Bad to the Throne, page 24
part #15 of The Good Guys Series
As we walked down the alley, I had a feeling that people were watching us from the darkened windows above. But when I glanced around, I saw nothing but empty apartments.
At the end of the alley, we hit a staircase going down to a door.
Valamir didn’t even pause — he went straight down.
At the base of the stairwell, he turned to look over at me. I think to make sure I was still there. Then he knocked on the door.
Actually, it was a knock, a slap, two knocks, another knock, a slap, then a pause. Then two slaps and a knock. A pause. Then two knocks, a slap, and a knock.
“What was all that?” I asked.
Valamir just shushed me.
The wall next to Valamir shifted a little, and then opened. A door had been carved out of the rock, and a man in full armor stood in the doorway.
“This is him?” the man asked.
“It is.”
“You vouch for him?”
“I do.”
“He is to be admitted?”
“I request it thusly.”
“He will be considered.”
Valamir gave the armored fellow a nod and then headed back up the stairs.
I glanced in his direction, and then at the new guy.
“Come,” the new man said, turning and heading down the stairwell that the stone door revealed.
I shrugged and followed the guy down the stairs.
“Can I ask questions?” I asked.
“There shall be no speaking unless answering a question from the Veilwardens.”
“Got it.”
The man stopped and looked at me. “There shall be no speaking unless answering a question from the Veilwardens.”
I nodded.
He nodded.
We continued on down the stairs.
Down and down we went. One. Extremely. Long. Staircase. Like, really long. Like, why weren’t there landings and where were we going?
Finally, I saw a landing ahead that had a metal door at one end.
I glanced over my shoulder. I couldn’t see the door we’d come through initially, just the stairs lit by regular glow-stone sconces. Which provided a trippy view, all things considered.
When we got to the metal door, my guide counted the nails or rivets or whatever, and pushed on a specific one. I heard a clank, like a lock releasing.
He pushed the door and walked inside.
I followed.
Into a murder tunnel.
65
The door slammed shut behind us.
Leaving us in a tunnel. Which was an impressive spot, from a defensive point of view. Narrow enough that intruders like us couldn’t swing weapons. Plenty of holes where people safely on the other side of the stone walls could poke spears or shoot bolts and arrows. I could tell there were people on the other side of the wall because I could feel them through tremorsense, but I couldn’t see them, even with darkvision.
The tunnel itself was about twenty feet long and ended at another metal door that required another specific rivet press.
That door went up and revealed a group of armed guards standing at attention. They had large shields out, like tower shields, as well as short swords and crossbows. Neither weapon was out, but I knew they were ready to rock if necessary. The room was a basic square with the same stone forming the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. In addition, there was a single door on each wall, basically right in the middle. It seemed like the room had little reason to exist other than to offer a spot where doors could go.
My guide took me through the guards, who stood still the whole time we walked through the room. But instead of going straight forward, we made a sharp right turn and went through that door. It led to another room with more doors, and it took a few more doors and hallways before we got to where we were going, which was a long rectangular space with very high ceilings and big arches.
All the markings of a cathedral, minus the really important ones that denoted the religion that worshipped there. It was very much a ritual space. A long red carpet went down the middle of the space, and there was an altar at one end with a small set of leather covered steps in front of it.
A figure stood on the other side of the altar, also wearing armor, all of it a dark blue.
“Approach,” the figure said, a voice booming through the space.
I glanced back at my guide, but he was gone.
I approached, stopping at the first step.
“Disrobe,” the figure said.
Had it not been for Valamir convincing me of the importance of this thing I was doing, I would have noped out of there right then. I did pause though, trying to decide if this was an elaborate joke of some kind. I doubted it, considering that Valamir had as much a sense of humor as an egg. It could be funny if used by someone else, but really had no comedic value on its own and probably couldn’t tell a joke to save itself.
I took off my armor and put it in a neat pile next to me. Then I added my pouches, and then my clothes. And then I stood there, naked.
“Do you have indicium?” the figure asked.
“I do,” I replied.
“Flare them, one at a time.”
I did so, starting with the Coggeshall Heraldric Achievement. Then Eona’s Blessing of the Spear, Blessing of the Hunt, and Blessing of the Blend. Typhon’s Mark of the Beast. Zothys’ Blessing of the Protector. My Choice: Burghman. The Imperial Prerogative: Magic. My Royal Blood. The Dungeons of the Ancients. My four Slayer Marks: Death Bringer. Death Bearer. Goblinbane, Scourge of Goblins. Vampire. The Seven Cycles for the Seven Strangers Survivor, which elicited the only reaction up to until the last, the Hero of the Empire.
“Is that complete?” the figure asked.
“It is,” another voice called out before I could answer, someone hidden in the darkness above.
“You are brought before the Underwatch as a candidate for membership. Do you have any reason to betray the Empire?”
“No,” I said.
