The Merchant of Tiqpa: The Bathrobe Knight's Sequel Read online

  “No idea on the business,” Locke lied. ‘I’m here to kill your leaders and ruin your alliance’ just didn’t seem like it would help their cause. “But, as far as who we’re here to see, it’s Lord Commander Anthony. No idea why he sent for us, though.” Locke didn’t know if Anthony would actually be at the top floor, but he didn’t know any other names that would be in the town. He almost said Sol and Sal, but for all his antipathy towards the Holy Alliance, he really didn’t want to have to face them, much less try to fight the two monsters.

  “Commander Anthony, eh?” The Naga tilted his head back and forth as he eyed each member of the group, his tail moving in counter-sync with his neck, until his head and eyes finally settled on Eliza in the back. “Ah, yeah. That figures, the dog,” he said, shuddering slightly as he looked at Eliza.

  “I’d rather be on the front lines myself,” Locke said, trying to make small talk. “Can’t believe that everyone else gets to contribute to the effort, but we’re stuck here running errands,” he proclaimed brashly. He knew that each sentence was a gamble, as every word he spoke could potentially tip off the guard to the fact they didn’t belong, but he also knew that silence was the time when most people were thinking--not during a conversation. If they were riled up and agreeing with you, then they weren’t thinking about anything you might be plotting.

  “You’re telling me,” the Naga laughed. “I’ve been on guard duty for three hours just because the commander has it in his thick skull that we can’t trust these White-Wing NPCs enough to do it for us.”

  “If we can’t even trust them to guard a gate, then what’s the point in even fighting this stupid war for them?” Locke questioned, pushing the sentiment further. That’s right, I’m on your side, he thought as he gave the Naga a genuine smile. Buy the lie, and I’ll throw in a bridge to go with it.

  “There wouldn’t even be a war if it wasn’t for the commander,” the Naga grumbled. “Can you believe that he blacklisted Locke from every Holy Alliance region? I just wish that he had waited until after Locke made the new round of weapons. I’m stuck using a store-bought one! A store-bought weapon when I could have been using one of the legendary swords of the brightest and most promising blacksmith in Tiqpa!” the Naga grumbled. “Heck, he even managed to foul up us getting any poisons and potions from that new alchemist!” the Naga also yelled.

  “You’re kidding me! That’s what happened to Locke?” Locke did his best to act dumb, which was pretty easy all things considered, but he was secretly worried that Sampson or the others would crack up and break their facade. “I’ve heard the rumors, but I didn’t know that any of it was actually true.”

  “Trust me, I’ve been on guard duty for three hours, remember? Spent most of the time reading the forums, and there is enough stuff there about the commander’s actions that I almost want to go up there and stab him myself for betraying the Holy Alliance. Not to mention--and I hate telling you this--but he’s probably just calling your group to the top so that he can offer the pretty yellow dress in the back a promotion. He’s a shameless flirt.” The Naga revealed another one of Anthony’s weaknesses. “He always promotes good-looking girls and then acts really obnoxious to them.”

  “You don’t say?” Locke knew this wasn’t the time to be making small talk, and he caught an evil look from Tubal out of the corner of his eyes that said ‘stop stalling and move this along,’ but there was no way that he was going to give up this opportunity to learn as much as he could about how Anthony acted in-game. He needed to learn as much as possible about the commander’s weaknesses while he had the chance. There was no telling what might come in handy later, and this guard was more than willing to give up the information.

  “Not kidding at all. That girl, Persephone . . . She only showed up . . . a week ago? Maybe two at the most? And she’s practically right under him in rank already. It has to be because of her looks. I can’t think of any other reason,” the Naga noted. “I mean, I’m a high level and have been with the Holy Alliance from the start, but here I am stuck pulling guard duty during all sieges.”

  “That’s awful,” Locke said in disbelief. He didn’t have to hide his emotions this time, and it was easy enough to let his disgust at Anthony show through on his face--that just came naturally, no acting necessary. “But,” he added as he saw Tubal’s growing glare, “we really must be going. I’d like to get this whole errand boy stuff out of the way as quick as we can. Our group is itching for a fight before we have to log for the night.”

  “Right, right.” The Naga lifted his halberd. “You guys have a good one. I’ll see you on your way back down.”

  Hopefully, for your sake, you won’t, Locke thought as he started marching up the stairs.

  Tubal barely even waited until they were out of earshot of the Naga before he set in chiding Locke. “Certainly took you long enough,” he began sarcastically. “Were you just waiting for someone to notice us and blow our cover?”

  “I got us through, didn’t I?” Locke shot back. “And now we know more about our enemy. How is that not a good thing?”

  “Yes,” Eliza said confidently from the back. “We know exactly how to get him alone without his guards.”

  “There is no honor in that method of war,” Sparky said, her voice thick with both disappointment and disapproval. “We should fight head on when given the chance. A dagger in a foe’s back would be a knife in our own dignity and honor.”

  “Say what you will,” Locke said, dismissing her high-handed moral argument with a shrug and a casual wave of his hand, “but I like winning more than honor.”

  “I’m with Shy on this one,” Bianca agreed.

