The Thieves Guild
by Jake Care.
Episode 124:
Blood and Vermin.
Mailer and Dala knew the journey would be grueling even with their preparations.
The two had agreed that food was important, but not as important as
torches. Their previous experience taught them that there were at least rats that
lived under the mountain. Water was also important but, once
again, not as important as light.
They were uncertain if the blood of the rats could sustain them for long, nor
did they want that to happen. But all things being considered, only one
thing would certainly kill them:
darkness.
They had traveled for two days with Catrina and Prosper when they discovered just
how poor their planning had been.
"You can create light?"
Mailer tried to be calm as she confronted Prosper.
He'd just been off investigating a side tunnel and as he returned, an unlit
torch was in his left hand and a bright, glowing ball of light hovered above his right.
Prosper shrugged.
"I dropped the torch and it went out."
Dala had heard the conversation and walked over.
"Look at that cart. Half of it is made up of torches because we need light to survive
and you can just create it?"
At this point, Catrina had also wandered over.
"It's magic. There is much that I can do that you don't understand."
"Then why did you let us bring all these torches?
We could have added more food and water."
"It is magic. It should only be relied on for emergencies."
"And you don't think making your way through a mountain is an emergency?"
Dala stood next to Mailer, both of them united in their disbelief over
their prioritizing torches when Prosper could have solved that problem easily.
"It is a challenge, not an emergency.
Us running out of torches would be an emergency."
Catrina stood next to Prosper and the two couples faced each other,
tension thick in the air. The first two days had gone well.
Catrina and Prosper had taken their turns pulling the cart, and the
conversation, while minimal, was full of pleasant stories of their respective
youths. Mailer and Dala learned more about Catrina and Prosper's
early days, although Prosper would frown and withdraw at times, which
Mailer understood to be memories he had lost due to his magic.
More than anything, the two days of conversation had made her more sympathetic to the
price magic brought on those who used it.
"Losing whole parts of your life must be awful," she had whispered to
Dala just a few hours before.
"This will be a long journey. It took us many days, perhaps even a couple weeks to
make it through previously, and we were traveling on a paved road.
At some point, we will run out of food and we will survive on rats or even less appealing
vermin. We will also run out of water at some point and we will be drinking droplets of rat
blood."
Mailer threw up her hands.
"We had hoped to delay that as long as possible."
"And we could have."
Dala waved a finger at Prosper.
"We will gladly drink the blood of rats to avoid losing."
Catrina pointed to her heart, but did not say more.
Mailer remembered how Catrina relayed how magic worked when Prosper was
sleeping. Perhaps he didn't want them to know.
Perhaps it was a secret amongst the wizards.
Whatever the reason, Mailer suddenly understood Prosper's reticence to use
magic. He had just lost the memory of his early years with Catrina.
Who among those that have loved would risk losing more?
Mailer glanced at Dala, who has always looked fierce and beautiful.
She remembered Dala's tentative advances while Mailer was a prisoner.
Those thoughts always broke her heart.
Dala was so quiet and tentative back then.
It had changed Mailer in ways that she still didn't completely understand.
She felt more connected, more alive, and more joyful.
Losing that memory would be more than heartbreaking.
"I understand."
Mailer grabbed the handle of the cart.
"We have more pressing problems, like finding the accursed road."
They found the road three days later.
"This is it."
Dala fell to her knees and slapped her palm against the paving stones.
"Just as we left it."
She turned and looked at Prosper, who stood in the flickering light of the torch in his left
hand.
"Did the wizards build this? It goes under and through the entire mountain."
Mailer loved the awe in Dala's voice.
They were running low on food and water, but still, the wonder of Dragon Road
created a hushed wonder in her, and she had to admit, in herself as
well. This was the same extraordinary road they had stumbled down weeks before,
or was it months? She had lost all concept of time.
"Is it like this all the way to Your Ness?"
Mailer turned to Catrina as Dala climbed to her feet.
"Yes, at least until we hit the point where the mountain collapsed.
There we will need to find a way around it, but I'm sure there are many."
"The mountain didn't collapse."
Everyone turned to Prosper.
"Our mightiest wizard stood at the entrance and brought the mountain down.
He then returned to Your Ness and cleansed the city."
This was not what Catrina had said earlier.
She had mentioned something about the circle of three blocking the retreat of the wizards from
Ness. Mailer was going to say something to that effect, but to her surprise,
Catrina spoke up.
"No, my love. Perhaps this is a memory you have lost."
"It is well-known that the Circle of Three saved the wizards by bringing the mountain
down behind them."
Prosper walked over to Katrina, took her hand, and kissed it.
That is what they want you to believe, but the Great Library has too many
saved memories for it to be hidden from those that study there.
The greatest of our wizards stayed behind and sacrificed himself for our freedom.
He brought the mountain down, and legend has it that he alone erased the memories of the entire city.
He hid our entire existence solely through his extraordinary magical skill.
I didn't know.
Because it doesn't serve the interest of the council to not be seen as heroic.
Wait, so a wizard used his or her magic to bring down the mountain, then
wandered back into Ness and completely removed all evidence of the wizard's existence from the entire
city?
Prosper nodded.
That's impossible.
That's magic.
When did this happen?
Centuries ago. The wizard most likely died without a shred of his memory left,
wandering the streets as a mindless beggar.
Prosper walked over and grabbed the handle of the cart with his right hand.
We must go if we're going to undo the damage he wrought to your city's memory.
Their food ran out two days later, and their
water ran out the day after that.
To their credit, Katrina and Prosper ate and drank very little.
They had taken Mailer's warning seriously.
