The Night Rider

Chapter 40 - Confession

Whatever Nivara was expecting from her old friend, it certainly wasn't that.

Wrenching her arm away in surprise, Hornet rubbed at her metal arm as if hurt by Nivara's sudden recoil. Betrayed by her own actions, Nivara turned her head in embarrassment and tried to steady her racing heart, still afraid of what she had seen in that forest. Not many people could forget an encounter with a dragon.

"But he's dead! His partner, I mean she's-"

Hornet slammed her fist onto the table, the steel causing the old table to flake off into splinters. Nivara couldn't help but flinch, the surprising strength of her prosthetic despite its look almost made her reach for her daggers hidden in her cloak.

Her friend's hardened expression was more than enough to confirm that her years-long grudge had been festering since the ambush in Willowridge. Nivara herself had been the one to instigate heading over there again and now, Hornet sat in front of her, a war torn survivor of her clan's negligence. 

"He was there the night of my patrol just as you said he would be. Mesmer went after him, flamin' sword an' all. She completely forgot about her own damn mission and left me to keep that idiot Tinker Mole alive."

The mission had seemed simple on the surface. Escorting a high client homeward bound to the Undercity while surveilling the area for any activity. Just to be safe, they had organised to meet with the rest of the squadron at the second half nearest the rendezvous point. But they never even made it halfway.

All Nivara knew about that client at the time was that he was a Tinker Mole. Eventually more information had come to light with her insistent digging but it was only recently she found out why Gizmo Gearloose was so important to the Excelliars. Arkalite.

"Mesmer left me for dead, cut off my arm and when I tried to flee she trapped me in a ditch. That damn dragon set the entire forest on fire and Mesmer used it to bury me and any other traces of evidence." Hornet said, picking up the large flask and angrily poured herself a drink.

The fury within her eyes was unrecognisable and to see how much it had changed her friend made Nivara look away out of guilt. She should've fought harder to be put on the mission with her second instead of being stuck doing the standard punishment drills.

Once Lady Aria had confirmed it as a genuine threat, Regent Mesmer had taken command of the mission herself, left Nivara in the lurch without any credit for the find and had assigned Hornet as her squire instead. Perhaps her Regent had been still annoyed that a Caldorian apprentice had made her look like a fool in front of her superior officer but technically, Hornet had done most of the work. That didn't mean she deserved what happened to her.

"That crazy Fire Traited turned the small camp into a wildfire all because she wanted more damn land. The only reason Gearloose was even there was to administer it legally not get caught in the crossfire."

Gizmo was expert in distributing minerals and more importantly for rebuilding the Opalace. More likely, a black market dealer than any esteemed businessman but she had never known why Lady Aria had agreed to let him in. He was well known in the Undercity but had spent his last few trade offs in the services of the Land Above as the natives called it through some kind of miracle. 

Whatever the reason, Nivara had been wary of a Tinker Mole with a Craft within her vicinity but no one would listen to a lowly apprentice.

"It was a damn setup, Nivara. Mesmer got all the glory just because she was stronger than me."

Nivara's hands shook in anger, balling her fists to hide her frustration and closed her eyes to stop her emotion from overflowing. She had held a midnight vigil alone after a very brief funeral, the tradition newly abandoned by not only the other apprentices but Lady Aria herself. They didn't care as long as they were the ones who were alive.