Keith Baker - The City of Towers

Lorrak stared at him, saying nothing.

“We’re not at war anymore, Sergeant. I’m not going anywhere. As a matter of fact, I imagine I’ll be taking this lift on a regular basis. If you’d like, we can take turns throwing each other off. I believe it’s your turn. But I’m guessing those feather tokens add up on a watchman’s salary. I know they will for a refugee.”

Lorrak stayed silent, but there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“I didn’t mean to throw you off the lift that first time we met,” Daine continued.. “You charged me. And you know what? You were right. That girl did rob me. I hope you were just trying to scare her. I don’t like the idea of guards murdering anyone, criminal or not. But I owe you an apology, Sergeant. So can we start this over again, one soldier to another?”

The dwarf stared at him for a long while. Finally he nodded. “All right, Mour-uh, Daine.” He didn’t smile. “We’ve both been over that edge once now. You mind your business, and I’ll leave you be. But I don’t want to see any trouble on my watch. Interfere with my work again, and I will have your head, Grazen be damned.”

“Fair enough.” Daine stood and walked back over to his friends. A moment later, the lift arrived at Den’iyas.

Alina was waiting for them in the room of mirrors. Today she was dressed in a gown of black and gold, with amethyst-tipped rods tucked through her golden hair. Daine idly wondered if these were pure decoration or if they might be magic wands. It would be just like Alina to wear a mystic arsenal as a form of decoration.

“I trust you come to me with results, Daine?” she said. There was a silver-scaled serpent wrapped around her left wrist, and she idly scratched its chin. She wore a platinum ring on each finger, each one set with a different gemstone or dragonshard. “Or is this yet another plea for gold?”

Daine reached into his belt pouch and produced a small cloth bag. He set it down on the table and slid it toward her. “I believe this is what you sent us to find.”

Alina held her wrist up to her hair, and the tiny viper slithered off her arm to coil around one of her long hair rods. She picked up the bag and carefully spread its contents out across the table. There were two large chunks of dark crystal lined with deep blue veins, a host of smaller shards; and two glass vials, corked and sealed with lead. The vials were filled with a shadowy fluid, and the lid of each vial was marked with a complex symbol-similar to a dragonmark, but matching none of the twelve known marks.

Alina picked up one of the vials and examined it carefully.

“The people who stole your goods and killed Rasial had developed a process to remove dragonmarks,” Daine explained. “That’s supposed to be the essence of the dragonmark-at least, an aberrant dragonmark. I have no idea what you’re supposed to do with it. Since the people who’d stolen it hadn’t done anything with it, it may well be dangerous.”

“Fascinating,” said Alina. She glanced over at Daine. “And the tools they used in this extraction procedure?”

“It was a rough fight, Alina. We were almost all killed, and I’m afraid the workshop was destroyed in the battle. You said to recover whatever was left of your shards. You didn’t say anything about limiting property damage in the process.”

Alina shrugged. “I’m sure there was nothing that could be done. A tragic loss, however.” She studied the vial more closely. “I suppose that this battle occurred after your visit to Councilor Teral’s tent in High Walls?”

“It’s good to know you’re keeping an eye on us.”

Alina smiled. “I always like to watch my investments. You know that.”

“If you’ve been keeping such a close watch on us, I suppose you already know about Jode.”

Alina set the vial down and placed a hand over her heart. “Yes. Daine, I am sorry. He will not soon be forgotten, and I can only give thanks that the rest of you survived the experience.” She glanced down at the two dark vials. “What intrigues me is the fact that these villains preserved these aberrant dragonmarks but let Jode’s mark slip through their fingers.” She glanced up at Daine, her violet eyes cold in her otherwise perfect mask of sympathy. “Surely a fool could see how valuable the essence of such a mark might be.”

Daine said nothing, and Lei spoke on his behalf. “There could be any number of explanations,” she said. “Perhaps the process hadn’t been perfected and they failed to capture the mark. Perhaps they already put it to use, though I still don’t know how you’d apply it.”

Alina studied Lei, and for a moment she said nothing. Lei found the experience disturbing. Alina was the size of a human child, but it was hard to reconcile that with her elegance and intelligence. From the way Daine acted around her, it was clear that Alina was dangerous, but Lei still hadn’t learned what made her such a threat.

Finally Alina spoke. “True. That is ever the way with magical experimentation, and I suppose that it’s for the best. If someone did find a reliable way to remove and transfer the powers of a dragonmark, what would happen to our civilization? Certainly, if I could buy a dragonmark, I would, and I’m certain I’m not alone. As you’ve already seen, there are those who would be more than willing to kill to obtain the power.” She smiled at Lei. “How lucky for you, my dear, that the workshop was destroyed.”

Daine shivered. He knew that Alina’s minions would be searching through the wreckage beneath High Walls before the day was done. He hoped he and Pierce had done enough damage to render the workshop useless-though somehow, remembering the inhuman thoughts that had flowed through his mind, Daine thought the technique might require the touch of the mindflayer.

“In any case, you have completed your task, and at a terrible cost. How would you like to receive your payment? In coin? Jewels? A letter of credit?”

“Actually, Alina, I have a favor to ask.”

Alina’s eyes glittered in the light of the amethyst fire. “A favor? Well. What can I do for you, Daine?”

“I imagine that when it comes to matters of business, you have a few connections in the city.”

“Indeed.”

“Well, I was wondering if you’d take a portion of our payment and help us purchase property in Sharn.”

Alina arched a perfect eyebrow. “A piece of the tower? A costly proposition.”

“I’m interested in a place in High Walls.”

Alina’s face was as expressionless as ever, but Daine could feel her sneer. “Well, yes, that I could arrange. Do you want a hole in the wall or something vaguely bearable?”

Now Daine could feel Lei’s stare. “Bearable. As good as we can get. No lice.”

“A tall order in High Walls,” Alina said. “But one I can accomplish.” She considered for a moment, then reached through one of the mirrored walls. When her hand emerged, she was holding a small casket. She handed it to Lei. “A respectable home will be expensive, even in High Walls. But here, my lady Lei, a hundred platinum dragons for you and your friends. Hopefully you can find some little luxury amidst the squalor your captain has chosen for you.”

Lei took the casket but said nothing.

“And as for you, Daine, I’m sure that you can imagine my surprise when I found an heirloom sword in the hands of a pawnbroker. I was even more surprised by the condition it was in. The pommel had been badly damaged. I had it restored to its original condition, and I thought that you might want it back.”

She reached into the mirror again and pulled out a long sword. Daine’s sword. But it was almost unrecognizable. The blade had been sharpened and polished to a mirror finish, but what drew the eye was the hilt. When he had served in the guard, the pommel of Daine’s sword had been worn down, devoid of any detail. Now the hilt was as polished as the blade, and the pommel was glittering black and silver, engraved with the watchful eye of House Deneith.