The Noonfighter

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The wind rushed over him, carrying with it the heavy droplets of water that came from the sky. Ket sent a glance down the line, noting all of the faces that lay on the roof with him. Five in all counting him, with the twins Rayel and Rayen hiding out on a distant building. Oalen was right next to him. Holora was somewhere with the Rat, still trembling from his cold words. The Rat wasn't known for being informal. He was a traditional type of man, with a history that one would expect: unknown. Ket remembered how the man had bellowed with rage. He whistled, appreciating the memory.

"Quiet!" the Cloak hissed. She was on his left, close enough for him to smell the scent of the attic in her fair hair. She must have been there for quite a while, simply waiting for Ket and the others to arrive. He turned to her, but her eyes were trained on the Haven, which stood right across from them.

"What exactly are we waiting for?" Ket whispered to her. This time she did look at him, though the expression on her face made him wish she hadn't. She was angry.

Her flushed face contorted, lips curled in a snarl. "We're waiting for the mark to show. Now―stay quiet!"

Ket let a deep sigh, raising his eyebrows. Oalen had implied that he'd be informed upon reaching the guild leaders. That had not been the case. Instead, Ket had spent half an hour being sized up and examined like some new piece of meat. Asked questions he didn't understand and told things that made no sense.

And now he was back outside, in the rough, harsh rain. The air was difficult to breathe in, heavy beyond belief. He swore, shifted, and looked at the Haven.

It was the home of all history of the Mekurian Empire. At least, that was what everyone had been told. Ket had never believed it or, rather, never understood it. Why would the history of the Empire be kept here, in this angry city? Surely the highbrows understood what a risk it was.

The Haven was made of the same material as the rest of the "icons" of Telanti. A glossy bluish-grey stone that didn't seem to be bricked or have a single crack. It was a relic of the past, erected by people long dead. Torches had been placed on the gates surrounding the old building as well as the entire grounds around it. Their firelight was nonexistent, of course. The rain had long since doused them out. The only reason Ket could see was because of the flame capsules that lined the pathway leading to the gate. They were as large as a bonfire, blazing whiter than a star. Ket had never seen flame capsules so bright. Even the ones in the merchants' district were only blue.

He grunted as the wind picked up, threatening to flip up his hood. Squinting against the air, he spotted a few guards. Two stationed against the gates, three patrolling the square in front of the building, and...five in front of the Haven doors? Debatable, since Ket couldn't see so far. He should have taken a telescope when they'd been handing them out.

"All right," the Rat called down the line. His voice was hoarse yet Ket heard him clearly. "Here he comes. We drop as soon as he comes into contact with that patrol."

He? Who was he talking about? Ket groaned as he inched forward, vision lurching at the sight of the grounds below. They were pretty high up, he realized. Once his sight settled Ket quickly spotted a carriage wheeling into the square. Among the sounds of rainfall, he hadn't heard the wheels as they rocked against the cobblestone. However, if Ket focused...yes, he could hear it easily. One of the wheels was near breaking. He could see the carriage sway in that direction from where he lay.

Two black horses led the carriage, stallions judging by the build. The driver was a slight person, possibly a woman. Ket frowned as it rolled through the square at an innocent pace.