Verigenesis: Bounty (Rifthunters Book 1), page 10
“Do you think this contact of yours will actually help us? The people I’ve seen so far don’t seem particularly friendly.”
The smile Ellie gave him made it clear she hadn’t missed his deflection. “Don’t worry, Alexei will be fine. He’s the one who procures the essence cartridges for my Channeling Rod. He won’t turn us away.”
They lapsed into silence after that. Nate contented himself with daydreams of reaching Adept and challenging Commander Grisham to a duel. Source, how he would relish the chance to prove himself her equal.
The passage gradually narrowed as they walked, gently sloping down and to the right. Nate was beginning to worry it might grow too tight to continue when the tunnel abruptly ended at an unmarked wooden door.
Ellie rapped once on the scarred timbers. As she did so, she said, “Babushka,” taking care to enunciate clearly. Hidden bindings on the door flared to life, and it slowly swung open.
“Babushka? What the Null does that mean?” Nate asked.
“I think it means ‘grandmother’ in Russian,” Wes said. When he noticed the others staring at him, he shrugged and added, “One of my uncles was from St. Petersburg. It’s what he called my great-aunt.”
The door came to a halt a moment later, revealing the cozy interior of a shop. It was similar to those Nate had seen in other districts within the city, if perhaps a bit more cramped.
Wes immediately moved over to one of the shelves of spell gems that lined the room. His eyes lit up as he stooped to examine the tiny labels affixed beneath them.
Each spell gem contained the pattern for a particular weaving, activatable with a vera by whoever possessed the gem regardless of their domain. Nate had never dabbled in their creation himself, though he knew some weavers who relied on making them for a supplemental source of drops.
Judging by the mix of elements Nate detected, Alexei must sell the work of other verists and take a cut of the profits. The sheer quantity of crystals pulsing with latent essence left the entire room crackling with pent-up power that felt on the verge of exploding forth.
A man Nate assumed to be Alexei sat perched behind a long counter arrayed with all manner of gems, crystals, and strange devices Nate didn’t have names for. Alexei was short enough that Nate would’ve believed him to be a dwarf or halfling if such things existed in the Nexus. Thick and stocky, his glorious black beard and frazzled eyebrows only added to the impression.
The forgeling draped across his shoulders was more advanced than those of the twins, shaped into a tiny serpentine dragon made of living glass. The miniature creature watched as they approached the counter, its gaze matched a moment later by Alexei’s glare as he looked up.
“What’s that? Who’s there? Doesn’t matter, come back later. I am in the middle of a very delicate experiment and even the slightest noise might destabilize the—”
“Hi, Alexei,” Ellie said, leaning over to peer at the gem he was fiddling with. “Still working on that new type of resonance crystal?”
Alexei’s stern expression broke out into a wide grin. “Ahh, Ellie my girl! Back so soon? Do not tell me you already burned through all those cartridges I gave you! I can hardly get them in stock fast enough for you as it is.”
Ellie laughed. “Don’t worry, Lex; even I’m not that wasteful. I should be set on essence for another couple weeks at least. We’re here on another matter.”
At the reminder of Nate and Wes’ presence, a bit of Alexei’s former dourness crept back onto his face. He studied them with obvious distrust, his forgeling mirroring the gesture with a cocked head.
Nate forced a smile, moving up beside Ellie. “It’s good to meet you, Alexei. I’m Nate, and this is Wes. Ellie said you’re the best-connected man in the Undercroft. If you could help us find someone, we’d be in your debt.”
Nate suppressed a chuckle at the startled expression Ellie gave him. Just because he put little stock in what she thought of him didn’t mean he couldn’t lay on the charm when necessary.
Alexei grunted noncommittally, his tense posture easing slightly. “Perhaps I can, perhaps I can. Who exactly is it you are looking for?”
Nate hesitated, considering his words. He didn’t want to accidentally give too much away. “We’re looking for someone who can track a bit of vera back to its source. It doesn’t matter what kind of veristry they use, so long as it’ll get the job done. Preferably someone quick and discreet. You know anyone that fits the bill?”
