2.

It was still night when the two approached the ruins of what once might have been a watchtower. Now it was nothing but gutted stonework and rotting wooden planks arranged in a rough circle. One of the walls still remained almost intact, standing tall and leaning slightly from age and abuse. It cast a shadow over the shabby houses nearby, threatening to bury them with rubble the day it collapsed, but for now the ruins still remained. They smelled of old dust and fresh piss.

“Not the place I'd go looking for a noble. You’re really taking the undercover thing seriously, huh?” Said Kinari while wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“This is the best place we could find in short notice, away from prying eyes,” replied Abraxas calmly. He made his way through the remains and, after briefly searching the floor, tapped twice on a part of the floor that was different from the rest. It was only when they heard three taps back from the other side did Kinari notice it was a trapdoor. The hinges blended with the broken masonry and while there had once been a ring or some way to pull open the trapdoor, that ring was long gone. After the three knocks back Abraxas got up and waited as the trapdoor opened, and the man who opened it climbed a ladder back down the narrow hole to allow the two standing above him entrance.

“I will go in first,” he said. “And introduce you to the others. I don’t think first impressions are your forte.”

“Hey, ya never know!” She shouted at him as he climbed down the ladder. “They might fall in love with me at first sight!”

When she went down the ladder they did not, in fact, fall in love with her at first sight.

She was greeted by a dingy, ruined basement lit by two portable oil lanterns and a small fire in the centre under a cookpot. Part of the ceiling had caved in, and there was broken furniture and moldy wood planks piled in the corners of the cellar in an attempt to keep the centre clean. In the middle of the room the remaining unbroken furniture and some boxes were arranged as makeshift tables and benches while a tent made of sail cloth was set up in the corner, covering two broken beds. Those were the only evidence that the basement was currently a living space, rather than an abandoned, broken down ruin.

“What is the meaning of this?” Asked an angry-looking man.

The stares that greeted Kinari were even less welcoming. Aside from Abraxas, three other men were in the basement, all staring at their new guest in different degrees of surprise and disgust. In contrast with their surroundings, they were well dressed, in well-fitted armor that covered them from neck to toe, a mixture of leather and plate that allowed for mobility while still protecting the most vulnerable parts. The plate portions were engraved and decorated beyond what was seen in the armor of an average soldier, with details of silver and gold. The one who had just spoken had a sword drawn and was glaring at Kinari.

“Why is this half-blood with you, Sire? And why did you bring it down here?” He asked again, taking a step towards her. He still did not raise his sword, but his cheeks were red with anger, contrasting with his greying goatee.

“She is a mercenary,” replied Abraxas. “And I hired her to help us with our current, hmm, situation.” He was calm as ever, pulling back his cloak. His face was severe, as was his piercing stare which he now turned towards the other man. “This is our best option, given the circumstances.”

“Wow, you really make a girl feel wanted,” said Kinari, ending her quip with a chuckle as she swaggered into the camp, seizing the place up and down before staring at the man with the sword. He glared back at her. “Interesting. So it’s not just one stray noble but a whole pack of them? And not living the high life, are we? What are you, a ragtag bunch of rebels? Like the new Odyssean Order?”

“Hiring one of tainted blood. Unusual,” said another man sitting on a box with a book in his hands. He carefully earmarked his place in the book with a piece of fabric before closing it. Unlike his other fellow, his face showed no anger, but rather a morbid curiosity as he took in Kinari’s yellow eyes, green warts and her tall, bulky body.

“I hired her because her kind is normally the last we would associate with,” replied Abraxas, putting himself between Kinari and the rest of the group. “We stand out too much among the commoners. But she can move among them freely without drawing suspicion to us.”

“But what of her loyalty?” Asked the man with the book.

“She has a vested interest in leaving the town,” said Abraxas. “And I approached her myself, so I doubt she is a spy.” He took off his cheap, hooded cape as he spoke, and then his shirt, with little regard for the people around him. His body under his peasant clothes was wiry and athletic, like a gymnast’s, and age had done little to weaken it.

