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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Care.

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Episode 135:

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The Great Falls and the Severed Head.

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The underground river narrowed, and as it
narrowed, it got more violent.

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What was a torrent further upstream was a raging
collection of frothy white

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water, slamming against rocks and swirling in
small maelstroms that

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created large waves that filled the tunnel with
mist and spray.

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Prosper finally gave up calling Catrina's name and
shuffled forward, the

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mist hiding his tears.

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"Look, I see light."

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Meila had been attentive to their surroundings for
the entire depressing walk

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along the narrow, stony bank of the river.

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Despite the distraction of Prosper's sad and
desperate wails for Catrina,

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Meila had focused not on Prosper, but what they
didn't know.

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Here was water.

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Were dangerous animals nearby?

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What was hiding in the shadows?

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Darla was the one who focused on Prosper's
unstable mind, and thus

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it was that Meila discovered the glint in the
distance.

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"I see it. We have made it through."

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Darla jumped up and down while holding Prosper's
arm.

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He simply continued to shuffle forward.

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There was a curve in the distance which had hid
just how close they were.

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But once they passed it, they could see the
massive waterfall pouring out of the

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mountain, and the gloriously blue sky beyond it.

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The banks on both sides of the river widened near
the waterfall itself, and as

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the three of them stopped at the precipice, there
was plenty of room for all three to look

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out onto the walled city of Ness.

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"There's the Thieves' Tower."

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Meila pointed to the giant tower off to their
left.

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Without the mountain camouflaging it on two sides,
it stood out starkly with the

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plains behind it.

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"And there are the Ash Fields and the Old
Quarter."

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Meila couldn't contain her excitement, pointing
out all the landmarks she knew

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would be new to Darla.

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"It is spectacular. I can't believe I never
noticed it."

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Darla pointed off to her right.

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"You can see both the Inner and Outer Fields from
here.

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Look how glorious they look." "What's that?"

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Meila pointed off to the grassy plains near the
Night Watch.

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Darla squinted. "I don't know. Those look like-"
"It's an army!"

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Meila pointed at the dark mass, which seemed to
slowly ooze toward the

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Upper Quarter. "Are the Outlanders attacking?"

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"I don't know. They don't seem to be fighting.

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More like marching."

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Meila turned back to see if the knights or other
guild guard forces were launching a

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defense, only to notice something odd.

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"Look, Merchant Bridge is missing." "How can
Merchant Bridge be missing?

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By the gods, what is happening?"

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Meila continued to scan the city, and that's when
she noticed the activity at the

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Great Gate far in the distance.

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"Another army. It is coming through the Great
Gate.

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And look, forces in the Wretched Quarter are
flowing over the Great Bridge to meet them.

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They are wearing green. It is my guild mates
rushing to defend the city."

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Meila smiled at Darla's pride and didn't bother to

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correct her that it should be called the Old
Quarter.

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"So I've lost Catrina to escape to a city at war?"

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Prosper squeezed his hand, and the light he had
maintained for their journey snuffed

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out.

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"It is better than being imprisoned," Meila said
after walking over to Prosper.

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"I'd rather be imprisoned and Catrina alive than
face a future of..." He waved a

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hand toward Ness. "This."

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Meila was aghast at her thoughtlessness. Prosper
had lost his wife.

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How would Meila feel if Darla had died?

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She wasn't sure she could survive. Darla had
revealed Meila's own heart to

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herself. Without Darla, she would have no heart.

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Meila said nothing, but squeezed Prosper's
shoulder.

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He shrugged his shoulder away from her hand.

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"This is a cliff. We should focus more on
surviving our descent than surviving a

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war."

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"Indeed."

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Darla walked forward and looked over the edge.
"Interesting.

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There is a vague path here. Too steep to climb,
but if we hold onto rocks and slide slowly,

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we should be able to make it down. It will be
painful and treacherous without any ledges or
ridges along the

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way, but we should still be able to make it."

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Prosper shrugged and waved his hand toward the
ledge.

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"Then why don't you lead the way?"

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Darla, not one to back down from a man,
immediately swung her legs

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over the ledge. "Be careful." Meila quickly
followed.

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Prosper almost nonchalantly came behind.

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The path was indeed treacherous and very steep.

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But Darla was not wrong, there was a semblance of
a path that wound down the cliff

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face. At one point, Meila slipped, but grabbed an
outcropping.

