74 Rat Traps
1458 Words
Janus was anxious, but he had good trust in his people. They had planned all night and looked into every possibility, before honing in on a singular plan. All they had to do now was to execute it without anyone getting hurt.
Their journey was relatively smooth. He was pleased to see that Master Roban's work on the road was paying off. They arrived in two days without encountering bandits or monsters.
They were divided into two caravans. Janus and his crew were disguised as merchants on the first caravan, while the second one held Master Delmoire and his guards with Yvaine and the Mystic Flames.
The Gaddi diplomat and their guards, however, did not know what they were planning. Janus decided it was best to keep it that way.
The first caravan was planned to arrive early in the dead of night, while the second one was delayed to arrive in the morning.
That was intentional, as the Earl of Gaddi only met dignitaries in the mornings. While the Plague Rats held their operations at night.
Master Roban had dealt with them before--as Pazeem-the scout leader would recall. She was tasked to call out a contact from the Rats, which she found uttering a few secret passwords in the alleyways and docks. Janus was planning to send them an offer they can't refuse.
The goblin contact didn't comply at first, which was understandable. But as soon as Lady Haruna revealed herself to him he bowed and led them through the tunnels. She had amicable dealings with Clanchief Gragosh before, she had rallied for them to have their own settlements. That was enough to grant them an audience.
Of course, there had to be only a few of them on the group, so as not to look suspicious. Janus thought that three other disguised mages and one skilled knight weren't too shabby for security, while scouts stayed behind and surveyed their course to pinpoint the location of the hideout.
The sewers were just as dank as he expected. It was dug underground with the impressive stonework that Gaddi was known for. Its walls and buildings were said to be a marvel to behold. Their culture was specifically proud of their mason work. But now Janus could only see the water passages lit by the moonlight which barely revealed their murky pathway.
They weaved through tight and claustrophobic tunnels and climbed rusty ladders in dark caverns before climbing up to a trapdoor in a dark alleyway.
Janus was exhausted from the journey, and his sense of smell was getting numb. He was surprised to see that his mage companions were all shielded from the smell with barriers that covered their noses. Sir Arthan looked unperturbed like he was walking in the park.
"You can't negotiate to look like that." Haruna said.
Thankfully she had just the spell.
She circled an orb across Janus, and the layer of sewage and stink disappeared from his body to the orb. It was the spell that he saw her do when she first came into Wayward Home.
Janus could now breathe again, but he felt a sting from his nerves. Yvaine wasn't here, so he had to look his best for the meeting. He dipped into his Wellspring instinctively to calm himself down.
He took a deep breath and bathed in the pleasant lights.
"Hey. Your barrier still has holes." A voice called.
"Wait? Cornelia! Stop peeking into my Well!"
Cornelia laughed maniacally. "Don't blame me. You make it too easy, but seriously though, I think this is a great plan. Good job coming up with it."
"I had help."
"Sure you do. Forgive me but I'm curious, are you just doing this for Haruna out of the kindness of your heart?"
Janus hesitated. "Not exactly. I just want my teacher to be able to visit freely, that's all."
"Right..." she said, with a thick helping of sarcasm.
"Oh come on, I also want to help these orcs okay? I've always been curious about them."
"Yeah I still don't believe you, but we better stop stalling now, we have an important mission to do. Good luck."
There were two guards stationed outside the old stone building. From the outside, it looked like a run-down and forgotten structure from ages ago. But Janus could spot bolts and bars on the inside, suggesting that the exterior was only a facade.
Their contact explained the situation to the guards. Janus' hand tensed, the plan was to keep casualties close to zero. It was greedy, but if they could pull it off, they would hit three birds in one stone.
The guards nodded and led them inside before directing them to a trapdoor on the floor. The base was underground.
They all climbed down to the worst place Janus had ever seen.
It looked like the interior of an anthill. He suspected that this section was connected to a mine shaft, the kind of thing that dwarves and goblins would come up with. These tunnels were dug through the ground with random rooms and spaces in between. Its citizens all slept on the cold ground. They had weapons and armors laying about. Janus spotted the old and the wounded along with the young and the healthy, all laughing and smiling at each other despite their situation. The ceiling had a line with candles that looked like they had to be replaced ages ago.
Their goblin guide led them to a large chamber where an orc was working on his desk.
"Clanchief. We have guests. It's the Princess."
Haruna took off her hood and her disguise disappeared.
"Chief Gragosh. I am here to talk about peace."
"Princess? Is that you? My my, you've grown since we last met.
"Gragosh, what happened to you? Have you been eating?" she asked.
"Hardly, I am still strong, but I am afraid your father isn't making things easy for us here. You see he has cut down our provisions, and now the noble merchants have lowered our wages and left us with little choice. I hope you understand." Gragosh nodded to the goblin guide, who snickered and laughed as he walked away.
"Chief Gragosh, I am sorry about what happened. But we're here to make amends."
"Hah-hah! That is a good one Princess, but I'm afraid the time for amends is over. You have fallen into our lair. We have no choice but to use this to our advantage. I'm sure the Earl will understand, seeing as he has been jailing our members due to petty contrivances. It is a fair game you see."
Goblins, orcs, and dwarves alike were rushing down on their position from the tunnels, holding varying weapons -- knives, clubs, and even bricks -- whatever they could lay their hands on. Snickering and murmuring about having a good catch for tonight.
Janus heard none of this. He was staring at Chief Gragosh with a heavy heart. The orc chief wasn't tall, nor imposing. He was frail and skinny. His cheeks were gaunt and he was missing an arm, in its place was a prosthetic arm made of goblin gears and pulleys with a small claw grip. He was completely opposite of what Janus envisioned.
"Chief Gragosh, please hear me out first." He said, but they weren't listening.
The goblins were closing down on their prey.
The Mages braced for their spells.
Sir Arthan held his sword, which was previously hidden by a glamour.
Up above, Pazeem and her scouts had gathered on the location quietly. They subdued the guards and tied them up. They carried chains and ropes, as well as short spears and knives. Waiting for a signal to flicker. The one Lysie planted on the door.
The scout waited and hoped.
#
The next morning, Yvaine was invited to the palace. The first diplomat from Wayward Home has arrived in Gaddi, along with Mr. Delmoire and their guards, but Lady Haruna was nowhere to be found.
Yvaine was invited in the palace with her handmaidens and a few guards, they carried with them chests full of gold bars and gemstone crafts. Freshly cut from the mines of Ramstead and Kazzuk's stoneworks.
She had no time to marvel at the palace, with its stonework finely carved and shaped into lotus flowers and fan-like furnishings. Red velvet cushions lined its floors and the smell of cinnamon and flowers filled the air.
They carried chests full of arrowheads and spearheads, as well as a sword that was crafted especially for the Earl himself, encrusted with rubies and gilded at the hilt. The finest of dwarven craftsmanship. Gifts to ease the Earl's feelings for a while.
Downstairs were two caravans with sacks full of sweet potatoes and a pop-up stall that served fresh noodles beside it. Workers and merchants alike flocked to taste the dish.
But this was not enough for the Earl, who was in the middle of a crisis. The noblemen were pressuring him to get a hold of the insurgents, else he will be overthrown from his position and duly replaced.
- Writer
