Daughter of Treason Ch. 03

Kei did not much care or the Transit Gate. It was large, hot, and the already close quarters were made doubly uncomfortable by the fact that everyone seemed to be pushing one another. Had it been just Kei, the only worry would be stray hands. Annoying, to be sure, but with so many around, she doubted any would give her true cause to defend herself. But Shino was with her, and all it would take was one slip of his hood, one overly observant punk with some form of darkvision to see his skin and horns, then the game would be up. Few would be bold enough to attack a short, curvy and beautiful woman in a crowded building. A hiding demon, on the other hand, was uniquely suited to turn a protective crowd into a bloodthirsty mob. If Shino as an elf had that effect in Islandport, I shudder to think of what they'd do to him here.

Kei hadn't even wanted to use a Transit Gate; after her scare with his fever, she wanted as little to do with magic as possible, but he was so excited at seeing a spell institutionalized and opened to the public that she couldn't say no. It hadn't started badly, as only a few teamsters were in the building. "Look!" he had cried, after they payed the two silver entrance fee to get inside. "There's the exit platform! See, that's where the circle of teleportation at the Transit Hub is tuned to." Hustling forward in the extremely short queue, they had quickly reached the platform, but Shino had stepped out of the line so he could examine it. "See?" he said, pointing, "you can almost see the diamond dust they used in the original casting." He paused. "I wonder what they made the walls out of; stone should've interfered with the casting..." And so Kei was dragged out of queue altogether and, thirty minutes later when apparently every merchant on the island had decided to take their lunch in the docks district at once. The almost deserted building was suddenly packed witch bodies all elbowing past each other in an urgent need to get to a decidedly less-than-urgent lunch date.

"Shino!" She hissed, tugging on the edge of the cloak she had insisted he shroud himself with, "Shino! We have to leave! Now!" She was glancing around furtively, though she didn't see anybody was looking at them. But of course, she thought wildly, anybody who saw a demon wouldn't want the beast to know he'd been looking. Shino finally began to move with a long suffering sigh. Kei slunk towards the queue, risked a glance backwards to ensure that nobody was following, and as she did so, ran right into a tiny man, causing an armful of scrolls to go clattering to the ground.

At first glance, she thought him a child, or perhaps a young adolescent, but his facial structure was far from the baby faces and rosy cheeks of youth, and though it was hard to tell in passing, his hair was beginning to gray at the roots. All those signs identified him as a pale elf. That, noted a part of her mind dryly, and the pointy ears are a big tip, too. "My apologies," she said out loud, bowing down to help pick up the scrolls.

"Oh my." Kei glanced up, thinking at first that by leaning forward she'd accidentally given him a view down her shirt, but his gaze was significantly higher. Glancing back, she saw that he was staring at Shino's face, still shrouded in shadow. It took her about two seconds to reconcile the fact that she couldn't see Shino's face with the fact that perhaps other species could. Damn elven darkvision!

Standing quickly to block the newcomer's view, Kei grabbed her friend's arm and began leading him quickly away, but the polite but firm voice behind her gave her pause. "Just one moment, please."

She hesitated; his tone didn't sound like someone ready to shout panicked accusations to a crowd, but rather like someone who had a vested interest in a new discovery. She wasn't sure which made her more nervous, but Shino was whispering excitedly to her, "Did you see his skin!? It's even lighter than yours! It's almost as light as the Cromwellians'! I want to ask him where he's from." Bowing to the inevitable, Kei slowly allowed herself to be turned.

The older elf was still standing looking, if she didn't miss her mark, puzzled. "Come closer, please." Reluctantly, Kei towed Shino closer until they were just a few feet away. She was fingering her dagger nervously while the elf leaned in and peered at Shino, murmuring, "Interesting. I wonder why I wasn't made aware of this one's presence...?"

She was restraining herself to merely gritting her teeth and baring his scrutiny until he moved his hands to Shino's cowl, making as if to lower it. "No! Don't touch him!"

The old elf took a step back and raised an eyebrow at the younger one. "Your friend seems a bit nervous," he observed with a wry grin.

