A Monster Life

12 - Treachery

The room several floors up under the attic was full of books in cases and stacks, various furniture like chairs, small tables and dressers, and assorted junk you might see after a few generations storing things that might come in handy one day, all complete with the standard accessories of dust layers and cobwebs. The stale air hit Ulric's nose and he sneezed loud. 'After stench comes dust. My poor nose.'
Kaui gestured at a grimy small window. 'You can open that for some fresh air.' she said. 'I need to go because the master gets upset when I keep him waiting.' She looked back before closing the door. 'I'll be back as soon as I can.'
Ulric fumbled with the stuck window lock, opened it with a little force and took a deep sniff from the outside air. 'That's better.'
A shout from nearby brought him to full attention. 'Kaui!' he growled as he rushed out into the attic passage, and stormed through a door at the other side after a crash sounded.
He stared at the naked plump body of Kaui who held a brush in her hand, then turned around quickly. 'Uhh, you all right?'
She snatched a blanket from her bed to cover her front while Iphigenia and Elzbieta arrived. 'I was just startled by a big spider and bumped a jar onto the floor trying to catch it.'
Elzbieta folded her arms and frowned at Ulric. 'What's with you and walking in on naked women? Really!'
'I just thought she was in trouble.' he said and she pushed him out the door. 'She's fine so no need to embarrass her any longer.'
Kaui looked at Iphigenia. 'He does that all the time?'
Iphigenia chuckled. 'So far. I can't tell if it's lucky or unlucky for him.' she said and picked up the pieces of the jar. 'At least it wasn't while he was aroused this time.'
Kaui gasped. 'He did that!?'
'Yeah, it happened the first time with both me and Elzbieta.' Iphigenia said and grinned. 'Mind you, after the initial shock it was quite a sight. Maybe you'll get to enjoy the experience too.'
Kaui blushed at the image that came to mind. 'I, I couldn't!'
Iphigenia placed the shards on a free spot on Kaui's dresser. 'Just kidding.' she chuckled. 'We'll see you when you're done.'
Kaui hurried dressing after Iphigenia left, and went down to fix tea.

***

By the time Kaui returned to the attic, the three had found usable seats and a salon table and had settled into a corner near the window. 'The master will be studying for some time now so I'm free to help you.'
'So,' Iphigenia said. 'what can you tell us about your lord here and his house?'
Kaui sat down in the seat meant for her. 'Lord Humanus has been ruling over this country since the previous one died in an attack by humans years ago. He's very hard to speak to because there are always soldiers and one or more of his advisers with him. And his house is tightly guarded.'
Ulric grumbled and Iphigenia nodded. 'Any place or time he's alone?'
Kaui shrugged. 'Not that I've heard of.'
Ulric grumbled a remark and Elzbieta stared blankly at him. 'Bedroom? You're going after men as well?'
He quickly shook his head and Iphigenia sniggered while Kaui looked confused. 'He's right though.' Iphigenia said. 'The only places he'd likely be alone is the bath and the bedroom.' She looked at Kaui. 'Unless he has a woman?'
Kaui shook her head. 'We haven't seen him with any since he became lord. Rumour has it he's aiming for someone to strengthen his position later.'
'Then first we need to figure out how to get inside.'
'As the master makes various potions and other things for the lord, I can get inside pretty easily.' said Kaui and hummed in thought. 'There are a couple of windows at the back where you could enter unseen but they're several floors up.'
Ulric stretched and retracted his legs and Iphigenia smiled at him. 'That might not be a problem if we take a rope ladder with us.' She looked at Kaui again. 'We'll go when it's dark again.'

