The Lord of All - Chapter 4.

[Chinaren]

Off-Topic:

I've discovered I've written quite a bit more, so here's a longer chapter for you...

Velvet’s eyes opened wide.  “What?  How can that be?  I mean, how can everything be gone and yet you two are still kicking around?”  Something occurred to her.  “Wait!  Are you some kind of immortal beings?”

“Ha!  If only,” Nurn replied.  “No, that’s not allowed anymore.  We’re as normal as you or anyone here.  Why thank-you my dear.”

The last remark was aimed at the server, who had just deposited the onion rings and salad on the table.

Waiting until the waitress was out of earshot again, Nurn inserted two rings into his mouth and continued, spraying crumbs. 

“No, we’re far from the last.”  He swallowed and reached for another piece.  Velvet helped herself to some of her salad as she listened. 

“When the Universe finally ended, it didn’t come as a surprise to anyone.  Well, maybe that’s not quite right.  It probably came as a surprise to those races that weren’t technologically advanced enough to know about it.  No more than a couple of trillion species in all likelihood, the universe had been shrinking for some time by then.”

“The… universe?”  Velvet shook her head and bit down hard on a tomato. 

“However,” Nurn continued, ignoring her as he warmed to his tale.  “There were plenty of races scattered about that had reached the ultimate level of knowledge and still hadn’t Moved On…”

“Moved on?”  Velvet interrupted. 

“When a race reaches a certain level of evolution, they usually pass onto the next realm.  It’s all mystical energy stuff.”  He waggled his fingers about to emphasize the complexity of it all.  “However, many choose not to, and hang around in the mundane universe.  Most of humanity, and my species, who were quite close to them, fell into that category.  There were several million others too of course.”

“Several million other people?”

“Several million other species.  Even when mostly contracted, the universe was a big place.”

“So, let me get this straight.  The universe… everything… ended?”  Velvet was finding the concept hard to picture.

“That’s right.  Oh here’s my monkey liver.”  He examined the plate that was set in front of him for a moment.  “Mmm, you don’t have very big monkey’s here do you?  I should have ordered two.  Never mind.”  He picked up the hunk of meat, jammed it into his maw, and chewed industriously for a while, holding a finger up to forestall Velvet’s ongoing questions.  Eventually, making a large show of it, he swallowed and followed it by taking a long pull of his drink. 

“Tough old small monkeys,” he said eventually.  “Phew.  Now, where was I?”

“The universe had just ended.”

“Oh yes.  You’d think I’d remember something like that wouldn’t you?”  He shrugged.  “Well, it was before my time.  Actually, it was after Time.” 

Velvet shook her head to indicate her puzzlement and he smiled.

“You see, when the universe ended, time as we know it also stopped.  Makes scheduling meetings a bugger to be sure.”

“But if everything’s finished, where do you live?”  Velvet felt like she was beginning to lose it.  She didn’t get her answer.  There was a noise from near the entrance, and she turned, to see the Lord of All stagger in, his white furs covered in blood.

“Oh my!  Boss!”  Nurn leaped off his chair and raced down to the big man, grabbing him and trying to help him into a nearby chair.  Velvet recovered quickly and hurriedly followed his example.

“Are you okay?  What happened?” she asked as he settled down, getting blood on the furniture. 

“I’m okay.  Most of this is isn’t mine.  Leg’s hurt a bit though.”  He pointed down.  Around his foot a pool of red was slowly seeping into the carpet.   

Grabbing a napkin off the table, Velvet knelt down and pulled the mans’ boot off, exposing a gaping cut in his calf. 

“Oh my!” she said, steadying herself against the nearby table.  She took a deep breath, now was not the time to faint.  She looked up at one of the nearby serving staff, who had clustered round to have a look, and pointed at one.  “You!  Get me a large jug of clean water.  Now!”   

The man nodded and jogged off.  She didn’t watch, but busied herself wrapping the cloth tightly around the wound in an attempt to stem the bleeding.

“What happened boss?” asked Nurn again.

“Some of those assassins we met at the wizards’ house jumped me,” Lord said.  “I suppose they weren’t too happy with the outcome of our first encounter and wanted a rematch.”

“How many were there?”  Nurn said, helping to pull Lord’s coat off. 

“I didn’t stop to count.  About a dozen I think.  It was touch and go for a moment.”

“You fought off a dozen men?”  Velvet finished with her ministrations on his leg and stood up.  “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“Here and there, just small cuts, that was the main one.”  He smiled.  “Thank you.”  She noted he didn’t answer her other question.

“What is going on here?”  The nasal tones of Rupert cut through the hall.  “Get back to work you lot!  You aren’t paid to… oh my, do you require medical assistance sir?  I can call a physician should you need it.” 

Lord looked up at the tall man and shrugged.  “Why not?  Send him to my room please.  We will, of course, pay for the mess here.”

