KGWrites

James

City Sewers, Fallham, Barony of Fallham

“They get a palace and hot food. We get the fucking piss pipes.” Alyx grumbled as she shimmied along the metal piping behind James. James snorted out an agreement. He was desperately trying to ignore the stench of the trickling river of waste that ran on the bottom of the pipe beneath them, carefully placing his feet and hands to avoid it.

“Or look at it this way. They get stuck dealing with Zaygor. We get to mess shit up.” He reasoned.

Alyx laughed bitterly behind him. “Yeah, you’re right. Somehow, they’re still dealing with more shit than us.”

“It gets even better actually.” James said as he looked ahead of them. “Just this last push.”

Ahead of them was the end of the thin pipe they were crawling up. A grate of metal bars blocked the exit out into the wider tunnels of the sewers. James examined it closely, shifting to let Alyx come up next to him.

“Rusted to fuck.” She observed, running her hand along the bars and looking down at the dusting of rust that covered her fingertips. James hummed in agreement, looking at the pitted and thin edges of the bars where they met the pipe. They were half-eaten away by rust and when he pushed against them they rattled.

“Won’t take much.” He muttered before looking to Alyx and pointing with his thumb back down the pipe. His sister threw her head back and let out a loud, dramatic groan.

“Why do I always get that side?” She moaned and James grinned.

“Normally, because I’m your big brother and you do what I say.” He said, though the irony was enough to make Alyx scoff in disbelief. “But really it’s because I’ve got archer’s shoulders now. I’m better for this side.”

Alyx grumbled, but didn’t argue, instead she shimmied further back down the pipe and braced her shoulders wide against it. James meanwhile turned over and planted his back against the metal grate. Once they were both in position, the Cobalts planted their feet against one another and Alyx began to push against James, driving him up and back against the metal bars. After a minute or so, Alyx stopped, breathing hard before pushing again.

After five minutes of straining had passed, James felt the grate begin to shudder against him and heard the dull scratching scrape of rusted metal breaking. He looked to Alyx and nodded once. One more.

Groaning with effort, they pushed hard again and this time were rewarded with the snapping of metal from behind James as the rusted bars sheared and broke and he fell backwards through the pipe onto cold stone.

Alyx however, disappeared backwards down the pipe with a quick yelp as the bracing pressure of her brother suddenly left.

James rolled onto his front and pushed himself up to his feet again, rolling the ache out of his shoulders as he looked around their new surroundings.

The city sewers of Fallham were wide and built of stone. They arched over in a tunnel that dipped in the middle to allow a flowing river of water. James figured it was water from the rains of the swamps or something along those lines, it certainly looked clean enough. Which could not be said by the various smaller streams that ran alongside it and down small side pipes into cesspools outside the city walls, like the one he and Alyx had entered through. It was dark, with only the tiniest bit of light filtering down through the drains above.

Most importantly of all to James though, the sewers were empty of any guards, and silent as a grave.

Which meant James nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand suddenly appeared from the pipe next to him.

“Can’t help but notice.” Alyx grumbled as she pulled herself from the pipe, her dark cloak now covered in stinking patches. “That I’m always the one the ends up falling back down the pipe into the piss whenever we do that.”

“Usually you could do with improving your smell.” James replied, causing her to punch his shoulder playfully. Then he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Alyx brushed herself down, her nose wrinkling as the stench hit her. Then she looked around at the sewers themselves and let out a low whistle.

“Damn. We’ve lived in places shittier than this.” She said appreciatively. Her voice echoed off the cavernous walls and James shot her a warning glare. Alyx looked around and upon seeing no-one else that could have heard her, shrugged indifferently.

James looked about and focussed on a mental map of the city above them. Then he pointed off to the left, further down one of the tunnels.

“Come on, palace’s this way.” He said, turning and starting off down the tunnel. Alyx quickly kept pace with him, walking alongside him.

“You sure these sewers will reach the palace? With all the canals and things in the way?” She asked as they walked, her voice lowering to avoid the echo she’d produced earlier.

“I’m pretty confident. Most of those canals weren’t very deep, just a way of letting water flow to the lake. We’re below them now. And besides, if there’s a whole Dwarf city down here, maybe we’ll just find a way into that. You said Zaygor told you the palace linked to it?”

