Book 2: Chapter 23
Garrett sat in the soft glow of the Dreamers Throne, his hands clenching the arm rest as his mind strained to manage all of the pieces of his plan. This was the first time he had taken such direct control of so many variables, and he was starting to feel the extreme strain of it. The fight against Katrin had come close to draining him completely which is why he had backed Viper out. She was too skilled to overcome directly, even with the help of the flower ghouls, so Garrett had changed tactics mid-fight to apply more mental pressure to her. Feeling a tug on his mind, he took a breath and dove back in, his mind splitting up as he sank deep into the earth.
The rumbling cages had already been dragged under the city wall and were quickly approaching the exit that led out into the swamp, so Garrett commanded the flower ghouls who pulled them to slow down, eventually dropping the chains and retreating into the surrounding earth to hide. After a brief flurry of digging, only the gleaming petals of the ghouls heads were sticking out of the earth, and a young man in a red mask walked out of the shadows.
Vale, the converted member of the Howler gang, carried five blooms above his head that made him fiercely loyal to Garrett, but they didnt allow for Garrett to control him directly, so all he could do was issue directions while watching closely.
Open the door to the middle cage.
Striding over to the middle cage, Vale undid the seal and threw the door open, stepping out of the way in case anyone inside decided to get frisky. None of them had any idea about what had happened in the other carts, but when the five assassins stepped out of the cage, they did so cautiously. Seeing only a single crimson masked person standing in front of them, Patolovs eyes narrowed and he glanced at the other two carts.
Where is everyone else? he asked, his voice harsh.
Theyve preceded you, Vale said.
What do you mean?
In the cart, Ryn was still tied up, lying with her back to the door and her hands bound tightly behind her. A soft voice that she recognized immediately spoke in her mind, causing her eyes to light up as she realized that the time had come.
Get ready.
Able to watch through Observe the Dream, Garrett watched as Ryn shifted slightly, trying not to attract any attention as she focused her mind, causing a small music box to appear in front of her. She had been testing the box for a while, and was just starting to figure out how it worked and now she activated it, causing the faint music to start playing. Almost immediately, the assassins all tensed, unsure where the music was coming from, and Vale moved back, causing them to draw their weapons. The music swelled and Ryn flexed her wrists and ankles.
The movement was tiny, but for Patolov, who was on edge, it was clear as day and he spun around, his eyes fixing on Ryn. While it was his job to bring her back alive, his senses were screaming bloody murder, and he lunged toward her, his short sword stabbing down toward her back, intending to cut straight through her spine.
Now!
Without a moment to spare, Ryn twisted her waist and pressed with her arms, seeming to bounce straight up in the air in an explosive motion. At the same time, the ropes snapped, freeing her arms and legs as she grabbed the top of the doorway and swung herself out of the cage, getting on top of it in one smooth motion. A premonition slammed into her and she turned and cartwheeled, barely dodging a blade that stabbed up through the wood under her. Patolov, single minded in his focus, had entered the cage and stabbed straight through the ceiling, thinking that Ryn would be lying on top, gathering herself.
Accompanied by swelling strings, Ryn danced away, her body moving with an uncommon grace as Patolov tried to cut her feet open. Down below, the other assassins had turned toward Ryn, but before they could move to assist, they found themselves under siege. Out of the tunnel, the awakened from the Klein Family charged toward them, weapons drawn. Helger and Abbius stood at the back, armed with a short bow and crossbow respectively, sending bolts and arrows at the assassins as Pax and Maximus led the charge.
It was rough going, but Garrett didnt care one bit as they tromped through the swamp as quietly and carefully as possible. Soon, the trees grew close, and Garrett spotted the shack where they were supposed to meet up. Its windows gaped like empty eyes and the leafless trees cast long, fingers of shadow over the derelict structure. Taking a moment to appreciate how well the scene fit the horror theme that had dominated his life recently, Garrett laughed and continued toward the small house. Stretched out in front of the building was a long dock that was half collapsed in the water, its rotting boards providing plenty of cover for the small creatures that hid under its shadow.
Testing the door, Garrett found it unlocked so he opened it up and looked around the dusty space. It was a single room, with a kitchen and a broken down bunk bed whose straw mattress had long since been raided by the rats and other vermin who were nesting in the walls and under the broken floor. Garrett could hear them scurrying about with every step he took, and occasionally caught a flash of movement from the corner of his eyes. The moon was high in the sky, its thin crescent casting light through the hazy fog that hung over the swamp, and thin beams of silver caught the stirring dust kicked up when Garrett entered.
Who built this place? he asked, looking back at Vale who was standing on the porch watching the swamp.
Im not sure, boss.
Its a bit of a shame its fallen into disrepair, but we dont want to fix it up too much, or well attract the attention of the adventurers guild. The saving grace is that were far enough from the city that I dont think well have many people out this direction. Is that dock even going to allow us to land goods? Huh, this place needs more work than I thought.
Yes, boss.
Rolling his eyes at the uninspiring replies, Garrett shook his head and lapsed into silence. For the next hour they waited quietly, each occupied with his own thoughts. Garrett could have discovered what was in his subordinates mind without effort, but he found it tiring to keep up a two sided conversation by himself, so he just let the taciturn young man alone. As the moon rose to its highest point, a small boat appeared in the distance, quickly closing in on the broken dock. The wide sail skillfully captured the wind and carried the boat to a rest next to the shore. Jumping out before the boat had come to land, a hardy looking man pulled it up and tied it off, holding it in place as the others got off the boat. There were two thin, sharp looking men, one with a large mustache, and the other with a big beard, who walked toward Garrett confidently, trailed by a hulking brute of a man who glared at Garrett and Vale from under a heavy brow.
Are you Viper?
Standing up from the crate he had been sitting on, Garrett nodded.
I am. You must be Dodgson and Veroni. Youll have to forgive me, I dont know which facial hair goes with who.
Laughing loudly, the mustached man held out his hand for a handshake.
Im Dodgson. This ugly git is Veroni. Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Though, I have to inform you, weve already been warned about you. Carraway told us wed have to be on our top game with you or youd clean us out.
Shaking hands with Veroni, Garrett shrugged.
Carraway is too kind. Weve worked together a bit, and hell be the one making all the real money from selling your goods in the city. Im just the one who gets things from here to there. Id invite you inside, but its even worse than out here.
Thats okay, Veroni said, combing out his beard with his hand. We dont care what the conditions are like as long as it leads to profit.