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She would have tumbled down into Darla, but Darla
immediately grabbed Meila's

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leg and held it steady as Meila regained her
balance.

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Darla said something, but Meila couldn't hear it
over the thunderous crashing of the

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waterfall into the river below. The sound had been
loud at the end of the river

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above, but each step made the noise louder and
louder.

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Turning and stepping closer to Meila, Darla
shouted-

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"I said, to think you were the one who told me to
be careful."

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Darla laughed and went to pinch Meila's leg when
her own legs slipped out from under

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her.... she slid a good five feet, and would have
tumbled far down into the

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rocky ground below, but she grabbed a small
outcropping.

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As her legs continued to slide down, she held
tight.

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Dala!

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Maela carefully scrambled down, but there was
nowhere to anchor herself.

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I can't get a grip with my feet.

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Dala swung her other hand up to hold the
outcropping, but that just made her

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fingers slip more.

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She hung against the cliff face, her fingers
turning white.

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Maela reached down and grabbed Dala's wrist, but
it was pressed against the rock

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and she couldn't get a good hold.

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It wouldn't have mattered anyway. She had no way
to lift her or even hold her in

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place. In fact, it would probably just have led to
both of them falling to their

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deaths.

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Maela looked up toward Prosper. He was gingerly
making his way down,

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not looking particularly perturbed.

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Prosper, help! Grab my arm, and then I can grab
Dala.

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We can perhaps both pull her up.

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Prosper looked at the two of them quizzically when
Dala cried out.

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Maela turned quickly to grab her hand, but it was
gone.

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No!

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Maela watched Dala fall, her own hand clenching at
empty air.

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She was full of fear, full of loss, full of a deep
sadness, and

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full of rage. She looked up at Prosper.

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You could have saved her. Why did you not help me?

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Prosper nodded down behind Maela.

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She turned around, and Dala slowly floated up
toward her.

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Dala looked stunned.

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I- I can't move, but I'm... floating.

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It is a difficult spell, but I will embrace the
pain of it to get us down

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safely.

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What is the pain of loss anyway when one has lost
everything?

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And with a nod, Prosper floated up off the cliff
face.

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As he approached Maela, she too started to float.

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It was odd. Dala wasn't exactly correct.

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Maela could move, but there was nothing to hold
onto or push against.

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So, it was more like movement didn't matter.

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She was just aimlessly floating.

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No, not aimlessly. Prosper was slowly floating
them in a

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descent down the cliff face.

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They landed on the old quarter side of the great
river.

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Maela immediately ran over and grabbed Dala into a
tight hug.

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I thought I had lost you.

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Maela, the practical, tough, sarcastic, and calm
blade of the Thieves

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Guild,

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started to cry.

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Dala held her tight.

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We will always have each other.

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They separated, only to find Prosper sitting on
the ground.

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He looked stunned.

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Prosper, are you okay?

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I've lost our wedding.

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Or I believe it was our wedding.

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How am I to know? Or did I lose that to the Light?

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Prosper closed his eyes tight and clenched his
fist.

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I have lost too much. I have passed the point of
clinging to life.

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Maela looked at Dala, who returned her glance.

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They were thinking the same thing. Was Prosper
going to kill himself?

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As the silent thought passed between them, Prosper
stood up and pointed

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toward the mountain.

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The road to the other side of the mountain.

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Maela was shocked. She had never bothered
wandering over past the ash fields

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toward the mountain, but if she had, this is what
she would have seen,

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a giant entrance into the mountain with paved
cobblestones leading into

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it.

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This is the road that leads to my nests, and this
is the same

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road that leads to Drak and Gutland and Kalisto.

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My ancestors crafted this many years ago at the
cost of lifetimes of memories.

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He walked over and patted Maela on the shoulder.

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I will clear the road, but first we should rest.

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That tower is yours?

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Prosper pointed at the Thieves Tower, and Maela
nodded.

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We do need to rest, but we also need to find out
what is happening.

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She took Dala's hand and looked up with a smirk.

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I'm assuming Raylan messed everything up.

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And suddenly, everything seemed normal again.

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What is this profanity?

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Vesper pointed at Alard kneeling in front of him.

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Alard's legs, arms, and neck were all chained,
each chain linked back

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to a heavy ring in an even heavier stone.