A bell rang.
“Do you seek to preserve life?”
“Yes,” I said, which was mostly true.
A gong sounded.
Maybe not enough of it was true.
“You have lied–”
“I seek to preserve most of life,” I snapped, interrupting. “But there are some that have to be — I mean, I’m not going to save a goblin who’s trying to eat a baby.”
A bell rang.
“Do you seek to join the Underwatch?” the figure asked.
“I do,” I replied, really wishing I knew more about what I was doing. And committing myself to…
“Rise, oh, um, kneel.”
I kneeled.
“Sorry, now rise and continue to the altar.”
Gravitas gone, I hid my smile as I walked up the soft leather stairs to the altar.
“Place your hand upon the stone,” the figure said.
Now that I was closer, I could see a man’s face through the slits in the helm. He was still blushing over the mistake he’d made.
I dutifully put my hand on the altar in a spot that seemed to have been smoothed by a thousand other hands resting there over time.
“Repeat after me,” the man in the helm said. “I, state your name–”
“I, state your name—”
“Really?”
“I, Montana Coggeshall.”
“Swear to uphold the secrets I will learn–”
“Swear to uphold the secrets I will learn–”
“And protect the innocent from the corruption that is below.”
“And protect the innocent from the corruption that is below.”
A hammer slammed down on the back of my hand.
I clenched my teeth. That really hurt.
At roughly the same time, someone splashed healing potion on me. It didn’t feel like it did much, since my own regeneration abilities reacted faster than the potion.
“You will take the pain, and we will heal you.”
“You will take–”
“You can stop repeating.”
I nodded.
“You will take the pain and we will heal you. You will shield those above from the tooth and claws, as well as the secrets and powers from below.”
I nodded.
“Our organization can only be joined as a volunteer, no soul may be forced to serve here. Do you seek to join of your own volition?”
“Yes.”
“Do you then accept the invitation to join the Underwatch?”
“Yes.”
“We accept you as you accept us. Rise, a member of the Underwatch, part of the shield to protect those above from those below.”
You have gained the Indicium Underwatch Honorary Member. As long as you are a member in good standing, you gain two percent bonus to total health. You gain minor dark vision — negated, better ability present. You gain access to the realm under the city of Glaton.
“Welcome to the Underwatch,” the lead figure said, his voice booming out of his big helm.
66
I had a new indicium on my inner forearm, which was shaped like a shield that had a wall on the bottom part of the shield and a cavern roof with stalactites coming down on the top, and was now part of the Underwatch, a secret society of guards.
All the various guards in the room had removed their armor and helmets and were now just smiling, happy people. Their happiness was infectious, and I found myself smiling, feeling a bit excited to be part of them. I was surrounded by happy people who looked fit and capable and were down in the depths — the depths which I still didn’t understand.
The head guy took off his helmet and flashed a big smile from underneath his bushy mustache. His hair was a striking pure black, because he wasn’t old enough to have any grays yet.
I was a little confused.
“So what’s going on here? What did I just agree to keep secret?” I asked.
“How about before that, you get dressed?”
“Oh, right, um, yeah,” I said, pulling my clothes on quickly.
“Name’s Bertrand—”
“Montana.”
“Of Coggeshall, I know.”
“Right.”
“It’s not just that you just agreed,” Bertrand said, clapping his hand on my shoulder, “you’re magically compelled to keep it a secret now, mate. Sorry about that. I mean, I’m happy to keep it a secret. But can’t say I know how it makes you feel.”
“Okay, but like, what am I keeping secret?”
“Well, that’s what we’re going to show you. Haven’t had the tour yet, as I haven’t given it, because you can’t have it until after you’re sworn to secrecy. Can’t have you see the secrets then ask you to keep it secret. We’re going to show you around and then you’ll understand. Or you won’t. And if you don’t fully understand, you’re still magically compelled to keep the secrets, which is kind of why we do it this way. Because if we showed you and you didn’t understand and we kicked you out, then you could tell everything we’re trying to keep secret. Part of what we’re doing is trying to keep secret what we’re keeping secret.”
“Okay, but can you tell me what you’re keeping secret?”
“That’s what I’m about to tell you, ain’t it? I just told you we’re about to tell you what we’ve been keeping secret and then you’re going to know. And then you’re going to keep it secret. Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Great.”
“Good.”
“Come on.”
He was remarkably excited to show me his enormous secret. And frankly, I wanted to know too, because all this was somehow connected to whatever the cult was doing.
First Bertrand showed me around the underground rooms, which everyone kept referring to as “the facility.” There was the ritual space we’d just been in, plus offices for the various bigwigs, including a big one for the leader, who turned out to be Bertrand.