“Hm, when he wasn’t busy boasting or drooling over Iona.” Alyx growled, a darkness briefly descending over her face before she banished it. “He said that his palace, when the Evellien were here, was a trade outpost between them and the Dwarves.”

James nodded. “Then even if we don’t find a way directly to the palace, we find a way into the caverns the Dwarves lived in. Trade outposts needed places to trade, we can find our way back up through those links. Find our way into the vaults from there.” He reasoned and Alyx shrugged, willing to follow his lead, like she had on countless heists before.

Moving beneath the sprawling expanse of Fallham took them nearly a half hour, which they travelled in a practiced, easy silence. They were used to moving like this with one another, simply content that the other was there.

As they walked, the stonework around them began to change, shifting from recognisable construction to a more intricate working of carved stone. At one point, James lifted his hand and ran it along the smooth surface, marvelling at the skill it would have taken to craft. The rock was smooth to the touch, something even the most skilled stonemasons of Aldiron couldn’t achieve. This had to be old stonework of Dwarven or Evellien make. Eventually, they reached a side tunnel that branched off from the central space and James nodded down it.

“Here, if I’m right, we’re under the palace now.” He spoke softly now, like he was afraid being so close to the palace would have someone overhear them. Alyx nodded and turned, following him a short way down the tunnel until they reached another metal grate across it. Unlike the last one though, this grate was a floor to ceiling door, locked into iron bars driven into the stonework. And these iron bars lacked the rust that had made the last one so easy to open.

But it had hinges, a handle, and most importantly to James, a keyhole set into it. He looked over his shoulder at his sister.

“Keep watch, if this is a door then they might have patrols.” He told her and she nodded. Then James dropped into a crouch opposite the door. His hands dipped into a pouch on his belt and drew out a series of needle like lockpicks and a small file. Carefully, he pushed the picks into the keyhole until they met resistance and then he began to prod and pull, trying to hook tumblers out of the way. It was slow, precise work, requiring a lot of James’ concentration, so he was glad of Alyx’s presence to watch for guards.

At least, until she got bored.

As he worked, James became aware of a low humming sound coming from behind him. Turning his head, he saw that Alyx was bobbing her head along with the tune she was humming, her fingertips dancing on the strings of an invisible lute.

Incredulous, James stared at her for a minute while she continued her song. Eventually, she looked up to see his progress, only to meet his eyes. She shook her head in confusion.

“What?”

“Now? You’re going to do that now?” James hissed and Alyx shrugged.

“There’s no-one coming James, you know that as well as I do.” She reasoned. James gave her an unamused look.

“Maybe, but still, I’m trying to focus here.” He said and Alyx smiled apologetically.

“Oh sorry! Didn’t realise you were trying to focus. I’ll shut up then.” She replied, settling back against the wall of the tunnel. James turned back to the lock and was rewarded with the satisfying click of a tumbler sliding into place.

Behind him, the humming started again. Louder this time and accompanied by a dull thumping as Alyx drummed her hands against the stone of the tunnel wall in rhythm with her song.

James sighed theatrically and shook his head. But he couldn’t keep the smile from his face at Alyx’s antics. In truth, it provided only a little distraction from the lockpicking, nothing he couldn’t deal with. Which he proved as another tumbler locked in place. Still though, she was rarely this distracted on a job.

“You alright?” He asked her as he worked on the final tumbler.

She sighed in frustration. “Yeah. I just can’t get that bastard baron out my head.”

“Ah.” Was all James said, nodding in understanding.

“The way he treats people, the way he talks to them. He makes Trident look like a fucking priest James!” She growled, her hands bunching into fists.

James scowled at the lock as his pick slipped on the last tumbler again. But also at Alyx’s words. They’d met plenty of monsters that treated people the way she had told him Zaygor did when they’d been living in the Winter District. For Alyx to be unnerved by this one in particular, there had to be something more.

“And the way he spoke to Iona, the way he moved around her, they way he fucking looked at her…” Alyx snarled, glaring daggers at the far wall of the tunnel.

There it is.

James nodded in satisfaction as the last part of the lock finally clicked away and he rose to his feet, slipping his lockpicks away again. Then he turned and placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder, bringing her chin up to face him again.

“I get it. From everything you’ve told me, I hate the idea of Meghan being left up there with him too.” He began and Alyx shook her head firmly.

“That’s different.” She said. James looked at her, probing beneath the surface and deeper into his sister’s mind.