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He is dangerous, sir.

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This is a solemn ceremony, you imbecile.

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Vesper was talking to the captain of the mines,
but he knew that when you are facing an

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executioner, the only one with higher standing is
death.

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Vesper pointed to the chains.

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Remove them.

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I can't, sir.

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Vesper stormed over to him.

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Do you see this blade?

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Vesper swung the blade of the enormous axe toward
the captain's face, stopping

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it as the captain flinched.

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Do you see any flaws in that edge?

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No, sir.

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So, what do you think would happen if this struck
the iron around that man's neck?

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I see the problem, sir.

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The captain pointed to the only other man in the
room.

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Unlock the irons around his neck.

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Unlock all his irons. The ceremony demands rope
bindings.

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The guard had pulled out a loop of five or six
keys and was in the process of

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unlocking Alard's neck constraints when Vesper
swung the axe.

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Before the young guard knew what was happening,
the captain's head was rolling toward him

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and a spray of blood gushed across the room.

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Vesper grabbed the captain's sword and rushed to
the guard, who was still in shock

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and dropped the keys to unsheathe his own sword.He
fell to the ground,

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a deep slash nearly beheading him as well.

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Vesper walked over and leaned down in front of
Allard.

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I was going to convince them to bind you in rope,
but this seemed faster."

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Vesper laughed.

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"Let's hope that he has the keys for all your
irons, and not just your neck."

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That's the least of our concerns. How deep are we
in the mines?"

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"Very."

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The first key unlocked Allard's neck irons, and
the pieces fell to the floor

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with a clang.

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And how do you intend on having us pass all the
guards between here and the mine

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entrance?

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Vesper cursed as two keys didn't fit Allard's leg
irons, but

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nodded approvingly when the third freed Allard's
legs.

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"It seems the executioner's orders included him
bringing the traitor, Allard's head

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detached from its body, back to Harvest House."

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Vesper pointed to a hand-drawn cart near the
entrance to the chamber.

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Upon it was a green sheet.

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Polo demanded my head?

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No, but I doubt that they'd challenge me on that
point.

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You are a devious one.

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Allard laughed, but his laughter led to a coughing
fit and a grimace of

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pain.

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And I assume the body of Allard will be covered in
that ceremonial green sheet for the journey?

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Allard crawled to his feet, and then sat on the
executioner's block as

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Vesper tried keys with his wrist irons.

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"It is disrespectful to gawk over the
executioner's work."

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Of course.

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Allard laughed again. Allard's wrist irons fell to
the floor, and

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Allard rubbed his wrists and ankles.

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"Deputy, I fear time is of the essence. Please
crawl into the cart.

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I'll cover you with the sheet."

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Allard nodded, and crawled onto the cart.

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It was much smaller than his stature, so he lay in
a fetal position.

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00:14:01,636 --> 00:14:06,455
Shortly afterward, Vesper covered him with the
green cloth, and shortly after

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00:14:06,515 --> 00:14:11,215
that, he shoved the captain's head under the sheet
next to Allard's face.

232
00:14:11,675 --> 00:14:12,876
Is this necessary?

233
00:14:12,935 --> 00:14:15,815
The bloody stump sticks out from under the sheet.

234
00:14:16,296 --> 00:14:18,055
It will deter curious guards."

235
00:14:18,735 --> 00:14:19,875
It will make me vomit.

236
00:14:19,875 --> 00:14:24,755
"It matters not. The smell of the blood and flesh
will be

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00:14:24,796 --> 00:14:26,055
enough to cover it."

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00:14:27,076 --> 00:14:29,716
Allard shook his head, amused still.

239
00:14:29,716 --> 00:14:31,596
You've done well, Blade Vesper.

240
00:14:31,815 --> 00:14:36,456
Vesper placed the axe across Allard's body and
picked up the handles of the

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00:14:36,475 --> 00:14:36,915
cart.

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00:14:37,615 --> 00:14:40,596
He pulled the cart to the door of the chamber and
opened it.

243
00:14:41,095 --> 00:14:44,835
He paused before pulling the cart carrying Allard
through the door.

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00:14:44,835 --> 00:14:46,715
"Save the plaudits.

245
00:14:47,356 --> 00:14:48,355
We're not free yet."

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00:14:49,255 --> 00:15:10,096
(dramatic music plays)

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A Podcast Alchemy production.