Still, they stood in the middle of the road, drinking the last few drops of water
from their last ceramic jug.
It's blood and vermin then.
Prosper held up his torch.
I would prefer not to hunt them with magic, but I will do so if necessary.
It turned out that they indeed had to hunt the vermin by any
means necessary. While the rats appeared often enough on Mailer and Dala's initial
trip through the mountain, they were rarely seen by their group of four.
Hungry, thirsty, and desperate, Dala finally stopped the
group and pulled out a knife.
"I'll wander into the dark over there."
She pointed to a wider part of the cavernous tunnel.
Perhaps the rats are hiding, or perhaps there is larger game.
We need to do something, or we will starve.
Before Mailer could object, Prosper said-
"I will join you."
The two were already securing knives and torches when Mailer walked over and
grabbed Dala's shoulder.
"It is better if I go. Katrina can wield a bow, but if some creature comes in
close, someone with your skill with knives will be necessary. You saw Prosper in the pass.
All he needs is someone to hold a torch.
That will be me."
Dala was going to object, but Mailer reached out and squeezed her hand.
"You know this is right."
Mailer motioned toward Katrina.
"She needs you more than me."
Okay, but don't you die on me.
"That would get in the way of my goal of lying on you."
Dalah playfully punched Mailer in the arm and turned away.
"You are such a romantic."
Prosper and Mailer had agreed on 500 steps out.
They had no way to track time, and no way to measure distance other than their own
footsteps. 500 steps seemed both reasonable and
safe.
When they had reached 500 steps, Mailer was stunned that they still hadn't reached
the edge of the tunnel.
How wide is this road?
This isn't a road. This is a cavern.
Look.
Prosper took a step and pointed to the floor.
It was uneven stone that was flat enough to stop them from stumbling, but clearly not
the even path that they had been on. He turned.
"200 more steps."
Mailer was going to object, but after Prosper took a few steps, there was a
rushing sound in the distance, then the echo of clattering feet.
That does not sound like a rat.
It may be a pig, or something larger, which would be a true blessing from the
gods.
Prosper took a few more steps, which took him further from Mailer's torch and
closer to the shadows.
As Mailer went to follow, a huge dark shape lunged out of the darkness
and landed on Prosper, knocking him to the ground.
He screamed out in pain, and Mailer ran to him.
It was some kind of wolf or bear or unholy underground version of the
two, and its mouth was clamped on Prosper's arm.
He had just turned and attempted to beat the creature with his other arm when it
started shaking its head so violently that Mailer could hear the bones in
Prosper's arm breaking and crunching.
She did the only thing she could do. She swung the torch and brought it down on
the creature's head. The force was strong enough and the flames hot enough
that the creature let go and turned toward Mailer.
She backed up as the creature focused entirely on her.
The creature tensed, and Mailer knew it was about to jump.
She leapt forward, swung the torch, and connected again.
To her relief, the creature let out a yelp.
But to her horror, the flames on the torch went out with the second impact.
They were in complete darkness with a mad and deadly animal ready to finish the
job it started. Mailer kicked her leg out to where she had last seen the
wolf beast and connected. It withdrew and didn't move, perhaps not
realizing they couldn't see it.
Mailer maneuvered over to Prosper, swinging the unlit torch in front of her
like a club.
"Can you cast light or some spell to kill that thing?"
Prosper just groaned. There was a shuffling noise, and then a
heavy weight landed against Mailer, knocking her to the ground.
She turned to pull the torch forward to protect herself, and that saved her
life, as she heard snapping jaws right next to her left ear.She
swung the torch, but it just thudded against the side of the creature.
It was enough to give her room to scramble back, however.
She heard panting right in front of her.
She knew the beast was sizing her up again.
She waved the unlit torch in front of her, but she knew it was hopeless.
Without light, she and Prosper were doomed.
It moved, and she could see the dull light shining in the creature's eye as it slowly turned its
head and opened its jaws in a snarl. Wait.
Light. Where is that coming from?
There was a thud, a yelp, then two more thuds, and the creature
scrambled away, only to stumble and fall at the edge of Mela's vision.
The light. She turned. Running toward them was Catrina holding a bright
torch, and Darla holding a knife at the ready in her right hand.
Catrina went to Prosper and held him in her arms, doing her best to
protect his shattered arm.
My love, my love, what has happened to you?
Darla walked over to Mela and smirked.
I told you I should have been the one to accompany him.
Mela scrambled to her feet.
When did you become so insufferable?
When I met you.
And without saying anything else, they grabbed each other into a deep
hug of love and gratitude that they were both safe.
Prosper groaned, and Mela pulled herself away from Darla and hurried
over to him.
Can you heal yourself?
His arm was a mess of blood and twisted bone under skin.
To Mela's shock, Prosper started to cry.
I
will lose so much.
He held his left hand over his ruined arm.
So much.
As his tears flowed from his eyes, not from pain, but from loss of some
important part of his life, Prosper's arm began to straighten and
heal.
The healing took almost five minutes, but Prosper didn't stop crying the
entire time.
Every so often, he would mutter...
I'm losing so much.
Prosper dropped his arms to his side, his right arm presumably healed.
Mela couldn't tell, however, and turned to Darla, who shrugged.
Catrina held Prosper in her arms.
Finally, Prosper's eyes opened, and there was a shadow there, a grim
darkness that didn't have any room for joy.
He stood up.
We have food.
Without saying anything else, he walked toward the dead animal at the edge of the
torchlight, punching his thigh with his formerly shattered arm.
(dramatic music plays)
A Podcast Alchemy production.