Rowan and Manar walked along a poor quarter, where everything was dirty
and cramped. On the walls were some pictures inflicted by the Light
Citizens, multi-coloured lizards and birds. In the shadows or
firelight, they looked quite grotesque. There were quite a few people
about…as well as children. Being lower class and in tattered or
patched up shirts, they moved out of the way for Rowan.
The pair walked down a dark, stone paved alley. They
stopped. They made sure they weren’t being watched, then opened a
wooden cellar door. They went in and closed it behind them. Inside,
they were greeted by a dark, wet, stony tunnel. They made their way
along.
“Is this safe?” Manar asked in her usual tone and volume, which seemed to fill the whole tunnel.
“It should be,” answered Rowan, whose
voice was just as filling but softer sounding. “There
shouldn’t be any problems.”
They walked further along. Manar spoke once again.
“This place poses a security risk. Anyone can be placed here,
anyone with the intention of attacking you can be hiding among these
people.”
“Halt! Who goes there?” The two suddenly
stopped as light from a candle focussed on them. “Oh, hello
Rowan.”
“Greetings Sancta, how are you?”
“Bad,” Sancta answered in a scowl. He
was quite big and burly. He wore a red vest with a tattered, black,
translucent long-sleeved shirt underneath. Chains hung from rips in his
red vest. Like many Dark Citizens of the lower class his face was caked
in cheap, black face paint. “Come on, I’ll take you the
rest of the way.”
They found themselves in what was once a basement.
Sancta opened a door and led the women through. They walked through
another tunnel. The tunnel started to turn round, cylindrical in shape.
That tunnel opened up into a large, almost impressive complex of
sewers. Large, oval holes in the distance swallowed the great rivers.
Platforms stood on metallic stems, bridged by metallic bridges. The
faint illumination only showed this much, there were still black masses
floating about.
Yaz led them up metallic steps to a platform. While
going up, his candlelight showed a large pipe reaching across the near
top of the complex. They went across platforms and bridges until one
bridge went into a hole; that opened to a chamber. There were people in
this chamber, for it was quite big. The crowd crawled around the sides
or overhead balconies of this chamber, illuminating the place with
their candles. They stirred as the three entered.
“Introduce yourself extinguished guest!”
called out a scrawny man sitting on a throne in the middle of the
chamber. He appeared to have struggled to speak.
“Rowan Kirilian!” Rowan called back.
“Ah! Friend Rowan! You have returned!”
he called gleefully. “How can we humble people be of
service?”
“Information, as usual.”
“What kind of information?”
“Right now, I’m a target.”
“Probably the Vampires going after you!”
The other people in the chamber tutted and groaned in their disgust.
“You see, we can’t be much help information wise right now,
business has been going ever so slow!” He drank and swayed. The
others stirred in their hate. “Families prefer getting
information by talking with each other, they don’t talk with
businesses as reliable as ours-”
“Shut up Slevich!” A positive reaction
swept through the people in the chamber. “Get off my
chair!” the powerful voice commanded, followed by a crack of the
whip. “Without information there is no income!” The scrawny
man stumbled off, but once again he was whipped. The entire chamber
seemed to cackle with laughter. A woman came into view. She wore a long
V-necked black dress that had sleeves, which extended to reach the
bottom of her dress that swept the floor. Her black necklace had a
black jewel hanging down. Her hair was straight and black, her eyes
just as black. Black covered her lips and around the eyes. She was a
rather exotic Dark Citizen: by their standards. She was also in her
fifties.
She passed her big chair and warmly smiled. She
opened her arms as she came towards Rowan. “Rowan, lovely to see
you.” They embraced. “Greetings to you too, Manar.”
Even Manar softened and they embraced. “Come closer, you’re
welcome guests.”
The woman went back to her chair and the other two
stood in front of it. “If you don’t mind me intruding
Vera?” asked Manar, her eyes once again blank.
“No, go ahead,” the woman allowed.
“Morale is dangerously low.”
Vera sighed. “Yes, well…we had been
looking forward to buying our own territory, allowing this business to
expand instead of remaining tucked underground, kept under the noses of
the millionaires and high families.” Whispers intruded in the
chamber. “But, business has been slow and our dream becomes more
impossible each day.”