“Just because she’s not in the Adran council’s pockets doesn’t mean she won’t betray us if opportunity presents it, Sire,” insisted the man with the sword. “I know things are dire, but we cannot risk putting our trust in anyone who comes by -”

He was interrupted by Abraxas raising his hand in a firm motion. He did not say a word, but the other man went quiet as he looked restlessly from Kinari then back to Abraxas, who had now put a belt full of knives around his waist. The belt was made of good leather, with rows of daggers evenly spaced as they gleamed with well-maintained and polished deadliness. In silence, he took the two daggers that were hooked into his other belt and slipped them into empty spots next to his other knives. Only then he looked up.

“Dire circumstances require dire measures,” said Abraxas. “And if hiring a half-blood to be our guide will help us get home, I will do so. Do you understand, Pavlos?”

“But - ”

“What is our motto?” Asked Abraxas, interrupting Pavlos and taking one step closer to him. They were now within reach of each other and Pavlos swallowed and looked down at his sword before responding.

“To Protect the Sacred Blood, No Matter the Cost.”

All the men in the room grew somber when they heard that. Abraxas pressed on.

“I am willing to sacrifice my life, or all of our lives, to protect the noblest of the Blood. You understand? Compared to that, hiring a half-breed is hardly the worst sacrifice.”

He turned to the rest of the room and added: “I hired Kinari and have put my trust in her. Therefore, I will not tolerate any arguments or fights, nor those who start them. If any of you have a problem, you may talk to me. That goes for everyone.”

He looked at each one as he spoke, ending his gaze at Kinari, who stood there with her arms crossed and a wry smile on her lips, but she did not say anything.

Reluctantly, Pavlos sheathed his sword and backed away, throwing Kinari one lost dirty look. The man with the book, on the other hand, rose from his seat and, to her surprise, actually did a curt bow. It was the shallowest bow one could perform without turning it into a nod, but that was far more than a noble would normally perform towards a commoner, nevermind a half-blood.

“My name is Darius Ex Sykiel. Pleased to make your acquaintance..”

“Don’t give her your family name, you fool!” Shouted Pavlos in mortified anger. The recently introduced Darius ignored him, looking expectantly at Kinari instead.

“Uh… Yeah, sure,” she replied after a moment of stupefied silence. Awkwardly, she bowed back. “I’m Kinari. No family name, of course.”

Pavlos reacted to that interaction with a disgusted sigh. Abraxas finished putting on a new, much more expensive-looking shirt and turned to Kinari as if nothing had happened.

“You already know Pavlos and Darius,” he said, gesturing at one who glared at her and the other who had now sat down and resumed reading his book. “The one tending to the campfire is Hector.”

A man in leather armor and dirty blonde hair waved at them, but said nothing. He looked like the youngest of the group, barely out of his teens. He also had a belt full of daggers on display.

“Aside from us, there are only two others, including our, hmm, master,” said Abraxas. He cleared his throat and his expression grew even more severe than usual, which was quite an accomplishment. “I must remind you that disrespect towards him will not be tolerated. Mind your manners.”

“What I said before also stands,” said Kinari,putting her hands on her hips.

“We are done with introductions, for now,” said Abraxas. “So let’s focus on the next step, and why we are hiring your services. You mentioned before that you have connections with… Smugglers? Or people of similar skills?”

“Yeah, I do,” she replied. “Let me guess, you guys want to go somewhere without attracting attention?”

There was a tense pause, a sense that this was truly the threshold of no return. Once this was said, it could not be unheard. All eyes were now on the conversation between the two, and all looked tense except for Kinari, who looked curiously back at Abraxas.

“Our goal,” he said, “is to travel past the Adran military border and into Viridia, without attracting any, hmm, undue attention from any soldiers or the nobility. We ask you to help us get there, unnoticed.”

The silence intensified as all eyes focused on her, and her reaction to this new information. She smiled. Then her smile widened into a full grin, showing her large yellow teeth as she looked back at each man with renewed interest and newfound understanding.