"Oh, she's just trying to look out for me," replied Shino with immense cheer. That's because you don't seem to be able to look out after yourself! Thought Kei, but she kept her mouth shut.

"It's alright, madam, I mean neither of you any harm."

"I'm less worried about you than what the rest of these plebeians will think." She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I doubt they'd take kindly to a demon in their midst."

"Demon?" laughed the elder. "Don't be ridiculous. His horns go the wrong way, see? His go up, a Balor's go down."

"Fine," spat Kei, "a devil then."

"No," said the man carefully, "though I admit it's hard to make out the finer details on account of the hood, the eyes are a dead giveaway. Infernal ancestry would make his eyes solid, and perhaps glowing, but you can distinctly see a difference between whites, iris, and pupil in his. No, unless I miss my mark, he has some Efreeti ancestry."

"Efreeti?" Repeated Kei dumbly. So he's not a demon? She thought, hope rising.

"Yes," responded the elf, pleased at cooperation, "they're a species of genie."

"So," Kei said carefully, "none of his ancestors were necessarily of an evil race?"

"Erm, not quite. The Efreeti are... the most belligerent of the genie race."

"Ah." Kei's face fell, but she steeled herself and made as if to wave her discomfort away. "It's not like a rabble would stop and debate his ancestry before attacking."

"Oh come now, do you really think ordinary citizens would attack just because of something stupid like race?"

Kei unconsciously tightened her grip on Shino's arm. "Yes."

The stranger raised his eyebrow at Shino's grimace of discomfort as her grip reached painful strength, but she stayed focused on the older elf who said, "Alright, let's suppose that they would want to, and further suppose that they would be too stupid to know the difference between an Efreet and a Demon. Can you really imagine such a stupid, cowardly human revealing itself to so powerful a creature as an Efreet by giving a shout of alarm? No, they wouldn't risk such harm, they'd just skitter away as quickly as they were able."

"No." Said Kei firmly. "I have seen how people behave. Logic only prevails if it is forced upon the situation."

The older elf shrugged, obviously not convinced but not pressing the point either. "Perhaps a compromise, then? My office is not too far from here, perhaps I can analyze and register him there?"

"Register?" Kei, having been almost lulled into a sense of relaxed debate, was on edge once more. "No."

"But it's guild policy," responded the elf, his hands held out in a placating gesture, "that all major bloodlines be registered."

"What makes you think it's a bloodline?" shot Kei without thinking, then immediately regretted it.

"Oh come on, it's obvious, girl. He's far too elven to be an extraplanar native, and far too foreign to be anything else."

"Don't call me 'girl'. And why should we go on any sort of record?"

For the first time in the conversation, the other elf looked baffled. "Why, to add to the whole knowledge pool, of course, and to let us keep track of the effects of the various awakened bloodlines. And did I mention," he added smoothly, "that the guild offers a substantial reward to registering subjects?"

Kei paused. "What is the registration used for? Who has access to it?"

"Just for us to keep track of where outsiders are frequenting," he said, "as well as the tendencies of each race, such as which ones are prone to violent ends versus peaceful ones, business minded or prone to poverty, that sort of thing. As for who can view these records, only guild archivists and the Guildmaster, and even then only for official purposes."

Still she hesitated. Talking was one thing, but once something was written down you couldn't take it back. "We could really use the money," murmured Shino, his excitement poorly concealed. Her desire for complete anonymity, a totally clean slate warred with the part of her which melted every time he smiled at her. The victor was predictable.

With a sigh and a glance at Shino, she turned to the older elf and said, "Lead the way."

<<<<>>> >

The registration process was remarkably simple. The older elf, who had by now identified himself as Tellen, the guild's official Bloodline Archivist, asked a few basic questions; name, age, race, country of origin, type of bloodline, and current place of residence were the main subjects. Tellen was quite friendly and informative. "What most people don't understand," he said, "is that only about twenty percent of people have magical roots. Of that twenty percent, half are minor bloodlines, two fifths are moderate, and only one tenth are major. But that still means that one in every five people have a magical ancestor somewhere in their past; it's staggering when you think about it." Tellen continued to spout ideas and facts, and Shino was certainly taking a liking to the older elf. Kei might have too, if she hadn't been made so nervous by the magic all around.