Rupert gave on of his sniffs.  “As long as sir is alright, that is the most important thing.  The Duke Hotel doesn’t like to lose valuable customers.”  He looked about.  “May I suggest you retire to your chambers, and I will have dinner sent up.”

“That would be a good idea,” Lord agreed. 

“Very well.  You and you, help the gentleman to his room.” 

The Maitre de oversaw several of the larger servers as they helped Lord to his feet, and then turned to Velvet.  “If that is all, I shall arrange for your food to be delivered.  Please call for me if you need any further assistance.”  Without waiting for a reply, he turned and strode away, leaving Velvet wondering if she hadn’t misread the man.  She shrugged.  He was probably just happy to have them out of his dining hall. 

Turning, she followed the others back to their rooms.

~

The next morning saw Velvet awake early.  After the drama of the pervious evening she’d not had chance to test any of her potion, and had lay awake half of the night thinking about it. 

Swimming through the pillows to the edge of the giant bed, she slipped over the side, shivering slightly.  The hotel had an amazing heating system that pumped hot water from a hidden furnace around the rooms, but today it didn’t seem to be doing a very good job. 

Putting on the sandals provided by the Duke for indoor use, she padded over to the window and pulled the curtains to one side, peering out into the early morning.

Everything was white.  Frost covered the windows, which rattled slightly as the wind battered them.  Rubbing at the glass she made a more determined attempt to see though, and finally just about made out a horrific winter storm.  Huge snowflakes were being driven almost horizontal by a howling gale, and snow was piled up in man-height drifts.  Velvet shuddered.  There would be no going out in this.

“Good.”  She rubbed her hands together.  “No distractions whilst I test my potion!” 

Wandering over to the toilet area, she starting a fire under the giant kettle, unable to face the thought of freezing cold water after looking outside. 

Her morning toiletries went efficiently, and some short time later she was dressed, refreshed and ready to face whatever the world could throw at her.

“First stop, look in on the boss,” she said aloud.  After one quick check on the potions in her bag to make sure they weren’t leaking, she stepped out into the corridor, knocked on her friends’ door and waited.

She was about to knock again, when it opened and Nurn peered through the crack. 

“Oh, it’s you,” he said, in a half yawn.  “Come in.”

“Aren’t you awake yet?” Velvet asked, stepping inside and closing the door.  She smirked, noticing Nurn’s fur was sticking out at odd angles.  “How’s Lord?”

Their room was similar to her own, perhaps a bit larger, with two beds, ironically slightly smaller and plainer than hers.  One had the blankets bundled up into a small mountain in the middle.  A hole in the side showed her how Nurn slept.  On the other, snoring like a volcano about to erupt, was the recumbent form of her employer.  He managed to make the bed look like it was normal size.

“He’ll sleep for a while yet,” Nurn explained, disappearing into the bathroom.  “Healing,” he called back, in way of an explanation for Lords’ unusual laziness.  There was the sound of running water, which prevented further conversation, so Velvet took a seat by the door and waited patiently.

Eventually the Grey emerged, his fur slicked down, looking more like his lively self. 

“You’re up early,” he said.

“I want to test my potions, you said you’d help.  Will he be alright on his own?  What if someone breaks in?”

“Oh don’t worry about him, he has a seventh sense for when trouble is near.”

“A seventh sense?”

“Yep.  Now,” Nurn stretched and grinned at her.  “Before your testing…”

Velvet sighed.  “I know.  Breakfast.”

~

“Thank-you,” Velvet said, pressing coppers into the bellhops’ hand. 

“No problem, just wait until I’m clear before you start doing whatever you’re going to do.”  The lad, who was the one that had escorted them the first day and told them about the donkeys, grinned and retreated back through the door they’d just emerged through, closing it behind him.

“This should be suitable,” Velvet said, looking around.

They were in a dark and musty cellar.  A large dark and musty cellar.  It was almost a dungeon in fact, with walls constructed of even stone blocks, black in color and covered with cobwebs.  The flickering torches the bellhop had provided cast a dull orange illumination over the place, causing shadows to flicker and hint of dark creatures ready to pounce, perhaps from behind one of the many stout pillars holding up the hotel above.

“If there aren’t rats down here, I don’t know where we’d find them,” murmured Velvet, stepping forward.  Indeed, even as she said it, several squeaks and the skittering of rodent feet could be heard echoing round the chamber.

“I still say we should just go for the donkeys,” Nurn said, peering around doubtfully.  “This doesn’t look very hospitable to me.”

“I’m not going to abuse the donkeys,” Velvet countered.  “Come on!”  She fished out a vial of potion and stepped forward, squinting into the shadows in an attempt to locate her prey.

“And yet you didn’t mind suggesting trying it on poor old Nurn.”  The Grey muttered behind her as he followed.  “There!”

