" Into the Pool of Darkness"
by James Page

Part ][
In Hiding

As soon as I got home, I rushed up the stairs to my apartment, and picked out of the back of my wardrobe my old business suit- leatherhide vest, boots, black hooded cloak, gloves and a specially designed, soundless bodysuit. I had been planning on retiring after my last job, but the chance to hang up my lock picks had now gone, as the deal on the Horn hadn't been finalised, and Basso was now in no position to bargain with potential buyers. I checked my stores, and found my old bow and arrows- still enough water and broadhead arrows to last me another job or so. I also had one or two flashbombs, but I wouldn't need any of that for where I was going tonight. It had to be tonight, otherwise Basso would have left, that is, if here even got to the hideout. I lay out the suit, and settled down to wait out the sun.

By about eight in the evening the shadows were lengthening, and by a quarter past, I was ready to leave. I left by the front door, and melted into the shadows on either side of the street. I continued on for several minutes, noting with pleasure how people slipped by me without a second glance. I carried on in this manner for a few minutes more, and then slid into a side alley with a stack or crates piled at the end. I approached the crates, and, checking their stability, began to climb softly , so as not to alert any roosting birds or cats around me. I reached the top of the pile, and vaulted myself up on to the rooftop above. As I pulled myself upwards, my perspective of the city changed immediately. From up here, even on this small warehouse building, the whole of the city spread out before me, silhouetted against the glowing red sun. Far in the distance, the towers of a Mechanist cathedral rose, and the spires of nobleman's houses reached up into the air from the wealthy districts of Dayport. From my height, I could also see the docklands, where several merchant ships were docked and offloading their cargoes. A light breeze sprang up and cooled the exposed skin on my face. I took in the sight for a second more, and then began to move.

I travelled quickly, leaping occasionally across gaps over alleys and small streets. Nobody saw me, at least from below, but I noticed several others like me on the rooftops, the Thieves' Highway. It amazed me that the Bluecoats never thought to patrol the rooftops, where they would catch far more thieves than down below me. True- there were some guards in spires and castle tops in the wealthy districts, but over here in the working environments the rooftops were free and unwatched by lawful eyes.

After about a half hour of travelling, I came to my destination. I had reached another gap over a dingy alley, lit by a single lamppost at its end. I looked down, and jumped off the edge, catching the lamppost's ageing green pole and using it to slide slowly down to my feet at the floor of the alley. I quickly ducked back into the darkness, out of the circle of bright light below the lamppost. I was about to continue, when I heard a voice at the other end of the alley, which connected to the street.

"Hey! Stop taffin' around!"

I froze in my pool of darkness, and looked towards the sound's origin. It came from a man standing outlined against the entrance to the street, and he began to advance towards me. I thought for a second that I had been noticed, and was about to ready my short sword, when I realised that I had been spotted by a drunk middle-class businessman, just out from the Grieving Burrick Inn. As he advanced, I heard him cursing under his breath, and saw him trip over his feet a few times. I retreated back into my pool of darkness, flattening against the wall to avoid a second detection. The drunk man approached, seemed to forget about what he had seen a few moments ago, and paused to stand there. I was confused - what was he doing? Then I realised, and moved out of the way to avoid the trickling sound that emanated from the drunk. I curled my nose in distaste, and stayed low. When the man was finished, he stood for a moment more, belched loudly, and fell over. I got up from my hiding place, and dragged the unconscious drunk over to the alley's end, and left him in a dark patch to sleep. I also thought I'd do him a favour, and lightened his purse for him, tucking m keep into a tiny sack at my belt. Satisfied with my actions, I returned to the end of the alley to search.

I was looking for a small panel on one side of the alley wall, and soon found it, pushing it in one corner to cause the wall to open just wide enough for me to squeeze through. Once inside, I looked around, and saw very little, as the lights had not been put on. My heart sank slowly down into my chest- there could be nobody here. I searched the room for any clues of recent habitation, but found none. I was about to leave, when I heard the tiniest of sounds, coming from a source below me. I couldn't understand this- there was nothing below this old house. I had been here several times before, but hadn't been aware of a cellar. I ducked down and put my head to the floor, trying to pick up anything more. I strained to hear, but I couldn't hear anything. I tried rapping on the wooden floor with my fist, but still nothing. Finally, I tried whispering my own words. I decided to use an old guild password, in the hope that if Basso was here and alive, he would recognise my voice and let me in.

"There are those to whom knowledge is a shield..." I was interrupted by a voice below me.

" And those to whom it is a weapon! Yorrick!" Behind me, an opening into the floor emerged, and the head of Basso appeared to greet me.

"Basso- you escaped! Let me down there, I must speak to you!"