The Transit Hubs were unsettling enough, having the room and people shift around her when she stepped on the platform, but the Wizard's Guild had something strange going on. The large tower seemed normal enough on the inside, all desks and marble, but then they had been ushered into a room in which the only exit was the way they came. The door closed, and she felt suddenly heavier, and then lighter, then normality seemed to return. At least, until the only door opened revealing not the entry hall from which they had come, but rather a small foyer. There was something going on there which she didn't know, and even if it was a harmless subtlety, Kei did not appreciate being left in the dark.

Shino seemed perfectly content to sit and talk shop with Tellen, on topics ranging from arcane theory to the aesthetic preferences of otherworldly beings, but mercifully concluded the conversation after only a short while. Had Kei been in a more receptive state of mind, she might have noted the worried glance he shot her just before he excused himself, or the unfeigned regret in his voice when he did so. But, anxious as she was, she was reading into nothing lest she worry too much about the magic around her, and as such felt only relief as the three exchanged farewells.

Kei hurried out of the tower and through the Transit Hub, paying less attention to her surroundings than perhaps she should have. In truth, she wouldn't have cared much if she ended up in the posh Old Town instead of the Industrial Shore, as long as she got back to normal, mundane city. However, her instincts led her true this time, and it wasn't long at all before she and Shino were strolling down the well-worn streets of eastern Beacon City.

Yes, thought Kei, this I can do. Cobblestones under my boots and sky overhead, where the only way you travel is by putting one foot under another. Simple, predictable. She did not think the word 'safe', for she still looked to the alleys for potential threats, but it was a familiar vigilance, and she knew that those who used alleys could also have alleys used against them; their shadows provide cover for escape as well as concealment for ambush.

Yes, she thought again, this place could be home.

<<<<>>> >

The realtors were surprisingly helpful. Kei knew next to nothing about property, but did know enough not to trust either claims or appearances of perfection, and Shino's inquisitive nature, combined with Kei's knack for catching falsehoods, ensured that not much slipped past them. They had visited five houses in the slums and Industrial Shore in as many hours, but the sixth they found was promising. It was a four story building: a basement complete with heating furnace and indoor privy, a ground floor, and two floors of living quarters above. What was particularly exciting for Shino was that the ground floor contained a forge and a store front; he had been apprenticing as a blacksmith before getting lost in Islandport and was rather pleased with the idea of opening up his own shop. What was particularly notable about the building was the price.

"Well?" demanded Kei, after the agent had finished outlining the property's features. When he only squirmed in response, she prompted, "What's wrong with it?"

"I, ah, I'm not quite sure what you mean," said the agent.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh come, now. You have tried to sell us houses half the size for the same price, and they were in the slums. You can't honestly tell me there's nothing wrong with something so..." she gestured vaguely towards the house. "promising."

"I can."

Well, no lie there. He stated it so firmly and proudly that she didn't doubt him. What did catch her attention, though, was that it wasn't the sort of pride one sees at being part of a group, but rather the sort one sees in someone who thinks they did something clever. "Ah, so it's not the house then?" she said, guessing. By the look on his face, she guessed right.

"I didn't say tha-" He paused, realizing that he had almost implied that his precious building was less than perfect, however accidentally. "The house is fine." he said finally.

"What do you think, Shino? Shall we go in for a tour and see what he's not telling us?"

"I ah, wouldn't do that."

Kei turned to him slowly. "And why, pray tell, is that?"

He looked pained. "Well, it's nothing major, we're just, ah, having an, er, minor disagreement with..." he trailed off into a tiny mumble. At Kei's insistent glare, he repeated the last word in a squeaky voice, "squatters."

She blinked slowly. "Ah."

"It's not as though it's all that bad," stammered the agent, rallying again for a sales pitch, "they just have to be driven out and then it's all I've said it will be."

"Drive them out? So we must risk our lives after purchasing the structure just have a prayer of actually using it?"

"No no," he said, looking panicked, "you just have to call the guards, they'll handle it for you."