  “I think a woman’s charm or a man’s handsome smile can be just as deadly and valid a weapon as any sword,” Katherine cooed and sided up to Bianca as she added her own opinion.

  “That’s right, dear,” Bianca said back to Katherine. “And let’s not forget words. The right word in the right ear can cause someone more pain than any edge in the world. There is no crueler part of the body and no deadlier appendage than the tongue when wielded properly.”

  “Too true, too true,” Katherine agreed with a nod as she gave her companion a quick hug.

  “You two scare me sometimes,” Sampson said, and Locke couldn’t agree more.

  We gave them just a little time in a tavern, and they raised us an army. What could they have done with days? Locke glanced sideways at the couple, and he couldn’t help but wonder. He had a sneaking suspicion that, despite acting like the leader, Tubal was just the figurehead. These two Succubi might easily be the rudder.

  The rest of their ascent was calm, quiet, and uneventful, and it became readily apparent when they reached the top that there wasn’t nearly as many soldiers up here as there had been down below. They still walked by frequently enough so as to seem like they were everywhere, but a simple headcount told him otherwise. Soldiers moved in and out of the different buildings so quickly that it gave Locke the impression he was watching a colony of ants at work, and Locke was hard pressed to believe that even a man running through a burning building to save his only daughter would have a hard time showing any more hustle than what these White-Wings were exhibiting.

  The only visible person standing still was a White-Wing guard at the top who greeted them as they stepped up the final flight. “Good, you all are finally here,” he began impatiently. “Commander Anthony sent for you an hour ago. Where have you been?”

  “It was a long flight of stairs. Sorry, sir. We’ll be sure to move quicker next time,” Locke responded, trying to stiffen up and look more professional. He had no idea who or what this guard was expecting, but he highly doubted that it was a group of mercenaries planning on eliminating the White-Wing high command and taking out as many of the higher ups as possible.

  “Whatever,” he responded curtly. “You know where the commander is?”

  “No, sir.” Locke almost saluted when he answered he was so into his character. He resisted the
urge but still straightened his back even more.

  “Dang greenhorns, don’t you know anything?” The guard grumbled at them, then pointed down the street to their right. “You need to go that way for about two blocks, then take a left. The military headquarters is at the end of the block. You’ll find the commander and the rest of our generals in there.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Locke bowed his head and then started walking away in the given direction so quickly that he was on the verge of breaking into a dash. The group fell in step behind him, and Locke began to think that everything was going to go perfectly. They easily made it the two blocks, and Locke happily noted that the busy workers had begun to disappear almost as soon as they left the staging area at the top of the stairs. When they turned left, however, Locke knew his ‘sneak through unnoticed’ plan was done for.

  Three men were stationed right in the middle of the road. Stephen, one of the men who was with the group that had stopped them outside of the Wench’s Best Bubbly Head earlier in the day, was standing right in between two Human Holy Alliance members.

  Locke brought the entire group to a sudden halt as soon as he saw them and turned back to the others. “Guys, what are the chances he thinks we’re working with the Holy Alliance again?” Locke pointed at Stephen.

  Tubal’s frown answered Locke’s question before he even opened his mouth with the rest of his response. “Not a chance in Hades. They’re going to recognize us at a moment’s notice . . . especially after you ran your mouth about reporting him.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Locke paused as he looked around at the rest of the group silently.

  “If we start a big altercation, the people inside will hear it, the people on the other blocks will hear it, and we’ll be in trouble,” Tubal cautioned, voicing Locke’s other worry.

  “Well, at least we know one thing,” Bianca said before pointing to Eliza. “We know that Anthony has a thing for pretty girls that look like her.”

  “We do, don’t we?” Locke smiled. “See, Tubal, a little bit of idle chatter is going to save us a whole lot of headache.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Sampson asked. “You’re not going to send Eliza in to fight them all by herself, are you?”

  “Not exactly. I’m thinking we just have her walk past the guards.” Locke pointed at Stephen and them. “If she can get past them without having anyone realize why she’s really there, she’ll be able to attack them from behind before they even have a chance to defend themselves. I’m taking a wild guess here, but I’d say she’s a much higher level than they are and won’t need many strikes to cut the three of them down.”

  Eliza looked at Locke quizzically and shook her head. “Level?” she asked, clearly confused.

  “Umm . . .” Locke paused for a moment to think about how he could get out of this one. “We mean that they won’t be as good at fighting as you. That’s what we mean by level. It’s a newcomer term.”

  “Oh!” Eliza beamed. “So you’re giving me free reign to kill them?” Her eyes lit up, and she actually seemed to be excited by the idea. It was a complete reversal from how downcast and sullen she had looked only a short time ago.

  “They are newcomers, the type you hate the most. All I need you to do is pretend like you’re there to see their commander, Anthony. They’ll let you right past, and when they do, make sure they don’t get a chance to call out for help as you gut them from behind. You can kill them fast enough, right?”

  “Mmm.” Eliza clasped her hands behind her back, stuck out her chest, and practically strolled towards the awaiting soldiers.