Velvet whirled and threw the vial at the rat Nurn had pointed out.  Her aim was wild though, and the bottle shattered against the stone whilst the animal let out a squeak of alarm and bolted, disappearing down a crack in the flooring.

“Missed,” Nurn said helpfully.  “Are you sure you don’t want to go for those donkeys?  They’re a lot easier to hit.”

Scowling, Velvet reached for another one.  “It was only my first go.”

The rat search continued.  The two intrepid hunters creeping through the shadowy catacombs, Velvet with a vial ready.  However, the rats didn’t want to co-operate.  They ducked and dodged away as the light from the torches approached.  When they did come into range, Velvet either threw wild or the rats dodged the attack.

She was seriously considering hunting out the donkeys when Nurn hissed and pointed into a corner, towards an extremely large rat feasting on some poor dead creature. 

Concentrating, Velvet crept forward.  Her target kept gnawing on its breakfast, though it kept a beady yellow eye on her as she approached.

“Confident little bugger isn’t it?” Nurn whispered.

“Shhh!”  Velvet took careful aim and let loose. 

The creature jerked and started to run, but the vial hit it square on the side and shattered, and it let out an almost human squeal before stopping dead in its tracks.

“It work…” Velvet started to say.

The rat exploded with a sick wet sound and a puff of smoke.  A grisly shower of red and gray flesh rained down in a wide area, landing with dull splats on the cellar floor.

“Oh gross!”  Nurn skipped back, frantically brushing at a piece of rodent that had landed on his arm.
 
Velvet made a face.  “That wasn’t supposed to happen!” she complained.

“You think?  And you wanted to test it out on me!”

Ignoring the Grey, Velvet scratched her head and looked at her two remaining vials.  “Maybe it was a fluke.  We should try again.”

“Well I’m standing further back,” Nurn said.

“I’m sure I did everything right, I don’t know why that happened.”  Velvet looked around for another rat.  “Come on, down this little area.”

It took some time, but Velvet eventually managed to hit another animal, with the same gruesome, explosive results.

“Well, it’s not what I was aiming for, but at least it’s a defensive weapon,” she said, brushing rat pieces off her front.  Good job we didn’t try it on the donkeys.”   

“Yes, that could have been messy,” Nurn said.

“Well, we’ve tested it anyway.”  Velvet returned the remaining two vials to her pack. 

“You’d better be careful not to spill any of that on yourself,” Nurn pointed out.  “You don’t want to blow yourself up just because you didn’t put the cork in properly.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Velvet replied as they made their way back to the exit.  “You have to throw the vial and it must shatter for the potion to take effect.  It’s a standard part of the magic included in this kind of potion, to prevent just that sort of accident.  Essentially the spell isn’t complete until you throw the container and it breaks.”

“Clever stuff,” said Nurn.  “No, not that way, to the left.”  He pointed at a dark tunnel off in the direction he’d indicated.  Velvet had been about to turn right.

“Oh, good job you’re here, I’d probably get lost and never find my way out.” 

“These cellars certainly go on awhile,” Nurn replied, trotting along.  “They seem a little excessive for a hotel, even such a one as the Duke.”

“Well, the city’s pretty old, and there’s been more than one war here.  These were probably used for hiding or some such in one or more conflict,” Velvet held her torch high and looking at the arched ceiling, which dripped moisture. 

“It all sounds depressingly likely,” the Grey commented.  “Your species never does manage to lose its talent for slaughter.  There have been several large Human Empires, carved out of blood for the most part.”  He shrugged.  “Still, everyone has to have a hobby I suppose.  Ah, here we go.”

The old door loomed up out of the dark, and Velvet sighed in relief.  The torches were beginning to get low, and she didn’t want to be stuck down here without light.   
    
“I wonder if the dining hall is open for lunch,” Nurn said as he went through the exit and started to climb the stairs beyond.

“Nurn!  You’ve only just had breakfast!”  Velvet shook her head as they left the cellar behind and headed back up, into the light.

[Saint]

she starting a fire under the giant kettle,

started?

Hehe... Rat. BANG! Former rat.

[Chinaren]

Off-Topic:

Sorry, not added to this in a while, so here's another piece for you...

The rest of the day was spent peacefully.  Whilst Lord lay snoring the snowstorm raged outside, rattling windows and wailing mournfully.  Nurn wandered off to the dining room, saying he was going to try one of everything the hotel had to offer.

Velvet took the chance to study her new potion book.  To her relief there were several more recipes that looked quite do-able and useful.  She spent a pleasant afternoon making notes and getting familiar with the ingredients and incantations within, only stopping when a knock at the door interrupted her.

Putting her pen down and stretching, she called out.  “Hello?”

“Miss?  This is Rupert from the dining room.”

Frowning, Velvet padded over to the door and opened it, to reveal the tall form of the Maitre de, with his usual condescending expression.  Behind him was a trolley, which she recognised as the type the hotel used for wheeling desserts in the dining area.  Lying on top of it was Nurn.  His stomach was distended as if he was pregnant and his breath was deep and rasping.  He appeared to be asleep.   

