Chapter10

"That's the last of them," Jwilson said as he walked back to where Axel was waiting.

"You're sure they've all got the right coding?" Axel was cleaning his fingernails with his cleaver.

"Yeah... pretty sure." Jwilson took a look back over his shoulder, catching the eye of Jonas Abyss, the Sub-guildmaster, who merely nodded at them and started in on his speech to a passerby.

"Hello! I am a Guildmaster for the Society of Thieves! Would you be interested in joining?" Jwilson and Axel both cringed. That was nothing like it was supposed to sound.

"Is he trying to get himself killed?!" Axel tucked his cleaver back in his pack and strode over to the man, ushering the passerby along. "Nothing to see or hear here... move along." Axel glared at the sub GM. "That's not in the script, bub..."

"Sorry, sir... I just can't help but say that sometimes. I've got the code... but, but look at that guy. He wasn't a thief!"

Axel shook his head. "Jonas, that's the point. None of us are supposed to look like thieves any longer. I wouldn't be surprised to see Fingers ride by on a mare, pretending to be a tamer, or for J over there to dress up like British himself. Everyone is to hear the code. Fingers' orders... got that?"

"Yeah, yeah... whatever. I got it." Axel glared at him again. "I said I got it!" Axel turned reluctantly back to Jwilson, who was leaning up against the bank wall. "Ready?"

Jwilson nodded, and began to rummage through his pack for his rune home, then paused. "Um. Did we hit Papua yet?"

Axel stroked his mustache... "Shit. No, we missed it. We hit Delucia, tho... Well, one last stop, eh?"

"Yeah... I guess so. Let's get this over with. I hate Papua. I mean... who the hell ever goes there?!" Axel shrugged as Jwilson ranted. "Screw it... let's go." They flipped through their city runebooks and recalled away.

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"We strike tomorrow night," the silken voice declared. The shouts and accusations quickly quieted. All took their seats again before their dark queen. "It is decided. It is final." No one dared oppose the Lady Minax. "Now... enough of this ignorant bickering. Tonight and tomorrow will be a time for preparations... for battle strategies... for raiding parties to work on their timing... not for petty squabbles amongst ourselves! You disgust me with your infighting." Minax grew angrier by the second. She rose from her blackened throne. "British and his pathetic kingdom will fall. It will topple to our power!" She looked at each of her generals in turn. "That is our common goal. Let nothing else cloud that. Dismissed!" A murmur rippled through her assembly as they stood to leave. One by one, they filed out of the stronghold's meeting chamber and set to their duties. All but her lead general, the Dread Knight Halon Stormwind.

"Milady..." Halon began.

"No - I don't want to hear it, Halon..." Minax interrupted her general and sank back into her throne, still bitter that her own soldiers can't get along.

"This battle is important. I don't want us rushing into it before we are ready. We stand to lose a lot, milady. I can't watch my men die in vain."

"You won't have to, Halon... British is weak. The Council of Mages has chosen not to take a side in this. The Shadowlords have shown growing support for our cause. Both our factions want the same thing - for British's reign to end. By whatever means necessary! If needed, the Shadowlords will help us. I'd stake my life on it. Now stop questioning me and my plans. Your job is to see that my orders are carried out. If you have a problem with that, you had better let me know right now... A replacement will have to be trained."

"No, milady... I have no problems." The Dread Knight rose from his seat and headed for the archway..

"Halon..." Minax called out. "Trust me in this... we will not fail. I'll not allow it."

Her general paused in the doorway, then nodded in response. "If not, we'll pay the price with our lives..."

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