Chapter 452: Redblooded
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Chapter 452: Red-blooded
Red-blooded
It lasted four days before Martel received a reason to leave the Lyceum. As he had guessed, it came in the shape of Ruby's handwriting, still with the red blot below as a signature.
Can we meet tonight?
After last bell.
I'll find youThe inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0v3l-B1n.
outside your place.
No details as to what she needed, but Martel assumed similar to last. Which surprised him a little, as he figured Ruby would have given up on that trail. The people she pursued knew about her; enough to set a trap that almost worked. She could not expect to act safely anywhere outside the bridge district; it would just end in a repeat of the other night.
But perhaps she had no choice; Lady Pearl seemed under pressure from several rivals. Or perhaps this was about something else entirely. He would find out tonight.
***
Unsure of Ruby's intentions, Martel dressed warmly before he left the Lyceum. Beside protecting against the chill, his scarf also hid most of his face. Along with his hood up, it gave him a rudimentary disguise of his identity. Just in case.
Stepping outside the gates, Martel let his gaze sweep over the square. From the shadows between two buildings, he saw a shape appear and gesture for his attention. He crossed over to join Ruby, who retreated into the alley as he approached, shielding them from unfriendly eyes.
"Thanks for meeting me."
Martel thought back on the attempt to halt the construction of the insula in the Khivan quarter. Kerra, the Fire Eater, Lady Pearl, the Friar – an attempt of a loose alliance to work together and prevent the erosion of the balance of power between the Nine Lords. It had not gone well; the question was whether this meant the other five stood arraigned together against these four.
However, this did not affect Martel directly. While a war in the underworld of Morcaster would undoubtedly involve innocents, if these crime lords were bent on making it happen, he could not stop them. It seemed like it was already too late, in fact. "What is it you want from me?"
"The Nine Lords meet in a fiveday. There's a risk of an ambush, but if not, and we failed to appear, this Vitus may turn the others against us, isolating us. We have to show up. There is also the possibility that it is a distraction, and while we are deep underground, Vitus and his allies attack our territory, maiming us."
"And?"
"For that reason, the Night Knives will stay above ground, protecting our places of business while we attend the meeting. Leaving us vulnerable." Ruby had been glancing up and down the narrow street, but she turned to look at him again. "We could use the power of a battlemage, in case the meeting's a trap."
Martel exhaled. He had guessed something like this – that she would need him to keep her safe, just like on their last outing. But this was a lot more than expected. This was not a handful of thugs, easily dispatched with a spell or two. If her suspicions were right, this promised to be a major brawl between some of the most powerful people in the city. And they would come prepared, bringing lots of people to the fight, no doubt, and probably also mages. If such a fight broke out, Martel doubted that he could necessarily change the outcome; but he might be able to get Ruby out. "Lady Pearl's agreed to this? She and I are on bad terms."
"She was not happy about it, but I persuaded her in the end. Her resources are stretched thin. If she wants a wizard to accompany her to the meeting while having another defend her territory, you're the only one left."
Martel wondered if this meant the other mercenary mages had been hired already for the same purpose; he knew Kerra had lost one, the weathermage killed during the botched sabotage in the Khivan quarter. None of this bode well. "I have a better idea. Stay away. Don't go with her."
"That's not possible. She has to attend, or they'll use her absence to turn the others against her. And I must be by her side, especially if there'll be a fight." Ruby kept his gaze locked. "I owe her that much."
It felt like everyone involved was making the wrong choice, but in a strange way, Martel admired her for it. Even those who dwelt in the underworld could have loyalty and honour. "Alright. I'll do it."
A little to his surprise, Ruby threw her arms around him in a tight squeeze. "Thank you. I know promises aren't worth much, but I won't forget this. You've treated me better than I could have expected. You're a good man."
Was he? Martel found that hard to judge, but his heart beat a little faster, and he did not regret offering to help. He did not care about Lady Pearl – if she died, it would not bother him – but placing his arms around Ruby's lithe form, he knew that he would not allow any harm to come to her.