Velvet looked at Rupert questioningly.

“Your friend managed to eat almost half our stock for the next three months,” the man said.  His tone was one annoyance mixed with wonder.  “I’ve been in this business for many years miss, and in all that time, I’ve never seen anyone able to eat like him.”

“He’s one of a kind to be sure,” she replied. 

“I need to open the door to put him back into his room,” Rupert carried on.  “However, there’s no answer from inside, and hotel policy requires I don’t leave someone in this condition alone.”

“Leave him with me,” Velvet said.  “I’ll look after him.”

“Very well.  Leave the trolley outside when you’re done.  I’ll send someone for it later.”  He gave a sniff and took his leave, the waiter who had pushed Nurn along trailed behind like a large lapdog.

Sighing, Velvet recovered the key from Nurn and wheeled him into his room.  Lord was still snoring away, and she wondered how long he’d be like that. 

Pushing the trolley up to the other bed, she tried to lift the Grey off, and failed utterly.  It was like trying to move a boulder.  Frowning, she tried again, and succeeded in trapping her arm underneath him. 

“How can such a small person be so heavy?” she asked herself, finally extricated herself and shaking the blood back into her hand.  Looking around for something to help her, she located a broom in the corner of the bathroom and, using it as a lever, eventually managed to roll the Grey off the trolley onto the bed, where he landed on his side. 

Covering him up with some blankets, Velvet quickly checked on Lord.  Satisfied her two friends were okay, she nodded to herself and returned to her room.  Deciding she couldn’t take any more studying today, she had a quick wash and went down to the dining room herself, to see if Nurn had left her anything to eat.

~

The morning after, in direct contrast to the previous day, dawned calm, clear and sunny.  Velvet awoke to find both Nurn and Lord back up and about again.  The large warrior was apparently totally healed, and the Grey was also back to his normal, cheerful self. 

“I ate them out of house and home!” he declared when Velvet asked how he was.  “Have to get value for money I say.”

“You know I disapprove of you gorging like that,” Lord said.  He was standing at the window, looking outside. 

Nurn shrugged, unrepentant.  “Come on boss, it’s not like we were going out, with you down and the storm raging outside.”

“Well, today we shall.  It’s time to visit Rumpold again,” Lord said.  “He should have finished his spell by now.  Are we all ready?”

For once Nurn didn’t mention breakfast, and Velvet wasn’t hungry either, so they made their way to the lobby and outside, where their horses were brought around. 

The city was blanketed in white, making it look pristine and clean.  The snow was up to Velvets’ knees in places, and Nurn had to force his way through the stuff, though it didn’t seem to bother him.

They climbed onto their mounts and set off towards the wizard quarter. 

“Have you thought of a name for your horse yet?” Nurn asked as they made their way through the streets. 

“I was thinking of calling her Snow,” she replied.  “Yes, I know she’s not white, but the weather…”

Nurn nodded.  “As you like of course.”

“I hear your potion testing went well,” Lord said.

“Well, it wasn’t what I was after, but at least I have a way of protecting myself now.”  Velvet patted a pouch attached to her belt.  “And yesterday I looked through the book.  There’s more I can do, though I’d like another go at the stun one.  Blowing someone up’s a bit drastic.”

Lord nodded.  “I’m sure you’ll figure out what went wrong in time.  Hello, look who we have here.”

Velvet looked, to see two figures slogging through the snow in the opposite direction.  One she recognised as the militia captain, or whatever rank he was, from outside Rumpolds’ house the other day.  The man was dressed in the same outfit as previously, though his cloak was larger and warmer this time.  His companion was a large man, burly was the word that sprung to mind, with a face dominated by a large, square stubble covered chin.  The second man was covered with a long brown coat. 

[Saint]

Another brilliant [part of a] chapter here, China!

Although I do have to say, for small updates, they certainly seem to be taking their time.

[Chinaren]

Thanks Saint. 

I write this on my laptop only, and as I don't use that very much, the progress is limited.  I'd written quite a lot of Lord before I started posting it on Tome, so I've been catching up all this while.  Now though, I'm getting close to where I actually am on the story, so when I  do catch up posts will slow down quite a lot probably. 

Sorry! 

[Chinaren]

Lord stopped his horse and waited for the two to get near before bowing very slightly in his saddle and greeting them.

“Inspector,” he called down in a jovial tone.  “How pleasant to see you again.  You are well I hope?  What about this shocking weather?”

The man he’d spoken to returned his greeting with a stony look.  “How fortunate, we were just coming to have a chat with your little band.”

“Really?” asked Lord.  “I have no idea what you could want from us, we’ve abided by all the local regulations as far as I know.”

“Don’t play innocent with me... What is your name anyway?”

