Chapter Seven: Sara Tonic
Sara was following a rumor, or more likely a ghost. She was tracking a man named Damien, in the East side of the city. It was two nights since she had first heard of him, through gossip and drunken stories. He was a famous swordfighter from distant land, or he was a warlock that could call to a kraken. Sara suspected that he was dangerous, at the very least.
The streets were deserted. Not even the most veteran of the Watch would come come here, especially at night. They called this part of the city Ratville, partially because of all of the rats. They swarmed along the edges of buildings and in the sewers. Partially, they called it Ratville because the people that lived here were more like rats than men. Sara was not worried however. She had her plasma pistol, a needle-like rapier, and an arsenal of throwing knives.
According to the story, the Black Coats would meet in abandoned buildings out here. So far, she had seen plenty of empty houses, but no people. There were signs of habitation, but not even a candle burned in any of the windows. Thieves would be drawn to the flame like moths.
She climbed up the rooftops. For one, she could see further. Her silhouette was clearly visible, but that was only if someone looked up. The back alleys were much more threatening than a shadow above you. Anyone out here would be checking over their shoulder as they walked along. She made her way into the worst part of Ratville, which was not saying much. Most of the buildings here were burned out, the streets impassable, and the smell beyond horrid. Sara had tied a rag across her nose and mouth, but it helped only a little.
There was a voice and she dropped to a crouch. It was high and clear, a woman addressing a group. Sara smiled grimly and moved closer. There were no lights and they were hard to pick out from the shadows because of their dark clothing, but they were there. She counted a dozen standing among the rubble of a temple. Granite blocks were strewn about the site of the collapse.
“We need more guns.” A tall man said, leaning against a column that was still standing.
“Speak for yourself.” Someone else replied in a mocking voice.
“Not everyone is so gifted, Seamus, including your men. What will they fight with?”
The other man began to reply, but the woman who was speaking earlier cut in.
“Gentlemen! Cease the bickering, please. We are having a discussion here.” There were nods and words of agreement among the others. “On the subject of guns…”
“What of my wife?” A short, plump man asked. He looked like a merchant, wearing a fur-lined cloak and silver buckles in his shoes.
“She was caught being careless.” Jeered the one called Seamus. “Her plan wasn’t exactly subtle either. Anyone with a half a brain could have seen her coming a mile away.”
“Enough.” A new voice cut in, powerful and controlled. “Do not speak ill of the dead. We will avenge our sister’s death.”
There was a pause as the two men looked at each other, than Seamus nodded. “As you say, Damien.”
He nodded and turned to speaker. “Please continue.”
“Thank you. Are there any leads into the investigation?” She asked the widowed husband.
“A few say it was a red-haired woman in a brown leather jacket. She shouldn’t be too hard to track down. I’ve already put the word out with our friends.”
Sara smiled to herself. Good luck with that, she thought. She wore her hair under a lady’s hat and a blue dress, during the daytime.
“I still don’t like their involvement. They give me the creeps.” Said a man in the back.
“Frightened?” Seamus asked.
“Of demons? Yes, of course, any sane man would be.”
There was nervous laughter. Sara’s smile vanished. Demons? Seriously?
“Back to the guns.” Groaned the tall man.
“The raid tomorrow night will supply us with everything we will need. Cannons, pistols, muskets, and especially the guns that killed all of our raiders on the docks.”
There was a collective intake of breath. Sara was curious about that too. She had heard strange stories about that fight. It seemed there was more going on here than she had thought.
“If we can get those, there won’t be a noble left in the city. They’ll either be dead or run off somewhere.” Seamus said happily.
“Right.” The woman agreed. “You will all get specific orders individually. Most of you will lead the men in a frontal assault. Others will attack from the sea.”
There were words of agreement. Sara thought it time to leave. She snuck away quietly and then made her way back the house, Hadrian would want to hear this right away.
She knocked loudly on his door. There was a full minute of swearing and then Hadrian called, “Who is it?”
“Who do you think? It’s me. Get up and put something on.”
There was more swearing. “What do you want?”
“Tea and biscuits. Hurry up.”
Hadrian opened the door some time later and was red in the face. “We can speak in here.” He growled and let her inside his room. Lilan was sitting up in bed, her hair a mess.