Rowan raised an eyebrow. “In her gun holster,
Manar has notes worth 500 Gold. I’ll give it to you and you tell
me everything you know.”
The exotic Dark Citizen grinned. “Deal. You want clues to who wants you, right?”
People around the chamber immediately shouted out
suggestions. “VAMPIRES!” “SORCERERS!”
“KRON’S SECT!” “FAIRIES!” “OUTCAST
BIKERS!” “BLOODKNIFE GANG!” “BRENDANT
FAMILY!” “GHOULS!” “DEMONS!”
Vera boomed: “WHOEVER SHOUTED GHOULS AND
DEMONS ARE FOOLS!” Chuckles and giggles filled the chamber.
“Everyone knows Ghouls and Demons are the lowest of the low,
therefore, outcasts of society. Rowan, I need more of a clue.”
Rowan thought about it. “The person who tried
to take me away had a glowing amulet. I was told that when it moved
away from me, it faded.”
“Well it wouldn’t be the
Sorcerer’s Guild, it’s not their policy to do human
sacrifices.” Vera put a finger to her lips. “The Brendant
family wouldn’t worry about magic, their territory is in dire
straits.” She put her finger down. “Although several gangs
in that area have been known to be hired grunts for several stooges,
they’re worth investigating.”
“Would the Outcast Bikers be involved in this?” asked Manar.
Vera raised an eyebrow. “I doubt exiled
Vampires would want to dabble in magic. The Outcast Bikers are only
interested in ‘food’. Although they may be hired by another
Vampire.”
“Vera, somebody here mentioned a sect,” remembered Rowan. “Sect of what?”
Vera straightened up in surprise. “Don’t
you know about the state of the Vilkon family?” Silence answered
her. “No, you don’t appear to. Well, as you know the family
is now led by Terra, the widow of Tyrain Vilkon. Tyrain was a child of
four, who between them had 15 children. These 15 got married-well, 13
got married-and had 53 children. At this point the growing size and
power of the Vilkons was recognised, so the furthest reaching cousins
joined and had families of their own. I lost count how many came next
and already some of them are married and celebrating births of their
first babies. But anyway, there are so many of them that naturally,
groups would form. These groups became known as Sects. The Vilkons have
so much power it’s preposterous. These Sects are either rather
gracious or power-hungry, fighting over each other’s territory
and power. Some, like Kron’s, are daring enough to try and take
all the power there is.”
“And…which sect is Kiyor part of?” Rowan asked.
“Kiyor?” Vera looked round. “Who spies on the Vilkons?”
“I do!” came the call from the darkness.
“Please answer this young lady’s question!” she ordered, indicating Rowan.
“Kiyor is part of Sassaren’s Sect,
they’re…a bit strange!” There was a ripple of
whispers and mutterings in confusion.
Vera seemed dismayed. “And you don’t have an answer for this…strangeness!”
“Well…no!”
“Find out the reason!” snapped Vera. “You won’t do anything else until you do!”
“Could a warring family be trying to take advantage of me?” asked Rowan.
The older woman gave a rue grin. “A lot of
families are at war…secretly of course. I don’t see why
you would be a target unless your mother had her eyes on one of
them.”
Rowan signalled Manar to take out the money.
“Is there someone we can get information about the Vampire
activities from?”
Vera seemed anxious. “What for? You’re not finding me unreliable are you?”
“Not at all, it’s just that you’re
better at giving information on human activities and not of very many
other creatures.”
“Correction, I can give detailed information
on the Sorcerer’s Guild as well. I’ll give you the name of
our contact but please, do me a…small favour.”
“What is it?” asked Rowan.
“Pass word around about my business.”
Rowan shrugged. “Alright, I’ll bring you lots of customers.”
Vera smiled in satisfaction. “I’m so
glad that I have friends as powerful and reliable as you. To get
information on Vampire activities, see the wise Lord Winguard. But I
should warn you, don’t trade with him often; he charges ludicrous
prices-and not by money. You’ll find him at the abandoned chapel
on the edge of the Brendant territory. Oh Manar, it’s so good to
see that little bag. Please take it Anton.” A small boy came up
to Manar, who gave the bag to him. “Sancta!”
“Yes Mam!”
“Show our guests out,” ordered Vera.
“Thank you Vera, as always,” Rowan said as she departed.