“I have many names,” Lord replied, truthfully.  “However, you may call me Lazarus.”

“Mmm.  Well, Lazarus, if you could just dismount, I’d like to put some questions to you, and I’m getting a crick in my neck.”

“Anything to help officer,” Lord said, smoothly climbing off his horse. 

The Inspector looked up at the warrior as he stood nearby them.  Velvet thought it probably wouldn’t make much difference whether he was mounted or otherwise, the militia man still had to look up.

“Where were you several days ago?” Sharp asked.

“I can’t remember exactly,” Lord answered.  “Could you be a little more precise?”

“No, just answer the question.”

“Well, two days ago.  Let me see.”  Lord rubbed at his chin and thought.  “Yes, that was it.  I was out sightseeing,” he eventually answered.  “I took in the sights of the old Castle on the Hill, a fascinating place.  Do you know that the first foundations were laid…”

“I don’t care about the castle!” interrupted Sharp in an annoyed tone.  “We found the bodies of a number of… fighters two days ago.  They’d been killed by a long sword, with the exception of one whose back was broken.”

Lord shook his head slowly and made a ‘tutting’ noise.  “Shocking Inspector, but how is this anything to do with us?”

“The men involved are associated with an unsavory character.  In short, they are assassins, or so we believe.  However, never before have we found a body of one of them, let alone ten.”

“We think they’re Puzzles’ men,” piped up the Inspectors’ companion, speaking for the first time.

Sharp gave the man a cold look, and his friend shut up.     

“I’m sure I don’t know who Puzzle is,” said Lord.

“Listen you,” Inspector Sharp stepped forward and stuck a finger into Lords’ chest.  “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I know you’re trouble, I can sense it.  And my senses are also telling me you’re involved in this somehow.  The dead men match the description of those reported at the wizards’ place, where you were the other day.”

“I told you…”

“Quiet, I’ve not finished,” Sharp interrupted Lords’ explanation.  “We also found some white leather at the scene, and a trail of blood leading away.”

“Well, as you can see Inspector, I’m hale and hearty.  Would you like to check?”  Lord made as if to undo his robes.

“No.  That won’t be required,” Sharp scowled.  “No doubt you’ve some kind of healing magic.”  He paused and looked at them all for a moment, lingering slightly as he looked at Velvet before returning his glare to the large warrior. 

“I don’t care for you warrior types wandering about my city,” he said.  “You should be out there,” he gestured in a direction at random, “in the wild lands, fighting, robbing, doing whatever you do.  Not wandering around sightseeing.  I’m onto you lot.  Mark my words, we’ll meet again.”

With that he looked at his colleague and gestured.  “Come on Wilson.” 

The group watched as the two men turned and, with no word of a farewell, ploughed their way through the snow, heading off at an angle. 

Lord climbed back onto his horse.  “That was fun,” he said, and spurred his mount forward.

Velvet looked at Nurn, who shrugged and grinned.  “I think the boss has warmed to the Inspector,” he said.  “He’s usually not so chatty.”

“Chatty?”  Velvet exclaimed, as she got underway again.  “Chatty?” she repeated to herself, shaking her head.

The roads in the wizards’ quarter were clear of snow, removed by the magics of the guild again, so it didn’t take them long to get to Rumpolds’ house.  They tied the horses and plodded up to the front door, which swung open before they reached it, to reveal the mage looking a lot cleaner and happier than the last time they’d met.

“Come in, come in!” beamed the wizard, standing to one side to allow them to enter his little house.

“I assume from your demeanor that you have good news?” Lord said, when they were all in the living room.

“Indeed, indeed,” Rumpold replied.  “I had a lucky break yesterday, and now have a location for you.”

“How so?” Nurn asked.  “You said the person was hidden from you.

“My prowess with detection spells is fairly high,” the mage said modestly.  “I cast a little known spell that pierced the warding.”

“So where is he then?” Velvet asked.

“The thief is down by the docks, in the Redbrick district.”

Lord looked at Velvet.  “Do you know where that is?”

Velvet nodded.  “Yes, I’ve collected some imports from near there from time to time.  Redbrick’s a really rough area though.”

“I’m sure we’ll be okay,” Lord said.  “How long will it take to get there?”

“Only about an hour or so,” she said, performing calculations in her head.

“Good.”  The big man turned back to the wizard.  “Can you provide more details?”

Rumpold produced a piece of parchment.  “I can do better,” he said.  “Here’s a map I’ve created.  The location of the thief is marked on it.  Should they move, the map will update itself, though so far he’s remained stationary.”

Lord passed the parchment to Velvet.  “Very well, let’s not waste any more time.  We’ll be back soon wizard.”

“Shouldn’t I come too?” asked Rumpold. 

“Not this time.  Rest and recover your magic.  We may need it later on.”

“Very well,” the mage said.  “Good luck.”

“I believe you make your own luck,” Lord replied.  He turned and strode towards the door.  “Come on you two, we’ve a thief to find.”