“Good evening, my Lady.” Sara said sweetly. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
The woman said nothing, only looked at her with a mixed expression, half anger and half curiosity.
“Just tell me what couldn’t wait until morning.” Hadrian said, clearly trying to suppress his rage.
“You shouldn’t get so angry, my Lord. Leads to high blood pressure. Then one day, boom, your heart explodes.” She said seriously, then smiled. “I just listened in on an interesting conversation.”
“The Black Coats?” He asked suspiciously.
“None other. There’s some woman who seems to be running things. There was a Seamus and a Damien too, both wizards by my guess.”
Hadrian nodded. “They are, and I know them both by reputation.”
“Go on.”
“Well, Seamus is a local, and his family has a long history of being burned alive. The last I heard of him however, he was east of the White Falls… a place very far from here.”
“And Damien?”
“I’ve heard his name while studying in the Jade Tower. All three of us learned magic there, but those two are younger than me. I have never actually seen them.”
“Are they dangerous?”
“We are all dangerous.” Hadrian said, without humor. “The real question is, are they a problem? And that, I do not know.”
Sara shrugged. “Either way, not much time to find out. They are raiding a ship down at the docks tomorrow night.”
“Which ship?”
“They didn’t give a name, but they seemed very interested in the guns. You’ve heard the rumors of the fight outside the warehouse?”
“I know more than just of what I’ve heard.” Hadrian nodded. “I know their target then. What else did you hear? Battle plans?”
“Most are making a frontal assault, but a few will strike from the sea.”
“Makes sense.”
“There was something else.” Sara said hesitantly.
“What?”
“Well, I don’t give it much credit, but they mentioned demons.”
Hadrian nodded again, very slowly. “I thought they might have.”
“What do they mean by it?”
“I doubt the two wizards are powerful enough to bring a demon completely onto our plane. What they would have done instead is take volunteers, only the most physically intimidating, and invited a demon to occupy each of their bodies. I’ve been told it feels like sleepwalking.”
“Are they a problem?”
“I do not know that yet either.”
“Great.” Sara looked around the room. The two looked tired and scared. “I’ll leave you then. See you in the morning Lilly.” She bowed to the woman and left their bedroom.
“You look ridiculous in that.” Lilan said, glancing up from a letter she was writing.
“I think the hat looks good, but if you say so...” Sara put the large, fl
oppy thing back on the shelf.
“I am sure we can find you something else.”
Sara sat down on a chair and began sharpening one of her daggers. The sound of sliding metal against stone filled the room with an unsettled feeling. Lilan cleared her throat a few times before finally objecting. “Must you do that? It’s very distracting.”
“Fine. Who are you writing to?”
“My sister Nellis. She’s quite upset over the death of our cousin Thomas, Lord Edward’s son, they were close.”
Sara was checking her reflection in the dagger, looking in her teeth for bits of food. The people here did not have floss.
“You’ve seen these Black Coat people?” Lilan asked.
“Yeah.” Sara did not say that she witnessed the murder of Lord Edward Walsh and his family. Nor did she say that she did nothing to stop it.
“Why are they doing all of this?”
“They seem to hate the nobility, beyond that though…” Sara shrugged. “I haven’t given it much thought.”
Lilan went back to her letter and when she finished it, stamped it with a seal. She looked up once again. “Are you and Hadrian worried?”
“I am, but I can’t say the same of your husband. Does he seem worried?”
“I think that’s what it is. He’s just so quiet about it.”
Sara nodded. “It will be over after tonight, one way or another. These Black Coats are playing their entire hand.”
Lilan was quiet and Sara felt ashamed that she could do nothing to comfort her. “Let’s do something to cheer you up, ma’am.”
“Like what?”
Sara thought for a moment. “I’m sure there is something worth buying in the market.”
“I’m sure there is. Okay then, thank you.”
Sara drove the carriage down the narrow streets at a leisurely pace. The sun was high and most people looked friendly. They took the Mountain Road until it intersected with Port Avenue and then turned North. The market was a large, empty square where merchants and traders presented their wares. There were a few buildings with the same purpose, but when the weather was fair, people preferred to walk about in the sun.
