Book 2: Chapter 21

Book 2: Chapter 21

When Ryn woke up, her first action was to groan. Not because of the pounding headache, or even because of the tight ropes that dug into her skin, but because she couldnt believe that she had been kidnapped. Her mind had been so full of having awakened and the exciting new products she had been discussing with Carraway, that she had completely missed the Black Raven assassins sneaking up on her. By the time she had seen them, they had executed a textbook distract and grab maneuver, and now she was tied up in their base.

Ugh. I cant believe I fell for that. How lame.

Her voice was hoarse, but it still rang loudly in the small stone chamber. Gray stone walls, a gray stone ceiling, and a hard, gray stone floor were hemming her in, with the only light leaking in from the rough wooden door that stood to her right. Hearing the shuffle of feet, she knew that she had alerted her captors and a moment later, a pair of eyes appeared in the small hole that had been hacked in the door. A sense of familiarity washed over her as she saw the callous indifference in her captors gaze, and she was instantly transported back to the torturous days of her childhood.

Shes up.

Open the door.

Listening to the voices outside the door, Ryn tried to identify anyone she recognized but they were too muffled. After the click of a bolt being thrown back, the door squeaked open and a large figure filled the doorway, blocking most of Ryns light and making it harder for her to see the mans face. He was dressed in the same casual clothing that you would find on almost any working class citizen of the city, and if it were not for that same cold, calloused indifference common to all of the Black Raven assassins, Ryn would have assumed that he was just another honest working man.

Who

Shut up, the man said, interrupting Ryn. Dont pretend you dont know who we are. Weve already checked your mark and we know that you are Telryn of the Black Raven, the one were looking for.

Sighing, Ryn didnt see any reason to hide it so she nodded.

I am. Report your name and rank.

Surprise infused the mans face, partially due to her calm request, but even more because the raven tattoo on his arm began to sting, indicating that he had an obligation to answer her.

I am Patolov, First Claw of the Second Wing.

Impressive, Ryn said, her eyebrows rising. Is the First Wing here as well? Id assume so, since there are two groups, and the Black Raven would only send their best to kill a king.

Enough. You will come with us back to Port Reverie and face judgment for your betrayal in the Temple of the Raven.

Betrayal? Ryn spat, laughing harshly. Is that what you were told? I guess theyre still up to their old tricks. Ive got a better deal for you. Let me go and pretend youve never seen me, and Ill make sure that you get out of here alive.

Shaking his head, Patolov stepped back and closed the door with a bang, not speaking another word to Ryn. The sound of shuffling feet announced the departure of those watching and a moment later the light winked out as well, plunging the small room into complete darkness. Holding her breath for a count of thirty, Ryn let it out and groaned softly again. The bindings were quite uncomfortable, but she still lay down and closed her eyes. She knew that her best chance at escape lay with coordinating with Garrett through the dream flowers and the dream, but that required that she fall asleep first. In the darkness, with her skin pressed against the cold, hard stone, she tried to relax as much as her bindings would allow.

Though it was impossible for her to know, it was not yet evening, and across the city, Garrett was sitting in his office, double checking his details. He had already gotten confirmation from Obe that the plan was progressing as he wanted, so it was now a matter of moving to the next step. There were fifteen of the assassins in the city, or close to it, and they were incredibly careful. All of their communication was done through notes left in various dead drops around the city, and even then, they encrypted their messages.

Still, they were desperate to get out of the city, and when Garrett had ordered Carraway to let them know that he had a method, they had jumped at it. Of course, he had not identified himself as the one who would be providing transportation as they would undoubtedly make the connection between him and Ryn, putting up their guard. Instead, he had, through the merchant, arranged for them to meet with Viper in the sewers. Now, it was simply a matter of waiting for the time to come.

As soon as night fell, he entered the dream and cast out his perception, looking for Ryn. It was nearly two hours of fruitless work before a tiny glimmer, like a star shrouded in mist, appeared in his perception, located in the northern part of the city. It immediately made sense to him why he had not been able to sense Ryn, as he examined the mist that covered her flowers. Not only was she located near the adventurers guild, which produced all sorts of interference, but she was wrapped in a veil that isolated her and the dream flower she carried almost completely.

Focusing his mind on her star, he could see that it was struggling against the mist so he unleashed his own energy, trying to pierce a hole in the veil from the outside. It was tough work, but slowly, surely, he pressed through, working on making a small opening rather than just destroying the whole thing. The mist he destroyed was constantly replenished, forcing him to pour his energy into not only digging his way through, but also maintaining the hole he had already made. Thankfully Garrett was sitting on the Dreamers Throne and the constant stream of warm energy radiating from it entered his body, replacing the energy he was burning.

Eyeing the flaming darts that hung from his fingers, Ryn nodded.

Yes. Im currently tied up in a small room. Huh, that sounds weird to say.

Hah, it does. I mean, Im currently drooling on my pillow in my room, Kinsley said with a grin as he took off his mask to take a long drink from his beer. Anyway, welcome.

Thank you.

Whats with the black mask? Pax asked, looking between Ryn and Garrett. Ive seen red, and we have white, but Ive never seen a black one.

It helps me identify which part of the organization someone belongs to, Garrett said, sitting down at the table and gesturing for Ryn to sit as well.

Oooh, let me guess, Kinsley said, taking his own seat. White is for those who adventure in the dream.

And red is for those who crawl around under the city, stabbing people, Pax added with a nod. Id guess that black is for people who sneak around.

Close, Garrett said, accepting the drink that Barman brought over.

Waiting while he took a drink, the others soon realized that he wasnt going to explain it further and let out annoyed sighs, causing Garrett to chuckle.

Dont worry about the masks for now. Instead, why dont you give Ryn a rundown of how Dreamers Rest and the dream work?

Sure, Estele nodded. We have formed a team, much like a team you would find in the adventurers guild, and we go out into the city to complete requests that we find over on the quest board.

Ryns eyes widened as she looked over and saw the quest board with the map of the city next to it.

The dream extends to the whole city?

It does, Pax nodded, at least we think so. Maybe Geller here can let us know.

Once again, Garrett just sipped his drink, somehow managing to drink it even though his mask never moved from over his mouth. Shrugging, Pax pointed at the area of the map that had been cleared of the fog.

Its pretty dangerous out there, but as long as you stay in the areas where we have already planted flowers, its not so bad. Ever seen a nightmare before? Well, theyre everywhere out there, and they come in all sorts of nasty shapes and sizes. Unless youre handy with a blade, or you can breathe fire like Kinsley here, I would recommend being very careful when you leave Dreamers Rest. In fact, better to go with a party rather than by yourself. Currently Maren and Asher are out doing some scouting.

Hey, where is Viper? Kinsley asked, putting his empty glass down and fixing his mask back in place. He hasnt been around much.

This time, Garrett did answer, causing the others to look at him.

Viper has been busy with some things in the real world. In fact, he should be about done by now, which means that we are all set up for our rescue. Youll all be taking part in it, so now is probably a good time to talk about your roles. Within the next twenty-four hours, Ryn will be transported out of the city, and that will be our opportunity to strike. Currently, the location of the enemy is unknown, but as soon as they begin to move, well have the chance we need. Our enemy is highly trained, infinitely suspicious, and very dangerous, so we are going to keep the plan simple. Divide and conquer. Here is what I want each of you to do.