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Delayed Meetings
Galthur rushed up to Shadow and Zana Taru as they returned
from Zana's mission to get the golden Aisha. "Oh good, the girl's okay," he
said sighing with relief.
"So you too could hear the explosions of magic?"
"Yeah, I think anyone in a four mile radius
could hear that. Kaytaloth and her creatures sent to make sure you didn't interfere
all think she's dead!"
"I'm surprised she isn't," Shadow said, and
he pointed a paw right into his chest. "She got hit right here on her front,
and you know that Wocky attacks with death magic."
"She was hit in the chest with death magic and
lived!" He seemed a little delirious at the thought. "Zana, however it is that
you got out alive doesn't matter. You are the luckiest creature I know."
Zana grinned, but Shadow grabbed her paw and
started to drag her forward. "If the explosion was so loud than we had best
get out of sight and back to the Thieves Corner before anyone comes to investigate."
"Right!" Galthur said and they broke out into
a jog, dragging Zana behind with them.
***
"I told you she could do it," Shadow said grinning with pleasure as Kaytaloth
stood mouth agape as she stared at the glittering golden Aisha.
"You really got this with no help and escaped
that wizard?" she finally said once she found her voice.
Zana nodded, "Yes, I did it all on my own."
"Now I see why Shadow finally decided to take
on an apprentice," she grumbled to herself. "Fine than, you are admitted to
the order of the thief as Shadow's apprentice."
Shadow grinned. "Nice going kid."
Kaytaloth started to walk away, but turned and
looked down at Zana Taru. "Oh yeah, and if Shadow ever gets boring for you,
I'll take you on, too." And she left.
Galthur snickered. "Heh, you just got probably
the best compliment you'll ever get from that woman Zana."
"That was a compliment?"
"Yeah," Shadow said sighing. "Normally she's
just yelling at everyone. It's her way. Anyway, kid?"
"Yeah?"
"If you are to be my apprentice, there is a
heck of a lot you have to learn, and your training starts now!"
***
I sighed a deep inward sigh as I slowly walked down the streets of High Reaches.
Kirin and Kalzar were off at some tavern getting a drink, but I wasn't even
up to that. When we got to High Reaches, one of the first things we learned
was that a purple Zafara Jown had decided to take in as his apprentice had escaped
his fortress.
At first, our hopes were escalated. We were
sure that with Zana Taru, for the description of that Zafara fit no one else,
out of Jown's grasp it would be easy to find her. However, I was wrong. We had
been searching for an entire fruitless week for any sign of her purple hide
with no bounty. We had finally lost our hope and gave up any chance of finding
her.
I guess that it was the fact that I was so down
at loosing her that I was not paying any attention to my surroundings. So of
course, I didn't see the Halloween Nimmo warlord Dsupa until he was upon me.
He looked just as surprised as I did at first,
but then within seconds, he collected himself. "It's that Zafara assassin! Don't
anyone let her escape!" And with that, he started a chase after me.
I led them away from Kalzar and Kirin who were
near enough that they were in danger. I probably could have lost the lot of
them almost at the beginning of the chase, but I didn't want to risk them barging
into the tavern housing Kirin and Kalzar, so I slowed myself down a few times
and allowed myself to be spotted so that they would not give up and lead a search.
I led them for a ways, when I finally judged
that I had gone far enough away from Kirin and Kalzar to escape and have them
be fine. I darted into the shadows, and twisted past tight corners, grinning
to myself as the perusing creatures voices started to dim out. I pulled out
into the open so that I could make my way back, when out of the sky Dsupa dive-bombed
me, stabbing downward with his sword.
I rolled to the side, the blade barely missing
me, and pulled myself to my feet just in time for Dsupa to attack again. I pulled
out my dagger and used it to propel his blade to the side and so miss running
right through my chest, but he pulled up again. No matter what skills we housed,
he still held the advantage. He could fly and I could not.
