?” one of the men interrupted with a laugh that was echoed amongst the group with various sniggers and nods.
“…I will let you go free,” the bearded man finished. “If you resist however…” he pulled out a small dagger, testing its sharpness on his thumb.
Darci’s heart raced. Trapped. Houses on both sides, no life in the windows above and no doors within reach to try to escape through. She looked around for something to defend herself but found nothing but garbage. Turning back to their tormentors, she steadied her feet and clenched her fists. There was no way that she was going to be taken without a struggle. She tried to catch a glimpse of Taslessian out of the corner of her eye, but what Taslessian said then shattered her completely.
“Fine.” Taslessian shrugged, stepping back out of the way to lean against one of the buildings. “You can have her; I don’t want any trouble.”
Darci’s jaw dropped. Taslessian was betraying her. He might have been able to frighten the men off with his magic, to put on some bravado or perhaps kick and punch alongside her, but instead, he was giving in. She had no chance against the group of perhaps eight men.
Red began to walk towards her, swaggering a little as he came, confident she would give herself up into his waiting hands.
Darci turned side on, placing her weight on her toes so that she could move quicker, trying to find anything that might help. Still nothing. The walls of the building were solid its single door barred piles of rubbish. Her only hope was that she would be able to catch him off guard. She looked in vain at her supposed friend. Taslessian was not even looking at her. In fact, he was looking at the ground, doing nothing at all.
Red sauntered past the young wizard, ready to take the young girl over his shoulder when he heard a strange noise. “What are you doing boy?” he said as he pounded his hand into the wall behind Taslessian’s head. “You’re not crying are you? Oh, poor baby.” Hearing this, the other men snickered but the young wizard completely ignored them.
A small breeze had picked up. It was beginning to tousle Taslessian’s clothes. He lifted his head and Red stopped in his tracks. Taslessian’s eyes no longer had pupils, turning instead into malevolent pools of glowing green. The apprentice clapped his hands together in front of his torso. With a bright flash of light, a small, green sphere appeared between his hands, rotating within his grasp, flickering with small wisps of blue electricity.
A thunderous command escaped the wizard’s mouth, sending the ball hurtling towards his adversary. It struck Red in the chest, lifting him off the ground with such force that it threw him against the opposite side of the alley. Seeing their leader lying lifeless on a small pile of rubbish, the others quickly backed away.
Taslessian smiled triumph of his first ever magical attack, before falling back against the wall. The effort of creating the ball of power had drained him more than he would have thought. Darci took three quick steps to steady him, afraid that he would also fall lifeless to the ground.
The group of bandits were milling around, shocked and confused. Some looked prepared to run whilst two of the braver ones had their weapons drawn. How could a mere boy knock down the leader of their group? How could he call upon magic? Was he to be feared, or was it all a trick to catch them unawares?
The man on the ground groaned; he was not going to come around any time soon.
“When Red wakes up there’s going to be hell to pay,” said Fiel to the other men. A murmur of agreement washed through them, yet none of them were willing to approach the girl and her young wizard friend.
Darci was hoping they would be frightened enough by Taslessian’s magic to let them go. To her disappointment, this was not to be. The one called Fiel mustered three of the braver men to try again. She noticed that the rat-like little man made no effort to approach them himself. They kept their eyes and daggers trained on Taslessian, ready to run. Taslessian was awake but his eyes were shut, and almost all of his weight was on Darci, making it impossible for her to move.
With a gulp, she lowered her friend to the ground and faced her foes. “If you come any closer, I will call up a ball of fire that will swallow your bodies and consume your souls,” she said in a voice as loud and intimidating as she could muster.
The group of three stopped and looked to Fiel for direction.
“She’s only a girl!” he yelled back at them. “If she was a dirty wizard too, don’t you think that she would have already zapped you? Now get her! Get her! Now, while her filthy wizard friend can’t do nothin’!”
A new confidence filled the attacking men; most of the women they had possessed looked tougher than this young girl. Knocking her out and taking her to their employer would be an easy task.
They had called Darci’s bluff, so she backed against the wall with nowhere to go and no one to help her. The first man to reach her snapped out his hand, trying to take her by the wrist. Swiftly dodging his grasp, she landed straight into the open arms of a short, bear-like man; an odorous, balding thug, his thick arms covered with greasy sweat. He pinned her arms to her side as he lifted her easily off the ground. Darci tried to scream, but found she was breathless. Kicking her legs, she managed to collect one of his shins, which did nothing other than make him laugh.
“You’re mine, young one, so don’t bother strugglin’.” His tongue flicked over the outside of her ear before he bit down on it, stopping just before he drew blood.
Darci saw another man approach with a stick in his hand. His intention was obvious; he was going to knock her out. Blind panic rose from within, causing her to choke on her own desperation.
As he was about to hit her across the head he paused. Listening to the city sounds, something had changed. Soon all heard the echoes of approaching footsteps. Boots rang loudly on the cobbled streets as a loud voice could be heard barking a muffled order. One of the bandits jogged to the end of the street to peer around the corner. When he saw who was coming, he almost fell over himself as he tried to flee, quickly sprinting out of sight. Soon after, two men in uniform flew past the entrance to the alleyway in hot pursuit. More soldiers followed their friends, turning into the alley with organised precision. Lines of battle-drilled men stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the entire street in their half body armour, their swords drawn. A single clear single command rang out and all hell broke loose.
The bear man dropped Darci roughly on the ground in his p
anic to escape. Sucking in a large breath of air, she quickly crawled back into the corner to avoid getting trampled. A melee erupted as Darci’s assailants hopelessly tried to punch, dodge, wriggle and stab their way out of the alley, completely outnumbered.
One of the soldiers approached Darci. “Are you all right lass?” She nodded with a cough, barely acknowledging the question before rushing over to Taslessian. He had his arm draped around the neck of a young, smooth faced soldier, who looked to be around the same age as the exhausted wizard.
“Did those scoundrels hurt either of you?” The senior soldier asked, placing his hand Darci’s shoulder. This time she turned to look at him. He was around six-foot tall, a little shorter than Maledorian, his soft brown eyes full of concern, shining intelligently from his leathery skin. An old, weathered scar ran down the side of his face. It seemed familiar somehow, although she could not remember why.
“I’m fine. Taslessian is like that because he’s exhausted from using magic.” Darci’s heart sank, fearing she may have revealed too much. She had not asked anyone if magic and wizardry was something to keep secret. Thankfully, the senior soldier did not flinch at the mention of magic.
“That’s what saved you two. We saw a big flash from the market and we thought that we’d better check it out.” He walked over to where Red lay inert, kicking him in the bottom of the foot to see if there was any response. When there was none, he ordered two of the other thugs to carry their leader.
“Thank you for saving us,” Darci eventually managed to say. The sergeant opened his mouth, only to pause, eventually deciding better of whatever he was going to say. He wondered to himself why so many men were needed to attack two teenagers, when the only gear they had was boots and rope, but he decided to bide his time. He would find out from one of their prisoners if the girl did not wish to tell him, already he had seen her shut down at the mention of magic. He studied the young girl silently, trying to gauge her personality. Her clothes suggested that she was just like any other girl, yet there was something slightly different about her, something he could not quite put his finger on.