“A bunch of Nobles, in hiding from the authorities, trying to get past the military blockade? O-ho-ho! Now I get it!” Her eyes lit up with glee. “That explains the whole hiding thing. I can’t believe this! You’re not only nobles, but you’re Viridian nobles! Here, in the middle of enemy land!”

She let slip a chuckle that evolved into a full-on laugh. The other men all looked at her with increased tension, so solid now that you could feel it, like the power of a coil tightened into a tight spring, ready to unwind.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” She said, after her laughter had finished. “You’re all nobles stuck behind the enemy lines! If the Adran nobles catch you? Oh boy! Oh-ho-ho! Oh, this is bad!” She laughed again, looking at each one in turn. “You guys are fucked! Now I get why you hired me! Ha! Yeah, I get it now. You guys are really, really fingerbanging fucked!”

Her gloating was interrupted by a quick motion on Abraxas’ part. In a burst of action a dagger flew from his hand and pinned Kinari’s braid to a broken cabinet behind her with pinpoint precision.

“Ow! What the bloody hell?” She shouted, her head having been pulled back by the force which had pinned her. Her braid prevented her from freely moving her head and she needed to crouch and move back to realize what had happened. With a scowl she groped for the knife to free herself, only for a second knife to hit the cabinet with a dull thud, pinning the sleeve of her armor to the cabinet.

“Our circumstances are dire, I will not deny that,” said Abraxas as he calmly walked towards her. “But you do not seem to realize that so are yours.”

Kinari glared back at him.

“Our fates are now intertwined,” Abraxas lectured. “If we are returned safely home, then you will be greatly rewarded. Not only that, but you will have earned the favor of powerful people, which is an opportunity that one of your kind would never normally get. On the other hand, if you betray or abandon us there will be no mercy for you. We will hunt you down and make you pay for turning your back on us, and we are more than capable enough to do so. Do you understand?”

“You talk too much,” she muttered back before gripping the handle of the knife with her mouth and pulling it out with her teeth. Once her arm was free she pulled the one pinning her hair and dropped both knives on the ground. “What was the point of this little circus trick?” She demanded, kicking both knives away and crossing her arms in a defiant pose.

“To remind you of your position,” replied Abraxas. “To emphasise the fact that any single person in this room could kill you in an instant if they so wished.”

All three other men were now looking at them, and Kinari in particular, their stares hard and without sympathy. She just scowled back at them, but her previous bravado was now gone. She looked left and right like a cornered animal.

“Doesn’t change the fact you guys are fucked, and need my help,” she said. After a sigh, she added, “and I will help you. Said I would and I don’t back down on my word. So long as there are no more fucking threats!”

“Not a threat, I was only clarifying your situation,” replied Abraxas mildly as he walked to her. He picked up his two knives left on the floor and calmly put them in his belt as if he had dropped them by accident and nothing else had happened.

“Why can’t you be like your friend here and treat me like a fucking person? Is that so hard?” she insisted, gesturing at Darius who looked up from his book.

“I was only doing as I was told?” Darius replied, mildly confused as he held his book tightly.

“I respect Darius’ choice, but you cannot expect us all to bow to you, that is unreasonable,” said Abraxas. “Will you do as you’re told or not?”

“Yeah, I will, so long as you treat me like a fucking person!” She replied, crossing her arms. “That is not negotiable. No threats or treating me like a traitor before I even did anything. Call me half breed if you must, but that’s as far as I’ll take. If you expect me to bow down and eat shit without complaining then we got a big problem!”

The two stared at each other for a moment, neither blinking or looking away. In that silence, everyone heard muffled noises coming from nearby.

“Are you --- prudent, Your Lordship?” Asked one of the voices.

“I’m only --- ,” said the other voice, barely heard from where Kinari and Abraxas stood.