He dived down at me again, and I only evaded
his attack by a hairs length, and my return attack only hit air as he pulled
himself back into the sky.
From behind me the voices were getting louder
again. As long as Dsupa kept us his attack, which he very well could, the other
would be upon me in minutes and I would be all but doomed. I growled as I held
my dagger aloft. If I had to go down, I would make it such an end. I would never
allow myself to be at the will of Jown.
Dsupa folded his wings and prepared for another
dive at me when suddenly an awesome screech split the air. Dsupa hardly even
had a second to prepare when a large green form propelled itself into him, a
flurry of feathers and fur.
It was a green Eyrie, and a large one at that.
He had the air on one trained to fight about him, and he attacked Dsupa in a
bout of quick movements. Jump forward, strike, and hop backwards again. Dsupa
tried to catch onto the Eyrie's attacks, and as the Eyrie jumped forward, he
struck out with his blade. I thought that the blade would have found a mark
for sure, but at the last second, the Eyrie rolled to the side, and as he picked
himself up again, he lashed out at Dsupa, his claws ripping down the Nimmo's
side creating stripes of red that stood out even against his blood red scales.
Dsupa tried another wild attack at the Eyrie,
which he blocked easily pulling out a sword of his own. Dsupa took a single
look at that sword and the Eyrie that wielded it, and he took flight, for he
had lost all his advantages and was loosing.
Even though he easily could have taken Dsupa
down in his wounded state, the Eyrie turned and walked towards me, a small smile
upon his beak. "Zarrel Charmain, it's been much too long."
"It had Dorono. It really had," I said, and
I embraced him in a hug "I've missed you my friend."
"As have I you."
The voices of the creatures were louder than
ever now, and we turned to see a large group of them approach. Dorono growled
and steeped between them and me. "No Dorono," I said laying a paw upon his shoulder,
and stroking the soft velvety fur mingled in with the silky feathers. "None
of them can fly, so let's just get out of here. I couldn't stand to see you
wounded so soon after I find you again."
He nodded with a smile, as I got upon his back.
"Well than, hold on." And with a strong flap of his wings, we were aloft, and
we were able to move far above the creatures' heads before they even reached
us.
"Go in that direction towards a tavern called
The Golden Nights. Kirin and Kalzar are probably waiting for me."
"Kalzar? Who's that?"
"You'll see when we get there," I said smiling,
and he just nodded and spread wide his wings for a glide.
***
"Zarrel! Dorono!" Kirin exclaimed when we walked into the tavern, and practically
knocked several creatures over as he made his way up to us.
"Nice to see you too Kirin," Dorono said grinning.
"My gosh, you look different!" Kirin said pointing
at him. "You must have grown bigger, and I think you feathers lightened up in
their color. And what are those?" He pointed at the tree sky blue triangles
upon Dorono's face.
"My mother put them on me. They are mark as
to my rank. I am still a beginner in her arts."
"So this is Dorono," Kalzar said walking up
with a smug grin upon his face. "I've heard a lot about you."
Dorono grinned. "And I've heard nothing about
you. I'm guessing that you are the one called Kalzar, no?"
"That is correct."
"Okay then. Perhaps you could tell me how you
got mixed up with Zarrel and Kirin. Also, is there any news on Zana?"
I sighed. "None at all. We know that she escaped
from Jown, but after that, she just disappeared."
"Well, we can't give up yet. Kalzar can tell
me his part, and then I'll head out there with you and continue to look for
her."
I smiled at this. Dorono may look different
on the outside, but inside he was still kind-hearted, brave, and a dear friend.
***
Zana Taru had only been working as Shadow's apprentice for a little over a
week, yet she had learned a multitude of new information from him and Galthur.
Also, news of her not only getting the golden Aisha, but also escaping a mage
who was firing death blasts at her left and right earned her a really good reputation,
and the other thieves had accepted her.