Alexei glanced at Ellie. “There will be the matter of payment for services rendered, of course. A finder’s fee seems only fair, yes?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ellie said. “Just add it to my tab.”
“About that…” Alexei began.
“Don’t worry, you know I’m good for it. Might be a bit before I can make it back to the city though. We’ll be heading out soon. But I swear I’ll take care of it as soon as I can.”
“Then I believe I know someone who might be able to assist you.” The shopkeeper rummaged around behind the counter for a bit before producing a small black token, then held it out to them. “Take this to the ferryman at the docks. He will guide you from there.”
Ellie snatched the token before Nate could, shooting him a smirk as she pocketed it. Nate glared at her. How childish can she get?
Alexei hesitated. “I will not ask what you need such a service for; I know better than that. But with all the craziness going on in the city today, just…be careful, yes?”
“Always am,” Ellie said with a grin that only widened when Alexei harrumphed skeptically and turned back to his experiment.
Nate walked over to where Wes still studied the selection of spell gems. “See anything you like?”
“Yes…and no. Without knowing what we’ll be facing, everything sounds like it could be useful. There’s so many cool effects I’d love to try out.”
“Better to save your essence then,” Nate suggested. “No sense burning drops on a possibility.”
Wes sighed but nodded, allowing himself to be steered toward the exit. Just as they were preparing to depart, something darted out from behind the nearby shelves. Nate whirled, the beginning threads of a Fire Bolt surging around his fingers, and found himself face to face with another customer.
The man had to be the oldest verist Nate had seen in the Nexus, with a paunch around his waist and flowing silver hair. His crinkled blue eyes were normal enough, but his body appeared strangely insubstantial, as if he might disappear if you weren’t looking directly at him.
The man raised his hands, chuckling. “Whoa there, don’t shoot! I surrender!” His voice was surprisingly gruff; perhaps he had smoked back on Earth.
Nate appraised the unknown verist. Had he been eavesdropping on their conversation? “What were you doing back there?”
“Same as you, I reckon: picking up a few supplies.” He looked pointedly at Nate’s crackling hand. “You, uh, mind putting that away, son?”
Nate considered for a moment, then let his half-formed spell unravel. The man lowered his hands. Giving Nate a friendly nod, he sauntered past him to the counter. He started pulling spell gems out of a small pouch and arraying them in a line before Alexei.
Alexei looked the customer’s selection over and snorted. “Sure you need all these, Vince? Water-breathing; minor gravity adjustment; heat absorption…you planning an expedition to the bottom of a lava pool?”
Vince shrugged, smiling slightly. “Never hurts to be prepared. After all, you never know when you might end up in way over your head.”
He didn’t so much as glance their way, yet Nate couldn’t help but feel like that last bit had been directed toward them.
Ellie and Wes both seemed unconcerned with the exchange. They waved goodbye to Alexei and opened the door. With one last backward look, Nate followed them out.
“Any idea who that was?” Nate asked Ellie once they were alone in the passageway.
“Not really. I’ve seen him in Alexei’s shop before though. He stands out because he’s one of the few that doesn’t bother wearing a mask.”
Nate half-expected to see Vince emerge behind them, but there was no sign of the other verist. Perhaps he was giving them a bit of space before he left to be polite. Or maybe he was just slow.
Nate mentally replayed their conversation with Alexei. Even if Vince had been listening in on them, he didn’t think they’d given much away. The most he might’ve gleaned was that they were searching for something, but surely that wasn’t too incriminating. Practically everyone was out searching for the Lord Protector by now, Vince most likely included.
Beyond that, Nate would just have to hope that Ellie’s faith in Alexei hadn’t been misplaced and the token he’d given them didn’t turn out to be some wild goose chase. It made him uneasy to let so much ride on Ellie’s judge of character, but it wasn’t like he or Wes had any alternative contacts they could approach.
“Why does Alexei sell down here anyway?” Wes asked as they walked. “From what I could see of his wares, none of them are anything that would catch a protector’s eye.”