“Is it?” He asked, keeping his tone gentle.

But Alyx’s jaw set. “It has to be.” She insisted.

James sighed and squeezed her shoulder three times, making Alyx give him a smile. But there was a deep sadness beneath the surface of that smile. A loneliness that he could do nothing about.

“At least they’ve got each other to watch their backs.” He reassured Alyx and she nodded in agreement. “And you know that if he steps over the line, Meghan will put him back in his place.”

Alyx chuckled and looked up at him, a mischievous glean shifting through her eyes. “Bet you wish she was around to put you in your-.”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll throw you back in the shit pipe myself.” James warned her and she laughed and shrugged.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” She apologised.

“You never can.” James replied with an easy smile. “You don’t know how.”

Alyx gave a dramatic gasp and punched his shoulder lightly. James and her both laughed for a second before she placed her hand on his back.

“Seriously though, it’s good? You’re happy?” She asked. James smirked at her.

“I’m in the sewers with the most annoying person I know stinking of old piss. Can’t get much better.” He joked and Alyx smiled, though she sighed at his avoidance. James lowered his gaze and thought about her question for a moment.

“It’s… new. Different. We’re feeling a lot of it out. Is it just a lot of stress and a way for us both to handle it? Is there more there? I don’t think we quite know yet.” He raised his hand and gripped Alyx’s arm, looking at her with a soft smile. “But for what we’ve gotten so far, it is good. I am happy.”

Alyx thought about his words for a moment before she nodded once and patted his back.

“Good. Take it while you can, right?” She said simply and James nodded.

“Exactly.” He confirmed, reaching down and opening the now unlocked door.

He led the way further through tunnels until eventually they came upon a thin shaft of light, filtering through a small culvert set high in the tunnel wall. Raising up on his tiptoes James could see through it into a wide space of stone, lit by torches in sconces on the walls.

The walls of the space were intricately carved with the recognisable artistry of Evellien masons just like the above ground parts of the palace’s lower levels. James knew they were too far down to be above ground though, so this had to be some underground level of the palace.

But it was the space’s contents that told James exactly where they were.

Ironbound chests lined the walls, and stacked around them were more items of wealth than James had seen anywhere before, except perhaps the vaults of the Falcon’s Nest. Tapestries and canvasses, suits of armour and marbled statues all piled around the chests in haphazard piles of pure opulence.

Some small part of James almost wanted to hyperventilate at seeing it all. But he willed it to stay quiet.

Instead, he turned his gaze to the Evellien stonework surrounding the culvert. Stepping aside to let Alyx up for a look he began to run his fingers between the bricks, testing the mortar.

“It’s old and damp.” He observed to Alyx as she joined him. “But it’s thick, really thick.”

Alyx sucked her teeth in annoyance. “So we could chisel through?” She asked.

“With a few days worth of work maybe.” James agreed and Alyx’s resultant sigh was a perfect mirror of his own feelings. They didn’t have that kind of time.

“So, we need your sorceress.” Alyx surmised and James nodded.

“It’s the only way I can see us getting through quick enough.” He confirmed.

“We need to bring her out of the palace. Leave Iona alone with Zaygor.” Alyx growled, her visage darkening again.

“You got a better idea?” James asked. Alyx glared at the stone for a moment, chewing her lip. But eventually she shook her head.

“I don’t. They might.” She said, frustration clear in her voice. She nodded further down the tunnel. “Come on, let’s follow the rest in case we find a weaker spot, then we need to go meet them.”

Frothing Flotsam Tavern, Fallham, Barony of Fallham – Two Hours Later

Following the rest of the tunnel had gotten them no further. It had ended only a short way past where they’d been and the stonework had been just as strong. So they’d picked their way back down through the tunnels and back out of the sewers before heading to the empty dockside tavern they’d arranged as a meeting spot. It was completely silent, a gathering place for the fishers, but they weren’t back from their day on the lake yet.

James had been glad when Alyx had dashed out to the cart and found herself a change of clothes, removing her waste-soaked cloak. It made the terrible beer in the tavern much easier to stomach.  

It wasn’t long before Iona and Meghan also entered the tavern, spotting the two Cobalts and making their way across the space towards them.