Then one of the doors in the basement opened, revealing a smaller room that must have been a storage area at one point. It was cleaner than the previous room, and had a bed with linens and even an actual pillow. From this room emerged two people, an older man wearing heavy armor just as the other nobles, and sporting long white hair which he had in a braid. He walked in first, while holding the other’s hand as he guided him into the room.

The one behind him was dressed in the finest clothes Kinari had ever seen. Not only a silk shirt with golden trimmings and purple velvet pants, but also a silver bracelet and even a headband with a jewel in the middle, which kept his shoulder-length black hair from getting in front of his vaguely feminine face. No armor though, Kinari noticed. He also walked slowly, his head held high and not bothering to look at anyone in a way that Kinari first pegged as incredibly snobby until he walked further into the room and the light revealed his eyes as milky-white and completely still, not moving or reacting to the light.

He was blind.

“What is all this commotion?” Asked the blind noble, turning his head this way and that. “Is everything alright?”

Abraxas glared at Kinari before turning to him. “Pardon us, Your Lordship,” he said. “We have hired a new guide and were, hmm, discussing terms of her employment.”

“Ah, so you found a guide after all? That is good news,” said the other, smiling at the room at large. “And what the guide’s name, if I may ask?”

All eyes turned to Kinari, except obviously the ones belonging to the boy who had asked the question. She frowned, but took a step forward.

“My name’s Kinari, um, sir,” she said. “And as for the disagreement? These guys here keep threatening me and then insisting I treat you with respect, and I will tell you the same thing I’ve been telling this whole time: I give respect only to those who respect me. If that’s not good enough then just knife me and get it over with. Because I ain’t bowing for people who treat me like dirt.”

The silence grew even more tense following her words, with the eyes that stared at her becoming grim and alert. Everyone in the room seemed to adjust their stance, ready for action. Even Kinari seemed to be bracing for the impact of her words, her eyes squinting and her back straight. But the blind boy’s smile did not waver, although he did tilt his head while he considered it.

“That seems fair,” he nodded, still smiling. “If you’ve given your name then it’s only fair I give you mine, right?”

“Your Lordship, that is not - ” said Abraxas, but his objection was interrupted by his lord, who stunned everyone in the room by bowing deeply in Kinari’s general direction. This was not even a courtesy bow like Darius’ a few moments ago, but a deep bow of significant respect that a lord only exchanged for one of the same standing or higher.

“My name is Demian. And I pay you my deepest respects, Miss Kinari. I am sure your help will prove invaluable to us.”

Kinari was as stunned by this turn of events as anyone. There was a sharp intake of breath from the other nobles in the room, and Pavlos was the first to brake the silence:

“You pay far too much respect to her, my lord,” he said. “Not only is she a commoner, but she is also of... Tainted blood! Please, you don’t have to lower your station because of our circumstances!”

Demian turned to Pavlos and nodded. “I see. That explains some things. But at the moment we are not in our lands and not surrounded by our people. Is this really the time to worry about proper etiquette?” He let the question hang in the air, before gently adding, “thank you for your concern, Sir Pavlos. It does you credit.”

“I... Thank you, Your Lordship,” said Pavlos, still not sounding convinced. Demian smiled more, before turning towards Kinari.

“Is this appropriate, Miss Kinari? Or perhaps we could do my family’s traditional greeting? If you’ll allow me a moment to get on my knees I will do my best to kiss your feet properly. That it is the traditional greeting of my family,” he said, exploring the area around him gingerly with his feet and brushing his knees, as if preparing to kneel.

“No, no, no!” Said Kinari, eyes wide as words tumbled out of her mouth. “I mean… It’s ok! I was talking about… Respect? Normal stuff, you know? Not… I mean, you don’t have to...”

Her flow of words went from a furious stream to a complete stop, and she turned to Abraxas helplessly, lost in a world that suddenly made no sense. Everyone in the room was looking at her with a hint of amusement now.