“You see, we’re part of the Legion, all of here are Legionnaires. But we are a smaller subset of the Thirteenth legion, which you may have heard called the missing legion. Which is kind of misleading because we’re just spread out all over the Empire, doing all the jobs the Empire doesn’t want other people to know about. And, actually, we don’t even know all the jobs the rest of our Legion is doing. Secret stuff all around. So, really, you can think about it as you’re just part of a legion.”
“There’s a whole legion down here?”
“What? No. Just said we’re a subset of a whole legion. Which is spread— are you even listening?”
“It’s a lot.”
“Yes, well, yes I suppose it is. Especially if you haven’t been in the Legion prior to now, it might be a bit… much. Listen, the whole legion is five thousand soldiers plus support staff. Of that five thousand, we are currently three hundred forty-three, plus support staff and honorary special members, of which you are now one. As is your friend Valamir, the high prince. The Emperor is also an honorary member, being that he, or she, is by default a legionnaire. And technically a member of each and every legion.”
“Cool, I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, well. Why would a member of the government know all about how the government functions? That’s a bit silly, isn’t it?” He was giving me a bit of a ribbing, and I wanted to play along and tease him as well, but I was still so fucking confused about everything, so I didn’t know how to.
“All right,” I said, “so I’m now a special member of the legion in two different ways.”
“Yes, you are,” Bertrand said with mock reverence in his voice. “Also, apparently, a duke. Shall we continue? Or would you like me to help you remember the rest of what you are?”
“No, let’s go.”
‘’Lovely! Now, come. Let me show you the rest of this place.”
We moved on from the offices to the barracks. The members had to work essentially twenty-four-hour shifts for a couple months at a time, so they would just live down there guarding. When I asked what they were guarding, he said, “Soon. It’s part of the tour. Let’s build up to it, shall we?”
“I mean, it would be a lot easier if we could just get straight to it.”
“Well, then that’d wreck the rest of the tour, wouldn’t it?”
I sighed. “I suppose. It’s just that it’s getting late, and I’d like to—”
“Is it? It’s hard to tell what time it is because we dwell in the darkness down here, don’t we? Because we’re the Underwatch.”
“Well, it looks pretty light here.”
“Except it’s the same light all the fucking time, except when you choose to sleep, you can turn the lights in your room off. But not out here, right Clarence? Gotta keep them all bright all the damn time!”
He yelled that last bit, and I had a feeling that somewhere was a man named Clarence who controlled the lighting and didn’t get along with Bertrand.
“But I’m not going to sleep down here,” I said. “So maybe—”
“Still part of the tour. I don’t want to learn to make another tour just for you, do I?”
“I guess not.”
“I do not. Now, this way, you’ll find some more rooms that you’ll probably have no use for,” Bertrand said.
He showed me the training room, and the armory, and the kitchen, where people took turns cooking meals for everyone else. Then there was the recreation area and a big bathroom.
To be fair, it was an impressive facility, and if I were in charge, I probably would have taken my time showing it off to everybody, because I would want people to be impressed with what we had going on. But it was really fucking annoying to go through the whole thing and when I knew the clock was just ticking along in the topside world.
Bertrand said that if I did ever want to avail myself of the facilities, I was more than welcome to, being that I was a special member and therefore had access to all the facilities whenever I needed. Which I guess would be nice if I could find the time to visit the damn place just for funsies. And if I wanted to walk down half a mile of stairs in order to take a bath.
I just smiled and thanked him.
Finally, though, we got back to that main room with the four doors, having finished the full tour of the right side of things. I knew that the left door was the exit to the facility, back up the long set of stairs. Behind us was the door that had all the barracks, housing, and that sort of stuff. And in front of us, Bertrand said, “That’s where all the tactical decisions are kept and made. There’s a library, the archives, map room, and what we like to call the useful people’s prison, which is when people discover what it is we’re keeping secret and they provide usefulness to us. That’s where they get to live.”
“They have to stay there?” I asked.
“Well, they can’t go back up.”
“Couldn’t they just join?”
“Not unless they are useful and meet the requirements for joining. Which, you know, most of them don’t.”
“Who discovers it? Are there some, I mean, I guess a lot of—”
“Yeah,” Bertrand interrupted me. “A lot of explorers stumble down there somehow, and we don’t have a lot of use for them. They wind up going elsewhere or having their memories wiped. But there are certain individuals that provide uses for us. We currently have someone who is a professor of archaeology who can now study the ruins and help us grow our understanding of what’s there.”
“The ruins? So you’re guarding ruins.”
“Yeah, you didn’t know there are ruins down here?”
“I know nothing about almost anything.”
“Oh, that’s right. We’ll get to that. Well, tell you what: maybe let’s go now.”
“Have you done this tour before?”
“No, it’s my first time. I just learned it. Just became the new leader. We had an election last week and you’re the first newcomer, so I’m trying to do it right. I’m kind of fucking it up, though, aren’t I?”
“I mean, it’s not going that great. But there’s a lot of information here and, you know, it’s difficult to tell what you need to keep secret.”