As they approached though, James noticed that Iona was walking quickly, putting distance between herself and Meghan. The princess’ jaw was clenched square and she looked dead ahead, moving forwards with a single-minded purpose. Meghan meanwhile, moved slowly, her shoulders slumped and her face sorrowful. Her eyes looked everywhere but at Iona.

A quick glance to Alyx found her looking right back at him, her face grim and worried. Whatever was happening between their two companions, his sister had spotted it too.

Iona reached them first, sitting down hard on the bench next to Alyx, who wordlessly slid her the tankard of ale in front of her. Without so much as a hello, the princess quickly downed the entire thing in quick gulps. Again, Alyx’s eyes flashed to James with concern. He gently shook his head, communicating as best he could how new this was to him as well.

A second later, Meghan sat down quietly next to him. James took a deep breath, taking in the familiar smell of vanilla and lilies that accompanied her and feeling a little lighter for it. Still though, the tension in the air hadn’t left.

James silently moved his hand towards Meghan’s, aiming to take it. But as soon as he brushed up against her, Meghan tensed and pulled her hand away, laying it in her lap. She didn’t look at him, simply keeping her head down and staring at the table in front of her.

Before either James or Alyx could ask what was wrong, Iona spoke.

“Did you know?” She asked simply, her voice thick with accusation. Both Cobalts drew back in shock.

“Know? Know what?” Alyx asked, recovering quicker than James did.

“Why Draconeus wants me alive.” Iona spat. “Did you know what I am?”

James had a suspicion he knew where this was leading. Meghan had refrained from telling him something about Iona when they were in Blueholdt. Something to do with why Iona in particular had been sent to find the Brightblade. But he hadn’t ever put much thought to it. And with Iona’s temper seemingly boiling, he figured guessing right now would be a fairly bad idea. So he simply shook his head. Across the table, Alyx did the same.

“Apparently my bloodline is special.” Iona growled, glaring at Meghan. “And apparently some of us have known that all along.”

Meghan didn’t speak, simply turning her gaze away. Absently, she began to scratch at her tattooed arms.

“Special how?” Alyx asked, looking carefully from Iona to Meghan.

“I dunno, royal birthright, entire kingdom at our feet, descended from fucking Blood Demons!” Iona replied, her sarcastic tone thick with bitterness.

A second passed as her words landed and their meaning settled in over James and Alyx. James simply turned his head to look at Meghan, eyes wide in shock.

Alyx spoke first. “So he wants you alive because-.”

“Because I’m his best hope at saving his damned species. Because he can use my blood to make new demons.” Iona confirmed.

Silence descended on them again. James looked to Meghan, his lips a tight, thin line. She still didn’t look up.

“You knew?” He asked her gently and she actually flinched away from the words. She looked up to him, her brown eyes shining with tears, one of which slowly dripped down her cheek. Slowly she nodded.

“Oh she knew.” Iona’s voice was low and angry. “She’s known since she started training me in Aldiron. She’s known I was nothing but a prize to keep away from Draconeus since before this began.”

“I wanted to tell you.” Meghan offered, her voice quiet and shaky.

“Wanted to but didn’t!” Iona retorted. James felt a twitch in his jaw, felt the familiar beat of his heart as anger began to swirl in his chest.

“What difference would it have made?” He growled back at Iona and her gaze turned to him, her look incredulous with anger.

“What difference would it have made?” She repeated back at him, something flaring behind her eyes.

“Yeah. Because all I see it doing is encouraging you to do something stupid and reckless!” James pressed.

“James.” Alyx warned across the table. He ignored her, matching Iona’s glare. The princess’ jaw worked angrily, but she didn’t reply.

“If you’d known in Aldiron, you’d probably have offered yourself in some noble trade for the city. If you’d known after, you’d have turned around and done the same. Once we were on the road, you were so ready to fight you charged in at Oakworth. Can you imagine what you’d have done if you’d known then. In Blueholdt we were all recovering and Meghan and I were researching all the time, there was no chance. And since then, she’s been recovering from injuries.” James pushed forwards, sensing the hesitation in Iona.

“I could have saved lives! Kept him out of my city.” Iona retorted, practically blazing red with rage.

“At the cost of yours.” Alyx said softly next to her. “That’s never worth it.”

“It is to me!” Iona spat, rounding on her. James nearly dived across the table at the princess.

“Enough!” Meghan was on her feet now, and the forceful crack to her voice made everyone turn in shock.

