The Thieves Guild,
by Jake Kerr.
Season four.
The Order of the Dragon.
Episode one.
The Bargaining Chip.
"I'm not sure I can
handle this."
Raylan was alone with Rafe in his quarters, tossed back in a large plush
chair in the reception area, while Rafe sat on a nearby chair, leaning
forward and listening.
Raylan had just dismissed everyone, and things seemed overwhelming.
Magic existed, and an entirely new city was the home of it,
a city that, in the past, broke off access to Ness.
Why? It sounded ominous, and Prosper made the leadership sound worse than
Larsen.
What should he do, if anything?
And Rebecca had stormed off, and Raylan still didn't know what that was about.
But Raylan's most pressing concern was Polo and the remnants of
whatever leadership was left in the city.
Quinto seemed reasonable, so having him lead the knights was a good thing, but
Orion was clearly worse than Larsen, and he still had control of the merchant and
craft guilds.
Should he just stay out of the way and let Quinto and Polo handle it?
"You've handled worse. I've seen it."
Raylan lifted the paper in his hand and shook it.
"Not worse than this."
It was the letter from Polo, and combined with Vesper's intelligence, it
appeared that Polo intended to destroy the guild that had helped his own guild
members.
Raylan tossed the note on the floor.
"Maybe Polo is right. Maybe there is no need for our guild anymore.
He's aware of the injustice that so many guild members face.
If he works with Quinto and can overcome Orion, maybe he can right things."
"Raylan, you're smarter than that.
You have more disrespect for unearned authority than anyone. Read the letter again.
It's full of lies.
Polo knew that his guild members suffered and he didn't care.
He said he would hold Allard, but Vesper just told us he intended on killing him.
The only truth in that letter is his intent to destroy our guild."
Raylan looked over at his friend.
"When did you become so wise?" "I'm not wise.
I just read a lot of books."
Allard.
Raylan felt a wave of despair. For nearly everyone, the Thieves Guild
was synonymous with Pietro, but for Raylan, it was Allard, the
mighty warrior who protected him from Essil's cruelty in the merchant tower and
defended him when Larsen tried to assassinate him,
and so many other moments where Raylan would have been lost.
But more than anything, he was the only one who initially believed in
Raylan. He didn't dismiss his youth.
He didn't judge his previous mischievousness.
He saw in Raylan something that no one else did, including himself.
And now, he was gone.
"So, what do we do? We're alone again.
The Harvest Guild members will return home.
Quinto tolerates us, but I'm sure won't defend us, and Orion wants to kill me and
destroy us. And his nephew will do whatever Orion tells him to do.
It's us against the entire city again, only now, they know we
exist." "I don't think things are that dire.
The Harvest Guild members will be grateful, and they may sway Polo's opinion.
And you seem to think that Quinto won't be so much an enemy as neutral.
That's already better than before." "Maybe you're right."
Raylan pushed aside his despair over Allard's death the best he could.
"Polo mentioned his new captain, Rogers.
How can we have our Rogers meet with his if we don't know where our Rogers is, or even if
he's still alive?" "I sent out a group to track him down, but they haven't reported back.
Things are still chaotic in the flats and organizing things is difficult.
Safe houses are burned down and our guild members are spread all over."
Raylan sighed. The city was reorganizing itself,
and he and the thieves were being excluded.
He had no way to guarantee the safety of his guild members.
"What about the other Ness?"
At that question, Rafe's attention picked up.
"We need to launch an organized party through the mountain to talk to the magicians.
They are linked to our guild. They are our guild." "But they are tyrants."
"That is the word of one man who fled the city.
Perhaps this Prosper is the evil one." "They imprisoned Mela, Rafe." "Yes,
but she broke one of their rules. She said so herself."
Raylan could tell that Rafe had convinced himself that bringing the two cities together
was critical, and that any evidence to the contrary could be discarded until
proven.
"I'll summon him and we can ask him questions.
Mela seems to trust him at least."
Before Rafe could reply, Raylan finally smiled.
"At least Mela is okay, and she has a partner now.
I have to admit that I didn't think anyone could tame her.
But I guess if it was going to be someone, a warrior woman from deep in the mines makes as much
sense as anyone."
Raylan laughed, but Rafe still looked serious.
"I'm happy for her, but I would like to discuss with her the other city of Ness.
There is so much we don't know, and if we are to travel there, we need as much information as possible."
"You're moving too fast. Yes, we will talk with Mela.
