{"id":5013,"date":"2017-03-06T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2017-03-06T05:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=5013"},"modified":"2017-03-21T07:32:25","modified_gmt":"2017-03-21T11:32:25","slug":"unusual-guardian-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/unusual-guardian-part-three\/","title":{"rendered":"A Most Unusual Guardian, Part Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Most Unusual Guardian
\n<\/strong>By Aaron Canton
\n\u2014Part Three\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Architecture firms; vendors of building supplies\u2014wood, metal, hired men to dig and build; government offices where zoning and building permissions were handled, filed in triplicate, and then buried in a maze of paperwork; mage halls containing magic-trained mercenaries prepared to serve in whatever capacity their mystical arts could assist with; restaurants, caf\u00e9s, and the seediest of pubs where said mages congregated after work; more firms, more vendors, more offices…<\/p>\n

It was nearly midnight by the time Jadie dragged herself to the little inn she\u2019d decided would be her new base of operations. Her room at the Stately Lady was too obvious and ostentatious; Gerard might know of it already. So she instead removed the flower from her hair, wrapped herself in a cloak and hood, and checked herself into a quiet room in the Flaming Pitch just outside Viscosa\u2019s walls. There, she thought, she could go over what she knew and suspected about Renatta\u2019s vault so she could work on her plan.<\/p>\n

The broad strokes were simple: Gerard had the amulet, and Jadie wanted it. She didn\u2019t know where he was, where he was staying, or what safe houses he might have\u2014but she knew he\u2019d break into the vault soon so as to steal the second amulet. She just had to get into it first, wait for him, then get around him and lock him inside the vault before fleeing and tipping off Renatta that a thief was around. Then Renatta could have Gerard arrested and interrogated until he gave up the location of the first amulet\u2014or until he simply dropped it, if he had it on him. And then Violet would be happy again, and Jadie could go to Warus with a clear conscience.<\/p>\n

Actually getting into the vault was another matter entirely. Jadie had found the mages, architects, and builders who had set up Renatta\u2019s new treasury. Although she\u2019d convinced them to tell her much of what they\u2019d done\u2014and burgled their offices to look at the detailed schematics\u2014so far all that was accomplished seemed to intimidate her. The vault was a new basement structure next to the Renatta mansion consisting of one room set at the far end of a long, narrow hallway. That corridor was an absolute nightmare to get through without knowledge of the \u201csafe\u201d path. There were sections with physical traps that would launch arrows dipped in paralyzing powders or simply drop the intruder into a pit while sounding an array of magical alarms, followed by sections full of wards that would wreck any intruder. Some of the trapped sections were even timed, with spells set to go off if a visitor stepped on the entrance ward but didn\u2019t reach the exit one in time (presumably on the basis that an intruder would be more hesitant and take longer than someone who actually knew the route). One could make their way through easily by knowing the right path, the flagstones to step on and those to avoid… but of course that was the one thing she hadn\u2019t been able to finagle out of those who had built the vault.<\/p>\n

Yes, she had her plant magic, and she was a pretty good thief besides, but this was the hardest mission she\u2019d ever tried to crack by far. She didn\u2019t even know if her instructors could manage it, much less her.<\/p>\n

But if she was having trouble, she decided, Gerard might be having more\u2014after all, however talented he was, he didn\u2019t have her plant magic. And besides, he was arrogant enough that he might wait a few days for the baron to bolster security before making his run for the amulet. So Jadie probably had time. She could get local supplies, write to Westwick and have them send her some resources, do more scouting, maybe find some former employees of the baron\u2019s who could be persuaded to talk\u2014<\/p>\n