“James is right Iona. I didn’t tell you because for a hundred reasons, it’s never been the right time. It broke my heart to not tell you. But it was never right. And I see now that it might never have been right. But think about who told you, and how. Think about what’s happening now!” Meghan snapped at Iona who shrank back in surprise.

“Zaygor told you because it made you angry. With me. And then that would pull us apart. And fucking look at us now.” She gestured to them all with a wide sweeping motion. “He got what he fucking wanted!”

Slowly, the silence of realisation of what had nearly happened came over them all. Slowly, James sat back down in his seat, and Meghan’s hand now slipped into his easily. Next to Iona, Alyx threw her head back in a deep sigh.

Finally, the princess too sat down, pressing her forehead into her fists. Gently, Alyx reached out and squeezed her shoulder. Iona didn’t shrug her off.

“You have every right to be angry.” Meghan said, her voice now much calmer. “And we will have this conversation. I promise you that. But not here, not now. We have other problems to handle now.”

Slowly, Iona nodded into her hands. “Yeah.” She said simply before lifting her head. She looked to James and gave a slight nod, an admission of guilt and apology. He returned one of his own.

“Thank you.” Meghan said, sinking back to her chair. Without so much as a moment’s hesitation she took James’ tankard and downed the remaining beer in a quick gulp.

“We found a way into the vault.” Alyx told them. “But it’s not an easy job, there’s a stone wall in the way that’s too thick to quickly knock through.”

“There’s other problems once you’re in too.” Iona added. “Zaygor has magical barriers sealing the deepest vaults, where he keeps the Brightblade piece. The device he maintains the magic from is in his throne room.”

Shit. That complicated things.

“Without magic, how long would it take you to get through that wall?” Meghan asked and James shook his head.

“With the right tools, the end of the week at least.” He explained.

“We don’t have that kind of time.” Iona responded. “Zaygor’s hospitality without an answer won’t last long. End of the week will have the man ordering me wedding gowns.”

“Not happening.” Alyx growled, shadows dancing in her eyes.

“Not happening.” Meghan confirmed. “But I need to go where Zaygor is. Magical devices can be destroyed by anyone, broken like anything else. But he’s a powerful mage himself. If he caught on, I at least could match him magically.”

James sucked his teeth. “But we need you in the tunnels, to get through that wall, otherwise we need to fight in through the front. And we’d be dead long before we got in if that was the plan.

“You don’t need Meghan.” Iona replied, her voice resolute and strong. “You need magic.”

Meghan snapped her head around to Iona and shook it hard.

“No. That amount of magic, that level of power.” She began but Iona held up her hand.

“My blood carries the magic of the most powerful mages in the world, correct?” She asked and Meghan nodded slowly. “Then I can take down a wall.”

Meghan looked hesitant, but she could clearly see there was no arguing with Iona on this. “Just be careful, without a focus, it’ll be draining. You need to guide it very carefully.”

Iona nodded in understanding, even offering Meghan a soft smile in thanks for trusting her with the task. James turned to Meghan.

“I’ll go with you. Zaygor alone you might be able to handle, but if he calls for his guards then you could get overwhelmed without someone to watch your back.” He told her. She smiled and squeezed his hand again.

“She’ll have someone watching her back. Me.” Alyx interrupted and James turned to her, mouth open to argue.

“We know how this goes James. I’m the better fighter, you’re the better thief. Go steal, I’ll keep your pretty partner here safe for you.” Alyx told him before he could argue. Next to him, Meghan scoffed out a laugh, a rosy blush rising on her cheeks. James looked at his sister and she smiled thinly. He mentally added yet another reason to her wanting to be the one that went with Meghan to the ones she’d just given. I might get to kick Zaygor’s head in.

“Alright. Then we have a plan.” James confirmed. “Tomorrow I’ll take Moondust across the lake to one of the fishing hamlets and stable him. We meet back here at sundown, then Iona and I go down below while you two go see the Baron. There’s a boathouse below the tavern here, we meet back here afterwards, grab a boat and row across the lake. Safer than trying to get out past the walls. We grab the cart at the hamlet and we’re gone by sunup. Any questions?”

He looked across them all, his friends as they each shook their heads, agreeing to the plan. They still bore the tensions of their argument, the unspoken, unresolved disagreements. But right now, that didn’t matter.

Right now, they had a job to do.