The Infinite Bk. 02 Ch. 06

"So, is this what you had in mind?" the harp-maker asked, shaking Daniel from his thoughts.

"Oh, yeah, this is amazing, just right. You say you'll have it done by tomorrow?"

"I should."

Daniel mustered up all his strength and put the piece back down. "Thank you. I won't take any more of your time."

He left the shop and stepped back into the street. It was getting dark, and only the taverns were still open. The Knight's Sheath would probably close its doors before it got too late and the Red Revelry began. He didn't have to work that evening, meaning he could just collapse on his little cot and sleep like the dead.

"You!"

Daniel looked back and felt his heart sink. It was the adventurer from the previous evening, Ralph, the one who woke up while being dragged and attacked him. If not for Rita, he'd still be sporting a black eye, though it was now hurting as if the wound was fresh.

"Oh shit!"

Daniel took off, running for his life. He had to get to the Knight's Sheath or find someone to help him. There were still people in the streets, though not enough for Daniel to disappear into a crowd. He could hear Ralph behind him, and while he had a head start, he felt it closing. Daniel was exhausted and out of shape, while Ralph was an active adventurer. Daniel felt like he was running a marathon, yet he didn't get far before he was tackled and dragged into an alley.

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The last of the light faded, immersing Colbrand in darkness. In an abandoned home cleared of squatters, it was as black as the deepest mines of Vandheim, but the five Harajin were untroubled. As assassins, darkness was not a hindrance to them. It was their home.

"The potion is missing?" one of them asked.

"Yes, lost in battle," said Grond.

"What do we do now?" a female Harajin, Tora, asked.

"Urandil and the elders were clear. It has to be recovered at any cost," another said.

Klein didn't immediately speak. The fact remained that Oritz's killer was likely among them. He had not yet revealed information about the supposed peace accord, so Grond was the only other member who knew of the situation. "Grond, I believe your original mission was to kill revelers so they could not join the knighthood, yes?"

"That is correct." Of course, that was only his cover for coming to Colbrand, a common-enough assignment.

"Then that is what we will do. Grond was fighting against a reveler, so we'll assume that they have the potion. We'll move as a group and hunt all of the revelers down until we find it."

"What about the knights?"

"We'll avoid them for now. We don't need any more complications. However, if the revelers don't bring any results, the knights might be our next target."

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