RE: Monarch

Chapter 50: Enclave XX

I was not unfamiliar with the way these things worked, though most of my knowledge came from authored retellings rather than the real world. Of course Persephone wouldnt trust me right away. Shed string me along for a bit, test my patience and my ability to keep my mouth shut, then eventuallymaybegive me what I wanted.

The thing was, in the stories Id read the initial favors were supposed to be small. Meaningless things. Like acting as a lookout, or gathering information.

But no, Persephone had skipped a few steps, and now I was roped into a plot to burgle a heavily guarded home, cursing her name, mentally preparing to commit high-risk larceny.

Id stared at the imprints shed handed me blankly, not quite believing what I was seeing. Sorry, you want me to do what?

Its a sapphire. About the size of a pomegranate. A dark, elongated finger stroked the depiction of the sapphire lovingly. I want it.

Yes, I said, my accent thick. And I would love to live in a world where the dark elves did not drive us from Panthania all those years ago, yet we do not always get what we want.

Dont be mouthy. Persephone sniffed.

It is not a matter of being mouthy, it is a matter of survival. I insisted. This thing. It is nothow do you sayproportional.

Oh? And the information you seek is so simple and consequence free? Persephone arched an eyebrow and took a seat on the table next to me. Anyone with any knowledge of the asmodials is to bring it to the attention of the high council immediately. Withholding that knowledge is tantamount to treason. And Im hardly asking you to commit treason. Just bring me one little gem.

I gawked at her. Big gem. This is a big gem. Stolen from a woman I do not know, in a place I am unfamiliar with, with a plan that is not mine and the help of men I do not trust.

Persephone blinked owlishly, as if my observations were completely unfair. I thought youd appreciate the resources at my disposal. Youre welcome to bring an associate of your own if you have any. Her smile was feral and victorious. She had somehow reasoned out that I was operating on my own.

Why do you want it? I asked.

Thats irrelevant.

Fine. This is all I have to do? I get you this sapphire, and in return I get access to the asmodials. You will not go back on this?

You have my word. She glowered at me, then placed three golden rods on the table with a clink. Ill even throw in a bonus. To endow your escape fund.

And that was how I ended up recruiting a fourteen year old into a life of crime. Look, I get it. I know how it sounds. But without Maya, my options were limited. Kilvius was nowhere to be found. Nethtari would have looked at me like Id grown horns. All I had to do, however, was mention the word Heist to Jorra and he was enthusiastically onboard.

He bounded around his room, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over his shoulders like an oversize cloak. This the best day ever! What are we stealing, who are we stealing it from? Do we have a code word?

Head in my hands, I was already regretting this decision more by the minute.

We are not stealing anything. Im going into a situation where there are many external factors and no constants for me to fall back on.

You can just say youre going into a risky situation. Jorra looked at me dubiously.

Yes, but Im trying to avoid exciting you further. I sighed. My point is, I need at least one person I can rely on, and that person is you.

This friendship is paying out already. Jorra grinned and jumped onto his bed, blanket trailing behind him like a cape. I watched, unamused, as he did his best impression of either a dragon, or some sort of large bird, complete with high-pitched undefinable sound effects.

You know what, Ill ask Ralakos for help. I turned to go.

Jorra leapt off the bed and tackled me, nearly toppling me. There was actual desperation in his eyes.

Cairn. You cant just talk about something like that then cut me out of it. Come on. Just give me a shot.

I gave him a level gaze. I need to know youre taking this seriously.

Done. Jorras expression went completely stoic, his voice monotone, doing an excellent impression of his mother.

Fine. I held a sack filled with empty glass beads out to him. Talk to me about the range on your water.

Youve seen it before, in the surface caves. I back up as far as I can until I can no longer sustain it.

I considered that. The cave we practiced in was large, not massive, but at least big enough for our purposes. From what I remembered Jorra covered at least half of it. A hundred feet at the very least. But, as Maya had engrained in me, magic had limits.

Is it affected by line of sight? I asked.

A bit? Jorra scratched his head. If its water Ive summoned with mana, I can almost always sense it for a few hoursmy tutor says thats a rare traitbut sensing it without being able to see is pretty above me.

I frowned. That wasnt quite ideal. I wanted Jorra as far away from the action as possible; functioning externally as a remote alarm system. Id intended to have him fill a glass bead with summoned water, then place the bead in my pocket, so he could use it to alert me if anything seemed out of the ordinary. From what he was saying, that simply wasnt going to happen. As much as I wanted to avoid it, he would need to come with me after all.

Fine. Youll need a cloak and a proper mask. Do you have one already?

What, the blanket wont work?

----

We entered the building together. It seemed that, as Jorra had never wandered into the outside world, there had been no reason to own a disguise. Id dug into my newly replenished finances for the purchase. Jorra scratched at his yellow-green dragon mask.

Id given him strict instructions not to speak.

There were two men: a crimson infernal andcompletely shattering my expectationsan honest-to-Elphion dwarf. Id seen a few of them in the Enclave from a distance, noticeable only by their stature, but never this close. The mans arms were large, corded with muscle and bristling with dark hair thicker than a horses mane.

Keep looking. Maybe Ill get taller. He leered at me and I realized Id been staring.

Apologies, I said, slipping smoothly into character, sensing the movement as Jorras head jerked slightly towards me.

I take it youre the new toy Percys trying on for size? The man who spoke was wide and muscled, but slightly hunchbacked, as if hed lived his entire life stooping to avoid the ceiling. He looked me up and down, unimpressed. She really does have a thing for the strange ones.