"If it's so easy, why haven't you done it yourself? I'm sure you could charge two, three times the price if you could also assure the customer that they'd be able to use what they bought. If it's so easy to clear, why would you not triple your earnings?"

"Erm, it's quite.. um... complicated..." He quailed under Kei's gaze.

"Quarter your asking price. If I'm going to be gambling that they'll pick up and leave, I want better odds."

His eyes widened, mad with hope that he might actually make a sale, then with dismay at the offer. "I can't! That's far too little, I paid more than that to get it in the first place!"

"What, to someone who duped you as you would dupe me? Sell it at a loss, then. Consider that your punishment for trying to shift this onto someone else."

"I can't, madam." He paused, uncertain, "but I could sell it to you for what I bought it for. Three quarters of the original price."

"What, shall I pay three quarters for an elaborate suicide? Half."

"I can't sell at a loss." He said firmly, finally finding in haggling familiar ground upon which to make a stand.

Kei sighed. It was still more than she wanted to pay, but less than she though she'd have to. "Very well. Three quarters it is."

The walk back to the realtor's office was a quick one, and the agent seemed impressed that they had the funds on hand. It had taken a large majority of their funds just to get the deed, and Kei reflected again how she would've liked to have haggled him down more. But the building was good, and a steal at its current price, so she decided not to push her luck. Particularly so when, as the deed was being officially signed over, the agent paused and said, "You might want to, ah, consider getting some more weapons. The sword is a nice touch, but you'll probably want things that are easier to hide." The corner of Kei's tugged upwards. Apparently he didn't realize that she still had four daggers stashed about her person. He continued on, "There's a shop, not too far from here. Kregic's. I think you might want to pay it a visit after we're done here."

"And why's that?" asked Kei, amused.

"Well, the squatters... They're part of a gang, you see. Even if you hire mercenaries to drive 'em out, they'll probably just come right back with their buddies."

"Oh?" Kei cracked a full-blown smile, leaning forward. "And which gang is this?"

"I don't know, that rat-gang or whatever they're calling themselves now. Used to be a rat catcher's guild before they decided taxes were for chumps. Now they're just viscous bums." As the final signature was added, he handed the paper to her but kept a firm hold of the key and said the first sincere thing Kei had heard from him. "You two take care of yourselves now, you hear?"

Kei's smile turned predatory. "Don't worry about us."

<<<<>>> >

Kei flipped the blackjack in her left hand as she leaned against an alleyway overlooking the house. Shino was sitting on an empty crate farther in, but Kei wanted to keep watch, to know how many were inside. It was almost entirely inactive during daylight, but she had counted six people, mostly dwarves by the looks of them, by their movements in and out. It was two hours after nightfall, and it seemed to be quiet everywhere but inside their new building. "Shino? Any thoughts?"

"'A kry'mj z'njan draz yr drayn kmaak."

Kei blinked. That was nothing like the smooth tones of elven, its daughter language Pyrgian, the flowing sounds of Miasian, or anything at all like common Halastian. Its very tone sounded sinister. Turning her head to bring her unsettled gaze to bear on Shino, she said only, "Come again?"

He responded in elven distractedly, "I said we should kill them in their sleep." He blinked. "Did I just say that?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes you did. Are you certain you're feeling all right?"

"I think so, I feel fine. I... I guess my mind was elsewhere and it just popped out."

Kei nodded guardedly. "As you say," she allowed, "but see to it that such thoughts stay constrained to words. I will not perform any killings like a common murderer." No, she thought in a secret part of her mind, I will perform then as an executioner.

"Well, whatever you end up doing, it looks like you're going to wait to do it." said Shino, pointing towards the house.

Kei pursed her lips. While the rest of the world slept, the party inside appeared to be just getting started. One of the dwarves going in had rolled a remarkably large keg in front of him going in and had not come out since, and the occasional glimpse through the window complimented the sounds of merriment coming from within. She thought for several moments before resigning herself to the fact that Shino's suggestion wasn't far from the best one. "We wait for them to finally drink themselves into a stupor," Kei said with a sigh, "then I'll go in." She gripped her blackjack more tightly. "Prisoners first. I'll take every one of them alive, if I can."