  “Alright, Reginald, I need you to make sure that you’ve cast your shield on her before she makes it to them. Preferably as soon as you can. I don’t want to tip them off that she’s having magic cast on her, but if something goes wrong, we need to make sure that she doesn’t get hurt,” Locke said as he signaled the Satyr to do his job.

  “Sure thing, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be needed.”

  Reginald began casting the spell, and Locke realized what he meant before the Satyr had even finished speaking. Stephen and the other two guards were ogling Eliza, and even from a distance, Locke could see their lecherous smiles as they nodded their heads in appreciation as she approached them. They began elbowing one another and Locke could tell that they were making what were probably inappropriate comments under their breath. They were so busy checking out Eliza that there was no way they would ever think about reaching for a weapon, much less bother actually to reach for one.

  Why would they though? There hasn’t been a single alarm, bell, whistle or any other reason for them to be feeling alert and defensive. There’s absolutely no reason in the world for them to suspect that their camp has been invaded. Despite the fact that there was a labor party at the bottom of the stairs, hacking away as they tried to tunnel into the underground network of tunnels, and dozens of soldiers running about delivering messages like chickens with their heads cut off, no one has so much as even tried to raise an alarm yet. Locke realized that he was being overly paranoid.

  Unless Stephen actually recognizes someone as an enemy, what reason would he have to suspect anything at all? They’re probably used to this sort of thing, Locke thought, suddenly remembering what the guard who had been stationed at the bottom of the stairs had suggested. Anthony has a weakness for pretty girls . . . He just doesn’t realize that this one really is going to be his weakness.

  Eliza said something, too softly for Locke to hear, and Stephen and the other two Humans stepped aside to let her pass. Their heads swiveled to follow her figure and check out her backside as she moved past them, and she must have noticed because she snapped at them, and Locke could actually make out what she was saying this time.

  “Hey! Eyes front, gentlemen!” she barked at them. All three of the guards jerked back around and stared forward as if they had just been caught napping in detention.

  The second they turned their heads, Eliza pulled out her two blades and shoved them through the backs of two of the Human guards. The motion was so quick and effortless that Locke doubted as to whether or not they were even able to draw another breath between the movements. Stephen turned his head around and began fumbling for his weapon, but it looked like he was moving in slow motion compared to Eliza. She twisted her blades and ripped them from the guards’ backs before unleashing a flurry of attacks that quickly finished off all three of the unsuspecting guards at the same time.

  The gruesome scene only took a few seconds to conclude, and her attack was so brutal and efficient that not a single one of them had enough time to do so much as even draw a blade. Eliza had been so thorough with her work dispatching the guards that they didn’t even get a chance to cry out as their lungs were punctured, their throats were slit, and their bodies butchered.

  Locke had a hard time coming to terms with exactly how vicious the attack had been. He saw the bodies laid out before him, proof of her success, but he was having a hard time believing that she could make it look so easy. She was unrefined barbarism wrapped in beauty, pure and simple. He was thankful that she was on their side in this. For now, at least, he reminded himself.

  “The bodies,” Reginald said, his shield finally finishing and snapping into place far too late for it to even matter.

  “Hmm?” Locke finally tore his eyes away from the gruesome scene and looked over at him.

  “Don’t you ever play stealth games? We need to hide the bodies, or they’ll alert the enemy to the fact we’re here,” Reginald explained as he pointed to the three fresh corpses strewn out in front of the headquarters’ entrance.

  “Oh, yeah, give me a hand,” Locke said, nodding as he moved forward with Sampson and Sparky. Together, they quickly helped him pick up one of the corpses. “Any idea what we’re supposed to do with them, though? Where we can hide them? There’s not exactly a plethora of options around here where they won’t be found before they disappear.”

  “We can’t put the
m in our inventory, can we?” Katherine suggested.

  “That’s . . .” Locke was about to say ‘that’s not possible,’ when he realized that the inventory system might just be adaptable enough for something like that to actually work. “That’s kind of messed up,” he said, settling on a different choice of words as he realized that they just might actually be able to store the bodies away. “I feel awful about this.”

  Eliza looked at them skeptically for a moment before she shook her head. “I will never understand you people,” she muttered, and the irony wasn’t lost on Locke.

  “It’s definitely a combination of gross and . . . Why the heck are we doing this?” Katherine may have been reluctant and disgusted, but she still did her best to try and stuff the corpse into her inventory. She gave it a good effort, but after several failed attempts, she gave up.

  “Because if we don’t,” Locke answered, “the bad guys will find out about what we’ve done here.” It was a reminder to everyone else as well as himself as to what was at stake. It may have been a virtual world, but he didn’t exactly relish the idea of what he was about to do. He swallowed down the bile he felt rising in his throat, took out his blade and started cutting Stephen’s limbs into pieces.

  “Shy, what are you doing?” Tubal asked in alarm. ”Do you think that the bodies are going to be any easier to drag off unnoticed when they’re bleeding all over the place and making a huge mess?” He stared down at Locke, watching him work as he diligently chopped the three bodies up.

  “Well, we might not be able to store player corpses, but should be able to store ingredients, right?” Locke wiped some of the blood from his hands off onto his pants before moving to the next body.