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Chapter 452: Red-blooded
Red-blooded
It lasted four days before Martel received a reason to leave the Lyceum. As he had guessed, it came in the shape of Ruby's handwriting, still with the red blot below as a signature.
Can we meet tonight?
After last bell.
I'll find youThe inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0v3l-B1n.
outside your place.
No details as to what she needed, but Martel assumed similar to last. Which surprised him a little, as he figured Ruby would have given up on that trail. The people she pursued knew about her; enough to set a trap that almost worked. She could not expect to act safely anywhere outside the bridge district; it would just end in a repeat of the other night.
But perhaps she had no choice; Lady Pearl seemed under pressure from several rivals. Or perhaps this was about something else entirely. He would find out tonight.
***
Unsure of Ruby's intentions, Martel dressed warmly before he left the Lyceum. Beside protecting against the chill, his scarf also hid most of his face. Along with his hood up, it gave him a rudimentary disguise of his identity. Just in case.
Stepping outside the gates, Martel let his gaze sweep over the square. From the shadows between two buildings, he saw a shape appear and gesture for his attention. He crossed over to join Ruby, who retreated into the alley as he approached, shielding them from unfriendly eyes.
"Thanks for meeting me."
Martel thought back on the attempt to halt the construction of the insula in the Khivan quarter. Kerra, the Fire Eater, Lady Pearl, the Friar – an attempt of a loose alliance to work together and prevent the erosion of the balance of power between the Nine Lords. It had not gone well; the question was whether this meant the other five stood arraigned together against these four.
However, this did not affect Martel directly. While a war in the underworld of Morcaster would undoubtedly involve innocents, if these crime lords were bent on making it happen, he could not stop them. It seemed like it was already too late, in fact. "What is it you want from me?"
"The Nine Lords meet in a fiveday. There's a risk of an ambush, but if not, and we failed to appear, this Vitus may turn the others against us, isolating us. We have to show up. There is also the possibility that it is a distraction, and while we are deep underground, Vitus and his allies attack our territory, maiming us."
"And?"
"For that reason, the Night Knives will stay above ground, protecting our places of business while we attend the meeting. Leaving us vulnerable." Ruby had been glancing up and down the narrow street, but she turned to look at him again. "We could use the power of a battlemage, in case the meeting's a trap."
Martel exhaled. He had guessed something like this – that she would need him to keep her safe, just like on their last outing. But this was a lot more than expected. This was not a handful of thugs, easily dispatched with a spell or two. If her suspicions were right, this promised to be a major brawl between some of the most powerful people in the city. And they would come prepared, bringing lots of people to the fight, no doubt, and probably also mages. If such a fight broke out, Martel doubted that he could necessarily change the outcome; but he might be able to get Ruby out. "Lady Pearl's agreed to this? She and I are on bad terms."
"She was not happy about it, but I persuaded her in the end. Her resources are stretched thin. If she wants a wizard to accompany her to the meeting while having another defend her territory, you're the only one left."
Martel wondered if this meant the other mercenary mages had been hired already for the same purpose; he knew Kerra had lost one, the weathermage killed during the botched sabotage in the Khivan quarter. None of this bode well. "I have a better idea. Stay away. Don't go with her."
"That's not possible. She has to attend, or they'll use her absence to turn the others against her. And I must be by her side, especially if there'll be a fight." Ruby kept his gaze locked. "I owe her that much."
It felt like everyone involved was making the wrong choice, but in a strange way, Martel admired her for it. Even those who dwelt in the underworld could have loyalty and honour. "Alright. I'll do it."
A little to his surprise, Ruby threw her arms around him in a tight squeeze. "Thank you. I know promises aren't worth much, but I won't forget this. You've treated me better than I could have expected. You're a good man."
Was he? Martel found that hard to judge, but his heart beat a little faster, and he did not regret offering to help. He did not care about Lady Pearl – if she died, it would not bother him – but placing his arms around Ruby's lithe form, he knew that he would not allow any harm to come to her.