~


“It will be best if we left our horses around here,” Velvet said, pulling up. 

“Why?” asked Nurn.

“Well, we’ll probably have to leave them outside if we go into a building,” she replied.  “And horses tend to disappear very quickly down in Redbrick.”

“Stolen?” Lord frowned.

“Taken,” Velvet stated.  “Further to that, I don’t care to know.  It’s generally considered prudent not to ask.  The area is populated by some strange… well, people, if we’re being polite.  You should keep your swords ready,” she said to Lord.

The warrior unconsciously touched the blade at his hip.  “They always are,” he said.

“There’s an inn.”  Nurn pointed across the road. 

The three led their horses towards the establishment, which was named ‘The Green Fish’, for reasons not readily apparent.

Velvet did the haggling with the stable boy, who was a short fat youth with buck teeth and an unfortunate squint, whilst Nurn looked on with interest and Lord stood by the door staring outside.

After some hard bargaining they settled on an acceptable fee.  She was sure that Lord could have afforded the price the lad had first asked for, but loyalty to her new boss, and simple pride, prevented her from accepting it.  Besides, haggling was expected, and she rather enjoyed it.

“All done,” she proclaimed, and they resumed their journey on foot.

“Do you have some of your potions ready?” Lord asked, after ten uneventful minutes. 

She patted her pouch.  “I’ve a ready supply here.  Why?  Are we expecting trouble?”

“Just being cautious,” the warrior answered.

“Just be careful where you throw those things,” Nurn added.  “I don’t want to end up like our rodent friends.”

He said it jovially, but Velvet nodded.  For the first time it struck her that she had the power to take a life with the flick of a wrist, and it was a sobering thought. Maybe there was a reason magic was restricted.

“Down here,” she pointed, breaking out of her thoughts.

“I can see why they call it Redbrick,” Nurn said, his head swiveling this way and that as they entered the new district.

Indeed, the name was a reflection of the buildings that loomed up on all sides, towering above them and reducing the light levels. 

Originally built around the old shipyards, the large warehouses were mostly abandoned after the new docks were constructed during the Marsh wars, several hundred years ago.  Now the red stone blocks that they were constructed of were faded and grime covered.  The windows that remained unbroken displayed nothing through unwashed surfaces.  The gaping holes of most of them were worse, revealing inky blackness inside. 

Velvet shivered slightly, and her hand closed over her potion bag.  The narrow lane they were walking down was deserted, and debris was scattered about, covered in snow drifts, making the footing treacherous.  The white covering was unbroken by footsteps, which was probably a good sign. 

An ancient door creaked, blown by the wind, and she shivered.

Wind?

“I don’t like this,” Lord said.  His hand was resting on the sword at his hip.  “We’re being watched.”

“I know,” Nurn said, looking straight ahead.  “High up on the right and in that building we just passed.”

“Second floor ahead too,” Lord added.  He looked at Velvet.  “Who lives here?”

Velvet, who had tried to spot what her two friends had seen without success, shook her head.  “No one you’d want to meet in polite company.  At best they’re outlaws and down and outs.  At worse, well, there’s stories of Gazoon packs.”

“Gazoon?” Nurn frowned.

“Half human, half reptile creatures,” Velvet said.  “They’re not great of stature physically, not much taller than you Nurn actually, but they’re cunning and viscous.  They like the taste of human flesh too, and have been known to hunt in packs when the chance presents itself.  Sometimes the city council sends a squad or two of soldiers in, to cull their numbers.  They do, but they always lose some of the troops in the process, and some of the Gazoon always survive.”

“Delightful,” the Grey replied, glancing about nervously.  “Hey, why don’t you get your map out and see how far this thief is?”

“Good idea.”  Velvet dug around and extracted the map the wizard had given them, stopping as she studied it anew.  “Well, he hasn’t moved anyway.”  She looked up at the buildings, trying to spot a street sign.  “We need to get onto Rope Lane.”

“Why hasn’t he moved?”  Lord frowned.  “I don’t like this, there’s something not right about it.”

[Saint]

Another good one.

Two things though:

Velvet exclaimed, as she got underway again.  “Chatty?” she repeated to herself, shaking her head.”

and...


After some hard bargaining they settled on an acceptable fee.  She was sure that Lord could have afforded the price the lad had first asked for, but loyalty to her new boss, and simple pride, prevented her from accepting it.  Besides, haggling was expected, and she rather enjoyed it.
15.Oct.08
“All done,” she proclaimed, and they resumed their journey on foot.

15th Oct? Have you been hiding this one from Tome's eyes?

[Chinaren]

Well spotted Saint.

Yes, 15.Oct.  I told you, I write this on my laptop, but I don't use my laptop an awful lot.  Mainly when I go out (most of LoA has been written in various MacDonalds).  As most Macs here don't have wireless, I don't get much chance to post it!  There's about another chapter I've written still to post.   