“It appears Your Lordship has silenced even our guide. Impressive,” said Abraxas, and the whole room broke into nervous laughter at that comment. Kinari did not seem amused, looking around in increasing suspicion, while Abraxas remained stoic as ever. Demian did not laugh out loud, but his faint smile remained firmly in place.

“You’re… making fun of me,” muttered Kinari, after the laughter died down.

“My family’s traditional greeting is not quite that,” he admitted. “But the sentiment behind it was honest, Kinari. I do want to make sure you are respected and welcomed in our midst. As much as possible of course, given our different standings.”

“Uh, yeah. I get ya,” she nodded, still insecure. “So everyone else here, they are your… Guards?”

Demian tilted his head again, as he usually did when thinking. “How much do you know about noble houses, Miss Kinari?”

“Kinari’s fine,” she said. “And, well, I know they got the Gifts of Ellora running in their bloodlines. And that’s why they own land and can do all sorts of weird stuff. Uhh, never actually talked to a lord before today.” She fidgeted nervously, as a schoolkid put on the spot. Demian smiled.

“I see. It is actually common for even minor lords to have a small guard protecting them, if they happen to own land. Which I do, although not very much to be honest. My holdings may be modest, but I promise you there will be a great reward in store for you if you bring us home. Would that be acceptable?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. I mean, I usually charge ahead, but, umm... ” She looked lost for words for a moment before shrugging. “It’s fine.”

“I’m afraid I can’t offer you my hand in marriage though, for I am already betrothed. Your compensation will only be in coin, I must make clear.”

“What? No, I don’t - !” Kinari stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Another joke?”

“Oh no, I really am betrothed,” replied Demian. “I am sure you are a beautiful and strong maiden, with a heart kind enough to help us and brave enough to face danger for our sake. But I am already taken, so your charms are wasted on me, regretfully.” He said with a small shrug adding to his apology.

These last words brought a new wave of reactions across the room. Pavlos made a strangled noise, while Hector barely muffled his laughter and the one who guided Demian into the room, the one with his hair in a braid, did not bother hiding his own cackle. Abraxas frowned, but said nothing, while Kinari opened her mouth like a fish, eyes wide, and was unable to reply. Under her greasy hair and green warts, her cheeks flushed. Demian still smiled, seemingly unaware of the reactions to his compliment.

“Alright, your lordship. I think that’s enough,” said the man with the braid. “They need to plan the next steps of our travels, yes?”

“Oh. Sorry if I interrupted anything,” said Demian.

“Not to worry, your Lordship,” said Abraxas. “You must rest well for the next step of our journey.”

“Very well, we will talk more later. And thank you for your service, everyone! We will make it through this challenge, together.”

“Thank you, Your Lordship,” said Abraxas, along with a chorus of agreement and thanks from the others. Demian was led back into the side room and the door closed behind him as everyone stared in respectful silence, even Kinari.

“Well… Alright then! I better get started by going back up and asking some questions,” she said, looking towards the ladder. “Getting out of town shouldn’t be too difficult if we pick a busy time at the gate and you’re all properly dressed. But before I go, can I get a sense of how much money we have on hand?” She asked, then paused. “You do have money, don’t you?”

“We expected to all go together with you when arranging our passage out of here,” said Abraxas.

“And if you think you’re taking our money and walking out of here all by yourself, think again, half-blood!” Interjected Pavlos. Kinari rolled her eyes and groaned.

“You’re better off not coming with me for this first bit. No offense but you lot stick out like a cockroach in a marble table. And I need to know what I have to work with. This is gonna go much easier if you guys can afford stuff like peasant clothes, food and bribes. Relax, I’m not taking your money right now. Just need to know what we’re working with here.”

There was another pause and exchange of glances. This time they seemed more subdued, displeased even. It was Abraxas who broke the ice, after clearing his throat.

“We do have some, hmm, valuables. But not a lot. And much of it is valuable objects that still need to be exchanged for money.”

Kinari raised a single eyebrow and said nothing, while Abraxas, after some hesitation, took a bag on top of the table and threw it to her. She looked inside and raised her other eyebrow.

