Page 10 (1/2)
THE CITY OF SAILS
Py with terror He fell as he turned, tearing the skin on one knee, but he hardly slowed Scra back to his feet, he sprinted down the way Behind him, out of the tavern, came a pair of men dressed in the familiar robes of the Hosttower of the Arcane, white with broad red tri was ah to enter his own house," one said
"You accepted the bet," the other reate and the wider road beyond," the first insisted, but even as he finished the other pointed down the road to a three-story building The terrifiedand pulling at the steps
The first wizard, defeated, handed over the wand "May I open the door, at least?" he asked
"I would be an unappreciative victor to deny you at least some enjoyment," his friend replied
They h the stairwayan alleyway and away froht
"He resides on the second floor?" the first wizard asked
"Does it matter?" said the second, to which the first nodded and sht of the second story door The first wizard pulled out a tiny an to h Captain Kurth&039;s man," his companion interrupted He motioned with his chin across to the other side of the street where a large-fra and taken a particular interest in the tizards
"Very fortunate," the first replied "It&039;s always good to give a reht back to his spellcasting
A few heartbeats later, a sizzling lightning bolt rent the air between the wizard and the door, blasting the fli into the flat
The second wizard, already deep in chanting to activate the wand, took careful ai up to the opening It disappeared into the flat and a blood-curdling, delicious scream told both wizards that the fool knew it for what it was
A fireball
A moment later, one that no doubt seeitive in the flat - and his wife and children, too, judging fro - the spell burst to life Flames roared out the open door, and out everyand every unsealed crack in the wall as well Though not a concussive blast, theat the dry wood of the old building, engulfing the entire second floor and roaring upward to quickly engulf the third
As the wizards ad boy appeared on the third story balcony, his back and hair burning Out of his mind with pain and terror, he leaped without hesitation, thuainst the alleyway cobblestones
He lay
"A pity," said the first wizard
"It&039;s the fault of Pyitive who had had the audacity to steal the purse of a lower-ranking acolyte froed too liberally of potent drink, ue Loodran had apparently been unable to resist
Norotten hied to Prisoner&039;s Carnival, where he likely would have survived, though probably without all of his fingers But Arklem Greeth had decided that it was time for a show of force in the streets The peasants were becoh captains see of themselves as the true rulers of the city
The tizards turned back to regard Kurth&039;s scout, but he had alreadyto his orates and wearieshi all of lanced down the alley, where the boy lay un "But"
"Take heart, brother," the other said, leading hireater purpose is served and Luskan is at peace"
The fire burned through the night, engulfing three other structures before the area residents finally contained it In thethat of Pymian Loodran, who had been so proud the day before when he had brought a chicken and fresh fruit hory family A real chicken! A real etables in hter had ever known
And the last
"If I wanted to speak with Rethnor&039;s brat, I&039;d&039;ve co captain in the Ship of High Captain Baram He finished his rant and moved as if to strike the Ship Rethnor soldier who had tried to divert him to Kensidan&039;s audience chamber, but held the slap when he noted the dreaded Crow hi the small antechamber with a look on his face that showed he&039;d heard every word
"My father has passed the daily business onto my shoulders," Kensidan said calh Captain Suljack quietly snickered "If you wish to speak with Ship Rethnor, your discussion is with h Captain Barah captain a direct audience with another of his ilk, would ye?"
"But you are not a high captain"
"I&039;m his appointed speaker"
"As aoe a bit, but he shook his head vigorously - soout of his ears - and brought one of his huge hands up to rub his ruddy face "And yerself&039;ll takeit second-hand" he tried to argue
"Third-hand, if your words are Baraoe fumed "I&039;m to say them exactly as Baram told me to say the that ye&039;re to then take the done!"
"If anything is to be done due to your request, good Duragoe, the action will be atyerself a high captain, then?"
"I have done no such thing," Kensidan ise to reply "I handleto the likes of you If you wish to deliver High Captain Baram&039;s concerns, then please do so, and now I have oe looked around and rubbed his grizzled and ruddy face again "In there," he de Kensidan
Kensidan held up a hand to keep the man at bay and walked back just inside the audience chaone We have private uards within, but also to give Suljack the time he needed to move to the next room, from which he could eavesdrop on the whole conversation
He oe to follow him into the audience chamber and took his seat on the unremarkable, but tallest, chair in the roooe asked
A thin s his hand that he was pleased to see that another of the high captains had taken note of the devastation the two Hosttower enforcers had rained upon a section of Luskan the previous night
"Not a funny thing!" Duragoe growled
"High Captain Baraoe&039;s eyes widened and his nostrils flared as if he was on the verge of catastrophe "My captain lost a valuable oe insisted
"And ould you ask Rethnor to do about that?"
"We&039;re looking to find out which high captain the crook who brought the fires of justice doorking for," Duragoe explained "Pymian Loodran&039;s his name"
"I&039;m certain that I have never heard that name before," said Kensidan
"And yer father&039;s to say the saoe asked
"Yes," came the even response "And ould you care? Py that if ye don&039;t know the naoe asked
"Because I was told that a pair of wizards burned down a house into which had fled a ered the Hosttower of the Arcane," caet of their devastation didn&039;t escape, though I care not whether he did or not Is it recoh captain who eh captain did so?"
"We&039;re looking to find out what happened"
"That you can file a grievance at the Council of Five, and no doubt attach a weight of gold to repair your oe said
"&039;Fair&039; would be for you to take up your grievance with the Hosttower of the Arcane and Arkleh Duragoe shrank at the e arcane
"The events of last night, the manner and extent of the punishment exacted, were decided by Arklem Greeth or his enforcers," Kensidan reasoned He sat back cos at the knee, and even though Duragoe re, he see high captain "Whatever this fool - what did you name him? Loodran? - did to exact the ire of the Hosttower is another ether Perhaps Arkleh captains, should it be discovered that this fool indeed was in the eh I doubt that to be the case Still, froh Captain Baram, the perpetrator of his loss was none other than Arkleoe said with a only because it reinforced thehis bluster to the feet of the arched "You have no claim with Ship Rethnor," he said "I know not of this fool, Loodran, nor does oe said with a growl and an accusatory point of his thick finger
Kensidan brought his hands up before his face, tapped his fingertips a couple of ti all the while at Duragoe, and without the slightest hint of a blink
Duragoe shrank back even ht be in enereater care before throwing forth his accusations He glanced left and right nervously, sweat showing at his te becah Captain Bara thisof it beyond the whispers filtering through the streets That is oe started to respond, but Kensidan cut hihtened and tried to regain a bit of his dignity He looked around again, left and right, to see Ship Rethnor soldiers entering the roo heard Kensidan&039;s declaration that their discussion was at its end
"And pray do tell High Captain Baram that if he wishes to discuss any matters with Ship Rethnor in the future, then Kensidan will be pleased to host hioe could respond, the Crow turned to a pair of guards and oe had exited the rooh a side door "Good fortune to us that Arklem Greeth overplayed his hand, and that this man, Loodran, happened to intersect with one of Baram&039;sto our side A favorable coincidence with favorable tiood fortune to coincidence at a critical time," Kensidan not-so-cryptically replied
Behind hi a concerned look froo realized that the son of Rethnor was many steps ahead of his every h tide," Kensidan said, trying not to grin as Suljack tried hard not to look surprised, "along with Lord Bra tied to sputter
"We could have gone straight to Icewind Dale," Regis reate of Luskan The halfling looked back over his shoulder as he spoke, eyeing the guards with conteate had not been waris&039;s dark-skinned companion
Drizzt didn&039;t look back, and if he was bothered at all by the icy reception, he didn&039;t show it