Mind you, I usually remove the dates when posting.  Missed that one.  I realized when I posted this part, I've been writing Lord of All for a year now!  (On and off).

[Saint]

I'd never ven take my laptop out into my front garden. That's how bad it is in England. You can't carry over £20 in your pocket without fear of being mugged!

[Chinaren]

“A trap?” Nurn asked.

The warrior shrugged.  “Impossible to tell.  If it is, there’s no way to avoid it.”   

“Wonderful.”  Nurn rolled his eyes.  “Any luck?”

With her finger on one spot on the map, Velvet looked at him.  “I think this is where we are now.”

The Grey peered at the parchment.  “So, we need to go ahead and take the second left then.  Easy.”

“Easy,” Velvet repeated doubtfully.  She rolled the map up and they set off again, jumping at every little noise.  Light flakes of snow began to drift down, making the scene seem even more dead and colorless.

“What was that?” Nurn started, making Velvet flinch in turn. 

“I didn’t hear anything,” she said, stepping closer to Lord.

“Ahead, slightly to the right.”  The Greys’ ears twitched as he strained to pick up any sound.  “At least two bipeds.”

Lord nodded.  “Stay behind me, and keep alert,” he said. 

“As you say boss,” Nurn replied, doing as instructed.  Velvet fell in behind him as they followed Lord through the snow, which crunched underfoot as they moved down the middle of the deserted road.

“I can…” Nurn began, but was interrupted as three shapes burst out from a doorway ahead of them, screeching loudly.

The creatures were green skinned, with flat-topped, bullet shaped heads and evil red eyes.  They looked like some sort of mutated, malevolent frog.  Frogs though, didn’t have wicked looking claws, stand on two legs or wear dirty rags.  Nor did they leap out in ambush, needle-sharp fangs bared.

There was a flash of silver, and red splattered the ground, the contrast startling against the white of the snow.

Something rolled to a stop in front of her, and Velvet found herself staring at the head of one of the creatures, neatly detached from the rest of the body.  The beady eyes glared upwards, as if it was her fault it found itself like this, and then… blinked once, before the life finally faded and the stare dulled.

She turned and vomited onto the floor, further disturbing the pristine fall of snow. 

By the time she’d finished gagging, it was all over.  Three green bodies lay in a spreading circle of crimson, and Lord was replacing his sword, looking around calmly, as if he did this all the time.

Maybe he did, Velvet thought, reassuring a worried looking Nurn, who was hovering by her side.

“Are you sure you can do this?” Lord asked her, once she’d finished spitting.  “We can return to the hotel, and Nurn I and can come back tomorrow.”

She shook her head.  “No, no.  It’s alright.  I’ll be alright.”

He nodded.  “Very well.  Let’s continue.  I think I see our turning ahead.  You should get the map out again.”

Velvet did so, and they moved off slowly, picking their way around the Gazoon bodies.  Velvet made every attempt not to look at them, concentrating on her map.

The turning was indeed Rope Lane, and it was only a few more minutes before they stood, as far as she could tell, outside the building housing their thief.

“In here,” she said. 

They looked up at the tall warehouse.  The large wooden double doors were closed, and there was no window at ground level.  A faded sign proclaimed it to be ‘Smith and Sons, Hemp merchants for over two centuries.’

“I think I’ve heard of this company,” Velvet said.  “They make ropes.”

“Well, it is Rope Lane,” Nurn pointed out. 

“Must be an old outlet of theirs,” Velvet mused. 

“Let’s see if anyone is home,” Lord said.  He stepped forward and pulled at the handle. 

It resisted for a moment, but after a renewed effort from the warrior, gave way with a loud screech of metal, which made Velvet wince and look around. 

“Come on, it’s all clear,” Lord said.  He’d pulled his head back from the dark opening and slid through far more nimbly than someone of his size should be able to.

“Ladies first,” said Nurn, smiling and half bowing at Velvet. 

“Now you’re a gentlemen,” she scowled, but her tone was light.  “Very well, you stay here with the Gazoon.”  Having had the last word, she slipped into the space her employer had disappeared into, and blinked, trying to get accustomed to the gloom.

The interior was in a state of disrepair and neglect.  Coils of moldy rope were stacked at random intervals around a large, bare brick room, and she wondered why they hadn’t been taken when the firm had moved out. 

Across the room, Lord was examining a dirty wooden table.  She weaved between the ropes and joined him.  Behind her, Nurn entered and stood by the doorway.

“Someone’s been here recently,” the man said, pointing at marks in the dust of the tables’ surface.  “Marks on the floor too.  Footprints, at least several pairs.”

Looking down, Velvet saw he was right.  Tracks crisscrossed the floor.  She followed one pair to a set of rickety wooden steps set against the far wall. 

“Over there,” she pointed. 