They parked the carriage in an open area designated for such things. Young Samuel was riding next to her and offered to watch over the carriage.
“Don’t you want to see the market?”
“I lost my spare coin gambling with the other stable boys.”
Sara shook her head. “Don’t you know how to cheat?”
“No ma’am, I would never cheat.”
“Then you will never win. If you promise to give it up, then I’ll buy you something.”
“Really?”
She frowned impatiently. “Yes, really. Now go find someone to watch the horses. You are keeping the Lady waiting.”
Samuel ran off and disappeared in a crowd.
“That was nice of you.” Lilan was standing behind her.
“You are quite stealthy, ma’am.”
She laughed. “You doubted it?”
“I suppose I did.” Sara drew her curved dagger, sheathed in simple leather. “Do you have a pocket to hide this?”
Lilan looked like she was going to refuse, but Sara gave her a look that suggested otherwise. “Yes.” The other woman hid it in a side pocket.
“Later, I will have to teach you how to use that.”
Samuel came running up. “Miss Sara!”
“What?” She drew the flintlock pistol that was under the carriage seat.
“There’s a whole lot of angry people coming this way.”
“Great.” Sara swore under her breath. “Up in the driver’s seat boy. Lilly, get behind me and take out that knife. Look like you know what to do with it.”
Samuel stood on the seat and had his own knife.
The mob was led by a man in a fine black coat with a white undershirt. He wore no hat, which let his black hair fall down around his shoulders. In other circumstances, Sara would have found him good-looking. Now, he only annoyed her, yelling encouragement to the people behind him.
“Burn these carriages! Why should they ride through the city!” He cried.
“Walk like the rest of us!” A woman in the crowd shouted. There were cheers for her and curses thrown toward Sara and her two companions. They noticed the three of them like a swarm of bees.
“Get out of here!”
“This is our city!”
The mob tried to surround them, but there were too many carriages. The horses and looked around nervously; the other drivers and servants had already fled.
“Remove yourselves at once! We do not wish to look upon a sympathizer, or your whore mistress!” The Black Coat yelled.
If Sara was angry before, it paled in comparison to what she felt now. The rage was white hot behind her eyelids. Her right hand held the pistol, aimed at his chest, and the other rested on the hilt of her sword.
“Speak to me like that again, and I will kill you.” She said, her voice carrying over the mob like thunder over water.
“You do not tell me what to do!” He screeched at her, waving his arms about his head. “Sympathizer scum! Kill them! Kill her!”
The pistol jumped in her hands and the Black Coat fell to his knees, holding his stomach. “You shot me…” He wheezed.
“I missed.” Sara corrected him, calmly reloading the gun. She poured black powder down the barrel, rammed the bullet home, and primed the pan. Then she took a step forward and aimed the gun at the crowd.
“Who’s next!?” She let her anger erupt and it startled her. The crowd looked ready to run. Sara gestured to the Black Coat. “He’s worse than any noble I’ve met. You should choose your friends more carefully.”
The mob called insults at her, but they were no longer a danger. She helped Lilan into the carriage and jumped into the driver’s seat, pistol still in hand.
“That was incredible, Miss Sara.” Samuel was looking at her with awe.
“I know.” She said shortly, then softened her words. “Let’s go home. The market is a bit crowded today.”
Sara helped the Lady undress and climb into her bed. She sat in a chair next to her and looked at the other woman. “Are you okay, ma’am?”
She nodded. “I think so. I just feel so tired.”
“Being scared half to death is hard work. A short rest, maybe some food, and you’ll be fine.”
Lilan looked at her for a long time. “All of the other servants fled.”
“I’m not your servant, ma’am, and so I saw no reason to run away.”
“Thank you. I do not think I would have survived the mob.”
Sara shook her head. “I do not think you would have wanted to. Try not to think about it, just rest for now.”
“How do I explain to Hadrian…”
“I will tell him everything. Don’t think about that either.”
“Why do I get the feeling that you are more than I deserve?”
She laughed. “The first wise thing I’ve heard in my entire time here. Now, shut up and go to sleep. I’ll be sitting right here.”
“Thank you.” Lilan said again, sleepily.