She entered her room while deep in thought, saw the pile of gold sitting on the table, and swiveled just in time to see Gerard the Fang walk into the room behind her. \u201cJadie Rivers,\u201d Gerard said, eyes twinkling. \u201cYour ten percent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Jadie asked after a few moments of reeling from shock. \u201cWhat ten percent?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gerard shut the door behind him and bowed slightly. \u201cFrom the little job we did earlier. You were gone when I got back to your vantage point on the street, and you didn\u2019t seem to be coming back to your room at the Stately Lady, so I took the liberty of giving it to you here. The amulet was already valuated by my client, so I figured I could take care of the payment here and now.\u201d His mouth curved upwards into a smile. \u201cAfter all, good help deserves to be paid promptly\u2014and you were superlative, Jadie. Well done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jadie took a deep breath to clear her mind enough to work out what to say next. \u201cHow did you find me?\u201d she demanded at last.<\/p>\n

Gerard clicked his tongue. \u201cSurely you were taught the easiest way to follow someone is to simply figure out where they\u2019re going and beat them there? I know how the thieves guild trains its students to look for hide-outs\u2014places outside the center of town and away from guards, places frequented by day laborers and short-term guests where they won\u2019t be noticed, places with solid walls so the rooms are defensible if an enemy does manage to track you down… really, when you think about it, this was the most suitable place by a mile according to all the rules you know. So I chatted with the clerk, paid to assign you this room when you arrived, and waited for you to show up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jadie flushed in embarrassment. \u201cThen why wait around?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou could have just left the gold. I\u2019d have figured out where it came from.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, when someone does a job for me and takes off before I can pay them, it makes me curious.\u201d Gerard raised an eyebrow. \u201cSomething wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

She knew she could try to bluff or lie, but Jadie had a feeling that wouldn\u2019t work on Gerard the Fang. And besides, Jadie thought, he needed to know she hated what he\u2019d done to Violet. She was representing the Westwick Thieves Guild, after all. He had to know they wouldn\u2019t tolerate this.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou robbed a child,\u201d she said at last. \u201cI thought you were going after the father. I mean, he totally deserves it. But you stole from the girl.\u201d She clenched a fist. \u201cYou hurt her, and she didn\u2019t deserve it. She\u2019s just a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gerard looked at Jadie for a long moment before a smile slipped across his face. \u201cReally?\u201d he said. \u201cA thief with scruples? What are they teaching at your guild?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat we have a responsibility to others,\u201d growled Jadie. \u201cThat because we take, we also have to give back; protect; look out for innocents.\u201d Her eyes narrowed. \u201cWhat client was so important that you robbed the girl instead of anyone else in this city?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA Warus warlord,\u201d said Gerard easily. \u201cThe trinket I took was a gift from the king signifying his favor. A lot of warlords would like such a jewel that indicates they\u2019ve earned the favor of the king of Raleigh. It tends to… help one\u2019s negotiating position.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe king obviously didn\u2019t give the amulet to a warlord!\u201d insisted Jadie. \u201cSomebody will tell the king\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Gerard chuckled. \u201cReally? Would you? Knowing there was a chance, however faint, the king really had given the amulet to that warlord and he might interpret your comment that he could never have done such a thing as calling him stupid for making that decision?\u201d He shook his head. \u201cNobody will challenge it. My client will enjoy a very nice advantage in the trade negotiations. And I, of course, had the satisfaction of putting one over on Baron Renatta, who was so crude as to boast at a dinner party last month that thanks to his new vault, nobody could rob him\u2014which I took as a personal challenge. Of course, catching him napping outside the vault is no big deal… so I\u2019ll have to crack the vault itself later. Just to show I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jadie didn\u2019t respond for a long moment. She had to get rid of him, she thought, so she could work out her plan to break into the vault. If she got all her supplies quickly enough, she could probably do it within a few days; maybe she could scare him into laying low until then. \u201cI\u2019ll report you to the Westwick Thieves Guild,\u201d she said at last. \u201cThey\u2019ll stop you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would be honored if they tried,\u201d said Gerard lightly. \u201cIt\u2019s been too long since I\u2019ve had a proper nemesis. The last one was… almost three years ago, I think. I almost wish I hadn\u2019t dropped him into that cursed tomb; he made things fun.\u201d He shrugged. \u201cBut that\u2019s for the future. Will you tell your guild about me before or after you try to break into the vault yourself and steal my prize?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jadie\u2019s mouth dropped. \u201cWhat\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear Jadie, I\u2019m just as capable of finding out who Renatta hired to build his vault as you are. I talked to a few key apprentice mages and assistant architects when I arrived in town, told them to let me know if anybody odd questioned their masters. And you would not believe the reports they sent me today.\u201d His eyes gleamed. \u201cYou want to hit the vault before me so you can get the second amulet for yourself. Come on, Jadie. We\u2019re both thieves. You can protest about robbing kids all you want; we both know we both want the same things.\u201d<\/p>\n