“A few different reasons,” Ellie replied. “But mostly it’s to avoid the Patriarch’s tax. Try selling anything in one of the official districts, and you’ll quickly discover you need to purchase a permit and provide a portion of your proceeds every month.”
“Sounds like a scam to me,” Nate said.
Ellie shrugged. “They’ll tell you it’s to cover the essence upkeep required by the city’s various bindings and forgings, but I’m certain at least some of it goes to enrich our Immortal overlords. After all, they’ve gotta get the drops to pay out their bounties from somewhere.”
They were almost back in the main cavern when a figure suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their path. For a moment, Nate thought it was Vince, somehow sneaking ahead of them. But this man was far taller and broader, dressed in a nondescript cloak.
As if on cue, more cloaked figures emerged all around them, pinning them in on the sides and cutting them off from behind. They must’ve concealed themselves along the walls, waiting to spring their ambush.
In just a few short seconds, Nate and the others had been completely surrounded.
Chapter 12
Nate counted ten assailants, though there might have been more staying back out of sight. Ten against three: not the best odds. Still, if they could get the drop on one or two of them quickly, they might have a shot. A verist’s aegis could only withstand so much punishment before it shattered.
Hoping Wes would follow his lead, Nate focused his attention on the nearest ambusher. He tensed his muscles, readying the weave for his Ice Blade so that it would materialize mid-lunge. That, plus a basic Deceptive infusion to conceal his casting, should ensure he caught his target off-guard.
He was about to make his move when he noticed Ellie staring at him. As soon as their eyes met, she subtly shook her head. Nate gritted his teeth.
What is she playing at? The longer they delayed, the more time it gave their opponents to prepare. Surprise was the only way they’d make it out of this alive.
Nate turned back to his target. Before he could follow through with his assault, however, the surrounding figures raised their own hands. Essence crackled along them in half-formed weaves. Just like that, the opportunity had been lost.
Nate cursed silently and forced himself to relax. He had no choice now but to trust that Ellie knew what she was doing. Still, he kept an eye roving for any potential openings they might use to break through. If they couldn’t win a direct fight, maybe they could still slip away in the ensuing chaos.
The largest of the cloaked figures, the one who had first appeared blocking their way, stepped forward and pulled back his hood. Matted black hair fell down to his shoulders, curling with faint wisps of what might have been shadowed luminous essence.
A black mask carved in the visage of a roaring dragon covered his face except for his mouth and eyes. Nate shivered when he realized the man’s pupils were blood red.
“Well, well, well,” Dragon Mask growled. “What do we have here?”
“Looks to me like some uninvited guests, boss,” a smaller figure to Nate’s right said.
Dragon Mask slowly bobbed his head up and down. “That’s what I see too. Uninvited guests or, to speak plainly, intruders. Intruders who have no business bein’ here in the Undercroft, if ya ask me.”
“We have as much right to be here as you do,” Nate said.
A few of the thugs grumbled or shouted insults, but Dragon Mask let out a throaty chuckle. “Do ya now? Who says?”
“I say,” Nate retorted.
“Right, right, I got that. But ya see, the only word that matters here is the Patron’s. And you ain’t him. Now, let’s take a look at ya.”
Dragon Mask studied them each in turn. It might’ve been a trick of the light, but Nate swore the man’s eyes flared crimson as they shifted between them. After a long moment, his gaze settled on Ellie, and he grunted.
“You at least got the Patron’s Mark on ya, that’s plain enough.”
What mark? Nate didn’t see any markings on Ellie, not unless the man was referring to her binder’s aura. He had to be picking up on some sort of magical imprint that Nate couldn’t read.
Ellie frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Ya mean ya don’t know? Those with the Patron’s Mark have his blessing. They’re free to enter the Undercroft when they like, and no harm can come to them. Least, not without incurrin’ the Patron’s wrath.”