She still hadn't told anyone about the dragon
pendent she had found, not even Shadow. It was tucked beneath her shirt where
no eyes could see it, and where she could make sure it was always with her.
Some reason, it seemed best to keep it a secret, and so she did.
Shadow was not currently there. He had some
pressing business that he was taking care of, though he assured Zana that he
was going to be right back. So Zana was left in the common room of the Thieves
Corner, and was sipping away at a fruity drink that had been given to her. Much
unlike the stronger brews some of the older creatures would guzzle down.
A lot of various creatures had gathered together
at a single table, discussing a hot topic between themselves, and as time went
by, more and more creatures were gathering around them, listening to their words,
and whispering amongst themselves. Soon, Zana's interest in the matter started
to grow, and she became curious as to what they had to say, so she slowly carried
herself over until she was at the table. Then, she listened into the spoken
words.
"I just can't believe it," a Pteri said shaking
his head.
"Can't believe what?" a blue Gelertess asked
rolling a dagger in her paw.
"Word is that Dsupa was attacked and almost
killed."
"That can't be true, who could get the best
of that brute?"
"It is true, I saw it happen," a Wocky chimed
in. "And it wasn't just by any bystander either. He was besieged by Zarrel Charmain
and the great Eyrie Dorono."
"Now I know you're making this up," the Gelertess
said again rolling her eyes. "I have reason even to doubt that assassin's existence,
and even if she and the Eyrie were real, why would they be up here."
"I don't know, but they were!" the Wocky growled.
"Maybe they're looking for something?" the Pteri
added in, and then Zana could take it no longer, she burst right into the middle
of the group, and stood directly in front of the Wocky
"You saw Zarrel Charmain and Dorono! Tell me
where, please!" Her eyes were pleading, but the Wocky shrugged it off.
"Why would you want to know? It's not as if
they were looking for one such as you."
"But they are," she said sternly, and many of
the eyes fell on her.
The Gelertess started to laugh. "Oh do be serious
kid! Now even if the Zarrel Charmain and Dorono, who are both practically legends
up here for all they've done did come. Why would they be after a kid such as
yourself?"
Zana Taru growled. "Because she is my mother!"
The whole common room fell silent and many of
the eyes stared as Zana, just now starting to pick up the little things here
and there that showed her lineage. Zana couldn't stand the silence.
"That is true. Zarrel Charmain is my mother,
and Kirin the assassin is my father. I was captured and brought here by Dsupa,
and she is here to find me!"
"So now this kid is trying to claim to be the
daughter of two of the most famous assassins known to us?" a Lupe said, walking
up to Zana. He was one of the three creatures that Shadow had knocked out cold
with his darts, and he was looking for revenge. "If she truly is what she is
pretending to be, then she doesn't need Shadow's help for protection."
At that, he pulled out a dagger and shot it
down at Zana Taru. She twisted to the side as it came down, and kneed the Lupe
right in the stomach, making him double over. He tried to slash at her again,
but his dagger came into contact with another, and a metallic ring echoed off
of the walls.
Shadow came up growling, the owner of the dagger.
And with all but a quick flick of his hand, he knocked the blade right from
the Lupe's paws and he held his dagger up to the Lupe's throat. "Give me just
one good reason why I should not kill you like I plan to do."
Zana however stepped up to Shadow. "Let him
go, I'm okay."
Shadow loosened his grasp slightly on the dagger,
but did not move it away. "Why should I. He would have killed you without a
second thought."
"He didn't and that is why. I'd rather not have
you have to live with more blood stained upon your paws, besides if you kill
him, more will find a reason to attack me, and you can't destroy them all."
"Good point kid," he said at last, sheathing
his dagger in a heartbeat. His gaze leveled onto the Lupe's. "Be glad that she
asked me to spare you. However, if it happens again, I won't let you off. Come
on Zana, time to work on your skills."
And Shadow then led her out of the Thieves Corner
and past all of the whispering of "And there goes an assassin's daughter."
To be continued...
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