“A bag of random coins?” She put her hand inside and rummaged through the bag, pulling out things as she spoke. “A gold ring? Silver buckles taken off a shoe?” She dropped them back in the bag and looked at them all, eyes wide. “Did you guys nick this stuff?”

“I prefer the term 'acquiring resources while in enemy soil’ myself,” said the one tending the cooking pot, sniggering. The others had at least the decency of looking embarrassed, with one exception:

“In dire times we do what needs to be done,” said Abraxas.

“By stealing random shit?” She scoffed. “Where did you steal this stuff from?”

“Mostly, the large mansion next to a bridge, north of here. It looked like a Merchant’s place.”

Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. “Vincenzo’s? You stole this stuff from Vincenzo’s home?” She covered her face with her hand and sighed, like a teacher after receiving a particularly stupid answer.

“We were not spotted,” added Darius, closing his book again. “We thought there would be less security than a noble house, while still having valuables.”

“But now you got a merchant pissed!” She replied. “You didn’t just take their stuff, you entered their home! Don’t you get it? Nobody takes kindly to that, and merchants have a lot of gold to spread. There will be hired thugs and militia all over town looking for these valuables! If you wanted to attract less attention why not rob a warehouse or a store? That’s a whole lot less personal! Do it right and people may not even notice stuff went missing until days later. A house makes it personal!”

“Pardon us,” replied Hector sarcastically, looking up from his pot. “We didn’t go to criminal school like you obviously did.”

“Yeah, no kidding!” Said Kinari without any hint of offense. “Well, you’re not going to be able to sell this stuff without attracting attention. We’ll have to melt a lot of it and sell the metal. That’ll give us enough for supplies, but not nearly enough for good bribes. Fuck!”

“We could acquire more, if you suggest the right targets,” said Darius getting up and placing his book on the crate he was sitting on. Abraxas stopped him with a gesture.

“I would prefer to not attract any more attention,” he said with a frown. He looked increasingly displeased as he heard Kinari describe their mistake. “Can we make do with what we have at hand? At least until we leave the town.”

“Ugh,” She took another look at the contents of the bag, then closed it. “I guess, but don’t expect us to afford a coach. We’ll need to walk all the way out. Do you guys have any noble houses actively searching for you, right now?”

“They shouldn’t be, not yet,” said Abraxas. “But I cannot promise how long that will last”

She made a face, then tossed the bag back at Abraxas, who caught it with one hand.

“Great. First things first, I’ll check out if we’re being hunted. Then tomorrow I’ll sell whatever we can off the random junk you guys nicked and buy our supplies. You guys stay put and try not to piss anyone else off. Faster we can get out of here, the better. Any complaints about that plan?”

There was a pause. “You really plan on doing all that by yourself? Unsupervised?” Asked Pavlos.

“You can maybe follow me when selling the goods or buying supplies. If you keep quiet” she said. “But when it comes to information gathering? Nah, I need to be alone. At one point you’ll have to put your trust in me. I mean, if you don’t trust me then why the hell would you hire me?”

She crossed her arms and stared back at the other men without flinching. Pavlos glared, Hector smirked and Darius had already returned to his book. After a moment, Abraxas dismissed her with a wave, his expression still stoic as always.

“You’re free to go. For now, you have our trust.”

She smiled for the first time in the conversation, not a sarcastic or smug smile, but a genuine one. “And I promise not to break that trust! when I promise something, I stick to it! You’re all in good hands!” And with one last chuckle, she climbed the ladder out of the basement and lifted the trapdoor, closing it behind her.

In the silence that followed, all eyes turned to Abraxas.

“Do you want her followed?” Asked Darius, marking his place on his book.

“Let me do it!” Said Hector, getting up from his spot by the fire. “I promise she won’t see me, Sire. Please?”

Their leader looked fixedly at the trapdoor that Kinari had just left from, lost in his thoughts.

“Very well. You may go, Hector. Stay out of her sight and report to us where she goes and what she does.”