 “Come on.”  Lord moved stealthily over, drawing his sword with a scrape of metal as he did so.  Nurn and Velvet were pulled along in his wake.  Velvet found herself breathing short, gasping pants, and made a conscious effort to calm down.  Her hand went to the bag with her potions, and she loosened the top.

Lord paused at the bottom of the stairs, cocking his head to the side as he listened for sounds of movement.  Evidently hearing nothing, he placed a foot on the first step, which creaked, and slowly climbed up.  Dust filtered down and Velvet took a step back to avoid being covered. 

Looking up after him, they watched as he peered over the hatchway that had been cut into the floor above.  After a moment he sheathed his sword and motioned back at them. 

“I think we’ve found him,” he said, climbing up the rest of the way and disappearing from view.

Velvet looked at Nurn, who shrugged, and they followed their master up, emerging into another dusty, neglected, bare room.

Not quite bare.  A crude sleeping area had been set up in one corner, the blankets thrown aside carelessly.  Next to the makeshift bed was a small portable table with a metal tankard in the middle.  The remains of a half-eaten sandwich next to that.

The owner was still present, but hardly in any condition to speak.  He was dressed in simple black robes, and lying on his back in the middle of the floor.  Long dark hair framed a narrow, cruel looking face with a hooked nose. His thin-lipped mouth was wide open, no doubt in protest at the cruel cut to his throat, which had cut so deeply it had almost separated the head from the torso. 

Velvet heaved a sigh, and stilled a lurch in her stomach.  It seemed part of her new job description should have included dealing with gruesomely killed dead bodies.

Moving to stand over the man, Nurn and Lord considered the find.  Nurn nudged the corpse with his foot. 

“Long dead,” he said needlessly. 

“Is this our thief?” asked Velvet. 

“Well, I wouldn’t bet against it,” the Grey replied.  He bent down and examined the victim flipping the tunic back deftly and pulling something out of an inside pocket.

“What is it?” Velvet asked.  She had remained at a distance.

“A case.”  Nurn opened it.  “Looks like lock-picks and other nicnaks.  Expensive ones too.”  He tucked the small box into his pouch. 

“Nurn!  Are you stealing from the dead?” Velvet gasped.

“What?  It’s not as if he’s going to use them again is it?  Waste not want not I always say.”

Velvet shook her head and turned away.  As she did so her foot kicked something metallic on the floor.  “Hello, what do we have here?” she asked, bending down to examine the item. 

It was a slim sliver dagger, no longer than her hand.  Several clear stones were set into the handle, and she twisted it this way and that, admiring the effect. 

“Found something else?” Nurn asked, walking over and peering at the knife.

“This one’s mine,” she replied.

“Now who’s looting?”

“May I see?” asked Lord.  Velvet handed it over and he examined it for a few moment, before returning it.  “This wasn’t the thief’s,” he said.

“How do you know?”  Velvet frowned at it.

“This man was a professional,” her employer gestured at the body.  “No one like that’s going to carry such a fancy blade.  This is a woman’s weapon.”

“Or perhaps a very effeminate man’s,” Nurn added helpfully. 

“Is it a clue then?” Velvet slipped it into her belt, making sure it was secure.

“Either a clue, or something planted to throw us off track,” Lord replied.  “Still, from the footprints in the dust, I’d say the killer was a woman.  Either that or a child, or one of the smaller races.  Maybe an elf.”

“You wouldn’t catch any self-respecting elf within a thousand leagues of this city,” Velvet said, pulling a face. 

“Let’s see if we can find anything else,” Lord said.

They looked around, getting dust all over them in the process, but apart from a small pouch of coins, and a set of unadorned black throwing knives, there was nothing else that could help them with the identity of the mysterious assassin.  Of course, they didn’t find the Eye either.


“It’s getting dark,” Velvet said at last.  “We should get out of here.”

“Very well.”  Lord considered the room once more, before returning to the top of the stairs.  “Back to the hotel then.”

Nurn, who was looking out of the rooms sole window, spoke up.  “Boss?  I think we have a problem.”

“What is it?” Velvet asked, as she and Lord joined him at the window.  “I can’t see anything.” She squinted into the gloom of early evening, trying to see through the swirling flakes of snow as they floated down.

“There,” Lord pointed.  “And there and there.”

“Over there too,” Nurn added his finger.

Velvet frowned and she tried to make out what her friends had seen and a movement caught her eye.  A Gazoon!  He was crouched down behind a smashed barrel.   

Once she knew what she was looking for, everything sprang into focus.  “Oh no,” she gasped.

The lone barrel croucher wasn’t alone.  Far from it in fact.  Below them swarmed a small army of the savage reptile creatures.  They were all slowly converging on the entrance to the building. 

“We can’t fight all them off,” Nurn said.  “There must be a hundred of them.”

Lord looked around the sparse room, and then upwards.  “I think we need to take another way out,” he said.