Yes, we will talk with Prosper, but we have more serious issues here." "And
what about this Rebecca? I'm still trying to understand so many things about her.
No one remembers seeing her, but she has quarters in the tower.
She is allegedly Pietro's granddaughter, and she lived in Gautland."
Before Raylan could reply, Rafe stood up suddenly.
Pietro!
By the gods, Raylan, things have been so crazy that I completely forgot about Pietro.
What about Pietro?
Rafe was rushing toward the door.
Where are you going?
I have a book to show you.
I'll be right back.
Minutes later, Rafe struggled to carry two heavy books into Raylan's study,
slamming them down on a table to the side.
Raylan got up and walked over as Rafe began carefully turning pages of the
larger of the two books.
What is it?
Patience.
Rafe turned more pages, and Raylan leaned forward and watched as page
after page of script turned.
What book is this?
It's a ledger of items stored in the guild warehouse.
We have a guild warehouse?
Not anymore. It was burned to the ground hundreds of years ago in the same conflagration that created the
Ash Fields.
Rafe stopped turning pages.
Ah-hah, here it is.
He pointed at a page.
Look at that name.
Raylan wasn't a very good reader, but the name was clearly written below what looked
like some kind of inventory list.
Pietro?
Yes. Now look at this.
Rafe turned more pages, pointed to the name, turned more
pages, pointed to the name.
The name was repeated again and again.
It's just someone named Pietro. I don't understand the
significance.
Neither did I, but look here.
Rafe closed the first book and opened the second.
This is new.
Look at the signature.
It's Pietro. You showed me this before, though.
This is the history of the Guildmasters written by Pietro. I don't get it.
Rafe picked up the book and laid it on the first, overlapping the pages.
The hundreds of years old inventory page with the old Pietro's
signature lay next to the newer book with the Guildmaster thief Pietro
signature.
Raylan was too shocked to reply, until Rafe forcefully tapped the signature in
each book one after the other, and then looked at Raylan.
Tell me what you see.
They're the same.
(page turns)
He was rolled in on a makeshift chair which had rough wooden wheels attached to
broad chair legs.
It was too small for his massive frame, but it worked well enough.
Covering his legs was a thick blanket.
Polo was told to be careful, as the man could still move his arms.
But as Polo walked forward and looked at the broken mess on the chair, he
realized that this was someone who wasn't even capable of peeing by
himself, let alone attacking anyone.
Traitor Allard. I must say you are a difficult man to
kill.
Polo walked around the rolling chair as Allard stared at him,
following his every step. Was that hatred in his eyes?
Polo hoped so.
Saxe told me that when you saved those outlander raiders, you killed nearly a squad
of his men. I didn't believe him, but it appears I should've, for that wound
you bear would have killed any normal man, yet
here you are.
Family.
What?
They were a family, not raiders.
Polo laughed.
Do you think I care? Especially after they have attacked us?
Polo noticed a change in Allard's face.
You don't know, do you?
Yes. The outlanders invaded Ness.
Polo stood in front of Allard and leaned forward.
And do you know who fought them off?
Allard didn't move or say anything.
My guild members.
We have saved Ness, and my guild will continue to save Ness from that craven
Orion and his nephew.
Polo started pacing again.
But that is not your concern.
I brought you here solely to see if you are in the condition to do what I need you to do.
I will not do anything for you.
That's the good news, traitor. All I need you to do is live.
You are my bargaining chip.
My life isn't worth whatever you're bargaining.
That is true, but still, you have value in that I'm told that foolish child, Raylan,
is fond of you.
He may see things differently.
You see, traitor, I don't trust Raylan.
He has already poisoned the minds of my guild members.
He's a liar, and the sooner I rid myself of him, the sooner I rid
myself of the thieves.
To Polo's exasperation, Allard's pained and defiant expression
changed to a smile. Why was he smiling?
What do you find so amusing, traitor?
You forget that Raylan himself saved your guild on Founder's Day.
That was not me, it was him.
You, Larsen, Orion, you all play your political games, but the real
game is what you called poison,
the truth, Guildmaster. Those are the chips Raylan wields, not me, not
an army.
The truth.
And you fail to see that in the game Raylan is playing, your lies have no value.
You are thieves. You and Pietro have lied about your guilt for decades.
Your entire existence is built on lies.
At that, Allard smiled even wider, which made
Polo even angrier.
You have no idea, Guildmaster. You have no idea.
(instrumental music plays)
A Podcast Alchemy production.
(liquid bubbles)