Chapter 452: Red-bloodedRed-bloodedIt lasted four days before Martel received a reason to leave the Lyceum. As he had guessed, it came in the shape of Ruby's handwriting, still with the red blot below as a signature.Can we meet tonight?After last bell.I'll find youThe inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0v3l-B1n.outside your place.No details as to what she needed, but Martel assumed similar to last. Which surprised him a little, as he figured Ruby would have given up on that trail. The people she pursued knew about her; enough to set a trap that almost worked. She could not expect to act safely anywhere outside the bridge district; it would just end in a repeat of the other night.But perhaps she had no choice; Lady Pearl seemed under pressure from several rivals. Or perhaps this was about something else entirely. He would find out tonight.***Unsure of Ruby's intentions, Martel dressed warmly before he left the Lyceum. Beside protecting against the chill, his scarf also hid most of his face. Along with his hood up, it gave him a rudimentary disguise of his identity. Just in case.Stepping outside the gates, Martel let his gaze sweep over the square. From the shadows between two buildings, he saw a shape appear and gesture for his attention. He crossed over to join Ruby, who retreated into the alley as he approached, shielding them from unfriendly eyes."Thanks for meeting me."Martel thought back on the attempt to halt the construction of the insula in the Khivan quarter. Kerra, the Fire Eater, Lady Pearl, the Friar an attempt of a loose alliance to work together and prevent the erosion of the balance of power between the Nine Lords. It had not gone well; the question was whether this meant the other five stood arraigned together against these four.However, this did not affect Martel directly. While a war in the underworld of Morcaster would undoubtedly involve innocents, if these crime lords were bent on making it happen, he could not stop them. It seemed like it was already too late, in fact. "What is it you want from me?""The Nine Lords meet in a fiveday. There's a risk of an ambush, but if not, and we failed to appear, this Vitus may turn the others against us, isolating us. We have to show up. There is also the possibility that it is a distraction, and while we are deep underground, Vitus and his allies attack our territory, maiming us.""And?""For that reason, the Night Knives will stay above ground, protecting our places of business while we attend the meeting. Leaving us vulnerable." Ruby had been glancing up and down the narrow street, but she turned to look at him again. "We could use the power of a battlemage, in case the meeting's a trap."Martel exhaled. He had guessed something like this that she would need him to keep her safe, just like on their last outing. But this was a lot more than expected. This was not a handful of thugs, easily dispatched with a spell or two. If her suspicions were right, this promised to be a major brawl between some of the most powerful people in the city. And they would come prepared, bringing lots of people to the fight, no doubt, and probably also mages. If such a fight broke out, Martel doubted that he could necessarily change the outcome; but he might be able to get Ruby out. "Lady Pearl's agreed to this? She and I are on bad terms.""She was not happy about it, but I persuaded her in the end. Her resources are stretched thin. If she wants a wizard to accompany her to the meeting while having another defend her territory, you're the only one left."Martel wondered if this meant the other mercenary mages had been hired already for the same purpose; he knew Kerra had lost one, the weathermage killed during the botched sabotage in the Khivan quarter. None of this bode well. "I have a better idea. Stay away. Don't go with her.""That's not possible. She has to attend, or they'll use her absence to turn the others against her. And I must be by her side, especially if there'll be a fight." Ruby kept his gaze locked. "I owe her that much."It felt like everyone involved was making the wrong choice, but in a strange way, Martel admired her for it. Even those who dwelt in the underworld could have loyalty and honour. "Alright. I'll do it."A little to his surprise, Ruby threw her arms around him in a tight squeeze. "Thank you. I know promises aren't worth much, but I won't forget this. You've treated me better than I could have expected. You're a good man."Was he? Martel found that hard to judge, but his heart beat a little faster, and he did not regret offering to help. He did not care about Lady Pearl if she died, it would not bother him but placing his arms around Ruby's lithe form, he knew that he would not allow any harm to come to her.