"Likewise, Yorrick- just come down through here." I moved over to the trapdoor, and slid through, into a torch lit room below. Basso was there, holding a lamp. He set it down on a wooden table, and led me into the next tiny room beyond. This room was also lit by a single lamp hanging from the ceiling, bathing the room in a rich orange light. Basso motioned to a blanketed shape in the corner or the room, lying beside a basin of reddened water.

"That's Jevik. Stay and speak to him for a while- I have to go and attend to a certain matter- I will return shortly."

With that, Basso left via the trapdoor, and I approached the wrapped up form of Jevik, lying on the floor. He appeared to be sleeping, so I shook him gently to wake him. The big man opened his eyes slowly, and as he recognised my face he sat back against the wall.

"Yorrick- I am glad to see you here, my friend. " He coughed heavily then, and I noted uneasily that his lungs were full of fluid as he exhaled in shallow breaths, his chest rattling with the effort.

"Jevik- stay quiet. Just lie back- I'll stay here"

He seemed more than happy to, and soon he dozed off again. I was worried. How could this happen to a man as skilled as Jevik? Indeed, what had happened? He was suffering from injuries, not illness, and I remembered David's words from earlier. I think Jevik must have been attacked by the same group of men as took Basso. I felt a sudden rush of anger, furious at how this could be done to a man like Jevik. He had always been strong, and I felt I could rely on him when things seemed bad. He had already saved my own life once, several months back, when I raided the Bonehoard for the Mystic's Breath. It made me feel both angry and for some reason humiliated to see him now, sleeping and defeated, being tended by Basso and myself. I swore again that the people responsible would be made to pay more dearly than they could imagine.

About five minutes later, Basso returned. He slipped through the trapdoor, but he was not as he had been not long ago. He was visibly concerned, even panic-stricken. His face conveyed a look of both sadness and worry- and I questioned him at to the cause of his concern.

"It's Jennivere, Yorrick. She's not there!"

"Not where?"

"At the arranged place! We have a special place to go if we are separated and need to find each other. And Jenni wasn't there. There wasn't even a note or a letter to let me know...".

"Where could she have gone, Basso? Was she taken by the men who tried to take you?"

"Yes, yes, possible- but first I must tell you about what happened earlier. Before and after the fire."

I listened hard, anxious to try and pick out any leads or clues as to the identities of the people who had injured Jevik and possibly taken Jennivere. Basso sat down on the table next to his lamp, folded his arms, and began.

"Sometime this morning, at around five or four-o-clock, three men came to see me. They didn't look suspicious, and their appearance was unremarkable, just like many of the people who come to see me. I was talking with them for a few minutes, and then I turned to get a book from my bookcase to show to one of them. I forget what it was he wanted to see, but as soon as I had my back turned I was hit hard on the head from behind. I remember nothing after that, until I came to, gagged and bound at the hands, being half dragged half lead through the city streets. I was still groggy- I think they must have drugged me as I lay unconscious in my study. I remember the men were pretending that I was a drunk friend of theirs, and my face was hooded so passers-by couldn't see my gagged and desperate face. I wanted to call out, but the gag was too strong and my hands were bound at my sides with ropes so thin they dug at my wrists. I was then taken down a side alley, where I was deposited while the men talked amongst themselves. I wasn't able to hear them, as the drugs were still in effect."

Basso stopped, caught his breath, and continued slowly.

"It was then that I was rescued. Jevik, who had been following us since we left the building, jumped from the rooftops and killed one of my captors. As I lay helpless Jevik fought the two others, and he sustained many wounds and injuries from their swords. However, he persevered, and killed one other before the last fled like a coward, realising that he could not beat Jevik. Anyway, Jevik used the last of his strength to unbind me, and then gave out, and I took him back here to recuperate. He has been sleeping fitfully since then. I worry Yorrick- he is very badly hurt. He took a lot of hits when he was fighting those three off. But I also worry even more so for Jennivere. I don't know what could have happened to her if those men took her! Jevik told me in one of his periods of waking that he didn't see her leave with those who started the fire. Yorrick, I have to find her!"

"I know Basso. And I have to find those responsible for this. My Guild, maybe my friends, my livelihood has been taken in one day by somebody, and all I can think now is that they will pay for their actions. Rest assured, I won't give in till they have been punished."

I was surprised at my own words. I shouldn't have been - there was a raging turmoil of emotions inside my head, mainly consisting of anxiety, fury, fear and hate. I was still finding it hard to believe what had befallen Basso, Jevik and the Guild, in just one day. One day! And why? The question burned like a white hot brand in my mind. Why? The question stayed with me until I slept that night, alongside Basso and Jevik in the cellar of the makeshift hideout.

Part I / Part III

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