The dwarf pointed a finger at him irritably. If she hears you been calling her that, Shear, well be spending the rest of our days in the Sanctum.

He caught me looking and sighed. Sontar, right? Im Shear, and since no one can pronounce the Dwarfs name and he gets veryparticular about it, I just call him Ginger.

The name is Thurm, the Dwarf said, Snot my fault you lot cant pronounce your damn rs properly.

I cocked my head the moment hed spoken his name. Dwarven names werent known for being particularly difficult, though Id only seen them in text. Hearing it though. It was like a rolled r, if the roll barreled into a harmonic corkscrew with a low vibrating inflection caked in phlegm.

Thurm? I tried to roll the R.

Thurm! The dwarf exploded, his annunciation as inconceivable as it was the first time. His companion looked up at the ceiling as if pleading with the heavens.

Ginger then, I concluded.

Thurm glowered, but Shear ignored him.

Shear sidestepped the topic in a practiced manner that made it clear he was quite tired of exploring this avenue of conversation. Let us move on, while there is still daylight left. His eyes narrowed. And who is this? He asked, looking at Jorra.

Jorra breathed in, and I hastened to cut off the disaster of a lie that was likely to come out of his mouth. This is my associate, Adage. He doesnt speak much, but hell be handling logistics.

I want to be clear, the name was not my idea.

Logistics. Shear said flatly.

Yes. I said, maintaining silence after the brief answer.

If I were newer to this sort of thing, I would have been tempted to explain. To go into detail and blabber on, filling the awkward quiet. But that was exactly the sort of overacting that would flag me as false in the eye of an experienced criminal, one who lived the sort of life I was only playing at.

So, I said nothing, staring Shear in the eye.

Shear groaned. Fine. Were all here because weve got Persephones boot on our neck. Lets go over the plan, then well talk about how the two of you fit in.

Ginger unrolled the blueprints, and Shear began to speak with the calm and practiced cadence of a lecturer. His voice was clear and concise, to the extent that it surprised me. His manner seemed more appropriate to a politician than a thief, but I kept that opinion to myself.

Its a textbook smash and grab. Shear looked at all of us. Easy on the smashing, but Persephone was clear on that point. None of that enter and leave without a trace nonsense. Its in Highpoint, so well need to be quiet going in, but once were inside, everything is fair game.

Something about that rubbed me the wrong way.

Why? I asked, Seems a little sloppy, dont you think?

Its what Percy wants, Shear insisted, tapping the blueprint twice for emphasis. Probably a grudge involved. End of the day, its none of my business, or yours.

Yeh, Ginger said, Keep it to yourself, killjoy.

I approached Shears side of the table, happy to have a little distance from the leering dwarf. The house in question was more of a mansion, not quite as large as Ralakoss estate. There was no training yard to speak of, but it was similar in size.

What are the red Xs? I asked, pointing to a half-dozen marked areas on the map.

Security posts.

What?

Even by wealthy Whitefall standards that was paranoid.

Why the heavy security? I asked.

Shear shrugged. Percy didnt tell you much, did she? Every precious gem recovered from the sanctum and lower caves goes through Mifral. Shes the resident baron around these parts when it comes to the gem trade. Makes an absolute killing.

I reached up to squeeze the bridge of my nose absent-mindedly, fingers knocking off the surface of my mask and further souring my mood.

This was not what Id signed up for. But there was too much time invested to back down now. I was beginning to regret ever meeting Persephone.

And wheres the sapphire located?

Shear and Ginger shared an uncomfortable look.

Thats the bad news. Ginger grimaced.

We dont know. Shear said.

I stared at them both.

Adage? I said. Jorra didnt respond. Adage! I snapped my fingers and he jumped.

Uh, yes? Jorra tried far too hard to make his voice sound deep, and it came out sounding strangled.

I looked back to Shear and Ginger. I think were leaving.

Now, now, dont be that way. Shear held both hands palms out, placatingly.

Let em go Shear. Bunch of short-ass pusses. Ginger said.

Shut up, dwarf, Shear hissed.

Persephone said youd have a plan in place. I shook my head. But this isnt a plan.

You havent heard the plan yet, lad, Ginger said. Maybe listen for a moment, before yeh get your panties in a stevedores hitch

I dont evenWhat? Justnever mind. Fine. Tell me rest of the plan. But keep in mind, while my friend and I are capable, neither of us are miracle workers.

Yeah. Jorra piped in, his voice a normal pitch. Everyone turned to look at him and he shrank back.

Is that a kid? Shear asked, incredulous. Did you bring a kid in here? Wait a minute, are you a kid?

Do I sound like a kid? I asked, putting every bit of frigid, biting ice I could manage into the question.

No, Shear admitted. Lets just, get this over with before we kill each other.

He pointed out two separate areas on the map where the gem could be, and I had to admit they had planned slightly better than Id originally thought. The possible locations included a safe in Mifrals bedroom, and a trophy room adjacent to the downstairs loft.

On the bottom section of the map, there was a downstairs area marked as Panic room.

No chance she has it in there? I pointed to the lower section on the map.

Not a chance in heaven, Ginger confirmed. The whole point of a room like that is to maximize the difficulty of getting in while minimizing the reward.

Of course, we need to stop her from reaching that room. If she gets inside and locks the mansion down, things get very difficult for us, Shear said.

And how do we do that? I asked.

Ginger grinned, and with a grunt, hefted a giant back onto the table and unzipped it. There were a cluster of devices inscribed with runes, filled with blue liquid. Though Id never seen this particular design before, I recognized the purpose.

Are these bombs? I couldnt quite believe it, even as I spoke.

Ginger laughed. Not exactly.