That wasn\u2019t true, Jadie thought\u2014she didn\u2019t want the amulet; she just wanted to stop Gerard. But if he\u2019d finally made a mistake about her, she wasn\u2019t going to tell him. \u201cYeah,\u201d she insisted. \u201cI do. And I\u2019ll get it too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gerard chuckled. \u201cJadie. I do respect your abilities, and in ten years or so you may be one of the best thieves in Raleigh. But right now, Renatta\u2019s vault is… quite simply, it\u2019s out of your league. I myself may have some difficulty. A novice like you? No chance.\u201d He held up a hand. \u201cAs a professional courtesy, from one thief to another\u2014you aren\u2019t ready for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no hint of deception in his voice that Jadie could make out\u2014he meant it. And he was probably right too, Jadie knew. But she couldn\u2019t stop; Violet needed her. \u201cGuess we\u2019ll see soon enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe certainly will,\u201d said Gerard. \u201cTonight, in fact.\u201d\u00a0 Jadie couldn\u2019t stop her mouth from dropping, and Gerard\u2019s eyes twinkled. \u201cYes, Jadie. Tonight. In and out by sunrise. Exactly at sunrise, in fact, because that\u2019s when a silver caravan passes by the Renatta mansion, and I figure I might as well nab that too while I\u2019m here. What, were you thinking I\u2019d need a few days to get ready?\u201d He turned towards the door, but then looked back at her and shot a grin over his shoulder. \u201cSorry, Jadie, but that\u2019s the difference between a talented amateur and a pro like me. So if you\u2019re really dead-set on trying this, then… well, good luck. You\u2019ll need it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he reached for the door, Jadie grasped at her vines and sent them at him in pure desperation\u2014but his eyes flicked down to the reflective brass of the doorknob, where the vines were dimly reflected, and he easily spun to the side and dodged. \u201cReally?\u201d he asked as Jadie\u2019s vines retracted. \u201cThat\u2019s it?\u201d And then he slipped out the door before Jadie could attack him again.<\/p>\n

Jadie waited until his footsteps had faded away before slamming the door shut and locking it. Then she sank to the ground, putting her head in her hands. \u201cNow what?\u201d she muttered. \u201cI have to get into the vault tonight? I don\u2019t have supplies, tools, help from Westwick\u2014what am I supposed to do?\u201d She thought of her mission, the crucial job she had to do in Warus. Maybe, she thought, she really should give up and lie low until it was time for her to leave.<\/p>\n

But then she thought of Violet, with her red cheeks and tear-streaked face. And she thought of Gerard\u2019s smug face, his glib dismissal that anything mattered besides seizing goods from whoever had them. She couldn\u2019t let that stand. She had to do something.<\/p>\n

After all, if she did otherwise\u2014if she took from others but did nothing to help those who needed it\u2014was she really all that much better than Gerard?<\/p>\n

After a long moment, she pushed herself to her feet, then went to a counter and spread out the plans stashed in her pack. If she had to get into the vault tonight, then she would. That was all there was to it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Most Unusual Guardian By Aaron Canton \u2014Part Three\u2014     Architecture firms; vendors of building supplies\u2014wood, metal, hired men to dig and build; government offices where zoning and building permissions were handled, filed in triplicate, and then buried in a maze of paperwork; mage halls containing magic-trained mercenaries prepared to serve in whatever capacity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[1302,1496,273,840,837,149],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Jadie-Finished.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-1iR","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5013"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5013"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5014,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5013\/revisions\/5014"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}