Ellie cleared her throat. “Right. Well, like you said, I have the mark. So if you could kindly get out of our way…”
Dragon Mask crossed his thick arms. “Now see, that’s the real interestin’ part. You have the mark on ya, but yer friends here don’t.”
“Suspicious, if you ask me,” another of the goons chimed in.
“Aye, I think so too. Why, how do we know they can be trusted? If we don’t follow the rules, we’ll end up with a pack of protectors breathin’ down our necks. And no one wants that.”
“I can vouch for them,” Ellie said quickly. “I’ll make sure they, uh, behave.”
Dragon Mask chuckled, the rasping sound setting Nate’s teeth on edge. “Ain’t that sweet o’ ya, lass. But see, I’m afraid that just ain’t good enough. Me and my boys here might need to take the law into our own hands, if ya get my drift.”
Wes tensed beside him as Nate fell into a fighting stance. If what this man said was true, these Patron’s Marks might protect him and his goons if Nate struck first. But surely any wards against violence would be rendered nil if they were the ones to initiate a fight? Either way, Nate had no intention of going down easy.
Ellie shot the thug a glare. Though she tried to mask it, Nate saw the way her hands trembled. “So, what, you’re here to enforce the peace? Do your civic duty?”
“Somethin’ like that, aye. O’ course, I’m a reasonable guy. Mayhap I can let ya off with a warning, just this once.”
Why do I feel like this is too good to be true? Neither Nate nor Wes relaxed their postures, and Ellie stared at the man skeptically. Sure enough, after a brief pause, Dragon Mask raised a finger.
“In return, it seems only fair ya pay us a fine for our trouble. Ain’t that right, fellas?”
A chorus of assent echoed through the tunnel.
“That’s right, boss.”
“You’re too kind, boss.”
Dragon Mask’s eyes flicked down to Nate’s feet. “Those are some fine boots ya got there, lad. Leave ‘em with us along with, say, five hundred drops apiece, and we’ll be inclined to look the other way.”
“You can’t just take our items!” Ellie sputtered. “And the only way for you to get any of our essence is if we freely give it.”
“Oh?” Dragon Mask feigned looking around the tunnel. “I don’t see any protectors here to stop us, and there’s three o’ us to every one of ya. Yer right about the drops though, I’ll give ya that.”
Dragon Mask took a menacing step forward, raising himself up to his full height. Around them, his minions tightened their circle. The weaves they held crackled with pent-up energy.
“But see, if ya won’t be generous with us, then we might need to find another way to make our point.”
“I’m not afraid of dying,” Nate said, allowing fire to blaze in both his palms. “It’s worth the risk of void madness to take a few of you nil-eaters with me.”
Dragon Mask bared his teeth in a feral grin. “If I were you, it’s not death I’d be worryin’ about…”
Behind Dragon Mask, a pair of cloaked figures came around a bend in the tunnel. The newcomers’ robes were finer than those of the thugs clustered around them, and Nate sucked in a hopeful breath.
Surely Dragon Mask and his goons would back down now that they had more witnesses. Even if they didn’t, five against ten would help even the odds.
The two new figures took one look at the scene before them. Then they turned and hurried back the way they’d come. Nate’s stomach sank; they were on their own here. Well, so be it.
They couldn’t let these thugs mug them, not when they risked losing the Lord Protector’s badge. Patron or no Patron, Nate would take as many of these nil-brained idiots to the Null with him as he could before he gave up his ticket to the bounty.
“So, what’ll it be?” Dragon Mask growled. “We gonna handle this like verists or like verabeasts?”
Before Ellie could reply or Nate could strike, a noise caught their attention. At first, he thought perhaps those two passersby had returned to help. Then he realized the sound had come from behind them, back in the direction of Alexei’s shop.
Nate spun along with everyone else to see Vince leaning casually against the wall, whistling a merry tune. His partially insubstantial form appeared almost ghostlike in the pale blue light of the tunnel. As soon as he noticed them watching, the whistling cut off.
“Afternoon, gents,” Vince said, his tone friendly. “What seems to be the problem here?”