***

Elzbieta looked up at the windows at the back wall of the lord's house from a dark alley. 'You sure you can jump that high?'
Ulric grinned. 'Jumping with you girls on my back was easy enough that I think I can jump four floors up.'
Iphigenia put her hand on his back. 'Just don't hurt yourself when you don't make it and fall back down. I'm not sure I can heal you well enough.'
He smiled softly at her. 'Don't worry, I can shift to armour for protection thanks to Elzbieta.'
Elzbieta blushed. 'I didn't really give you anything. It just happened.'
'Still, I only gained this after you became my familiar.'
Elzbieta blushed harder. 'Shush! Don't say it!'
One of the windows opened and Ulric looked up. Kaui looked down from it and waved quickly with a dim lantern for him to jump up. He pulled at the knotted rope coiled around his shoulder and chest and tensed his whole body. 'Time to reach for the sky. Or window, in this case.'
Iphigenia and Elzbieta peeked around the corners of the alley to make sure no one was around and gave him the clear signal. He took a short sprint through the alley, jumped towards the front of the wall, and launched himself up at the open window with a short growl.
Kaui gasped and stepped back quickly when the bloodwolf came up fast at her. Her heart raced as Ulric landed in the window frame and grabbed it tight. He grinned at her. 'I could have won in the Olympics.' Kaui looked puzzled at him and he shook his head. 'Never mind.' he said and uncoiled the rope. There was nothing to tie it to and he coiled it twice around his arm before waving to Iphigenia and Elzbieta to come up. They climbed up while Ulric braced one foot against the window and Kaui kept an eye out on the street.
A soft clink of metal caught her attention and light shining away to one side made her heart race again. 'There's a guard coming!' she hissed. 'He'll see them before they're up here!'
Ulric concentrated on them. 'Hold on! I'll pull you up!' he said and they gripped the rope tight while he pulled quickly.
Iphigenia jumped from the window as soon as she reached it but Elzbieta's foot snagged it and tumbled forward. Ulric grinned as he lay on his back with her on top. 'Careful.'
She blushed again. 'Thanks.'
Kaui hauled up the rest of the rope and closed the window before the guard could see it. 'Quiet now. Even if there are few inside, we can still get caught by a servant or guard.'
'Any idea on where the lord is now?' asked Iphigenia.
'I overheard a servant saying he was in his study and I believe it's somewhere at the back here.'
Ulric pricked up his ears. 'I'll listen for sounds of someone coming while we search the place.' he said.
Iphigenia nodded and turned to Kaui. 'You'd better go back before they catch you with us.'
She shook her head. 'I'll help you. I can distract while you go hide if needed.'
Iphigenia smiled a little at the determined look in Kaui's eyes. 'All right. We'll rely on you then.'
The four moved silently through the wooden corridors and went down floor by floor, Ulric listening and sniffing at doors that might be where the orc lord's study was until he held up his paw at one. 'It's faint but I can hear voices.' he said and carefully opened the door.
The dark room inside held cases full of paperwork and scrolls covered in dust. Faint light shone from the floor in one corner and they gathered around a crack between two floor boards wide enough to see the pig lord at his desk underneath.
Iphigenia spoke to Elzbieta and Ulric in her mind. 'He's talking to someone in the common demon language.'
'You understand it?' asked Ulric.
She nodded. 'I picked up enough over the years from people who also know it.' She looked down at Lord Humanus leaning back in his seat. 'I'll translate as best as I can.'
'So what are you suggesting?' Humanus asked of his guest.
'I think it's time a band of humans are seen around the area. Maybe even attack something close to the village.' the guest said and Iphigenia heard he wasn't orc, but couldn't make out what race instead.
Humanus hummed and drummed his fingers on the desk's surface.
'Or do you want them to focus their attention on the tax they're paying?'
'I'll talk to the head of the merchants, we'll see if we can arrange for a cart or two with expendable goods and men to be in the area.'
The ruffle of cloth and creak of a chair sounded. 'Good. We'll speak soon. There's something I have to confirm in the meantime. It seems a human, an elf, and a tame bloodwolf are travelling together in search of the demon lord.'
Iphigenia, Elzbieta, and Ulric stared at each other. 'They know about us!?' Elzbieta said while Humanus bellowed out a laugh. 'What nonsense is that!?' he said.
'It does sound like a drunkard's tale but it came from a usually reliable source so I have to check it out.'
'Have fun with that then. Even if it was true, only a few know of where the demon lord resides so they'll never find him.' Humanus said and the study's door opened and closed.
Iphigenia gestured to go back up and they hurried silently to the back room where they had entered. 'We were going to be found out sooner or later.' Ulric said.
'True, but this was way faster than I'd expected.' Iphigenia said.
Elzbieta folded her arms and frowned. 'One of the goblins must have warned someone.'
'Or someone at Winter City.' Ulric said.
She looked at him. 'Why would they tell any demon? That makes no sense.'
Iphigenia looked at Kaui biting a fingernail and frowning. 'What is it?'
Kaui looked up. 'I don't like what I heard about an attack by humans.'
'I wonder what they meant too.' Elzbieta said. 'It sounded like they have humans working for them, but who would?'
'It's a typical strategy in my world by the powerful to distract people from what you're doing.' said Ulric. 'Keep their attention on something else, usually another group of people to hate. He's living up to his name.'
Iphigenia looked at Kaui. 'Any idea where that village could be?'
Kaui shook her head. 'No, but usually when merchants leave they buy a supply of items for the road from the master. We can find out through that.'
'Good. We could prevent the attack from happening and expose the treachery of the lord.'
The others agreed and they prepared to leave through the window. Ulric coiled the rope around his waist and let down Iphigenia and Elzbieta while the street was clear. Kaui kept an eye on them until Ulric tapped her shoulder and pointed at the door. She made sure the light of the lantern didn't shine at the door before listening at it, and cringed at footsteps coming closer. She gestured at Ulric to be silent.
The footsteps halted near the door for a moment and she held her breath while her heart pounded hard. The footsteps continued and she let out a silent deep breath. She returned to Ulric and nodded before looking out the window and receiving the next scare.
A cursing orc ran down the street chasing a dog. 'My hat, you filthy mutt!'
Iphigenia and Elzbieta held on tight as they hung halfway down the wall and Kaui pat Ulric's arm quickly to stop him lowering the two, creating a small cloud of dust that had gathered in his fur at the archive room. It tickled his nose and he scrunched and shook his muzzle to stave of the inevitable. His sneeze was as loud as could be expected from a bloodwolf.
The dog let go of the orc's hat and ran further down the street while the orc picked it up and grumbled as he wiped the dirt from it, right underneath Iphigenia and Elzbieta.
Kaui hurried to the door to check if the one who passed earlier had heard the sneeze, and almost bumped into it when it opened. A grim looking guard frowned at her. 'What are you doing here?'
'I,' she began and looked back quickly at the frozen pose of Ulric, hiding the arm gripping the rope behind his back and leaning forward in an attacking pose with the other. 'I was looking into the stuffed bloodwolf for master Barkan. He might be interested in obtaining it for his studies. The thing's so dusty it made me sneeze.'
The guard peered down at her. 'You sneezed that loud?' he said and stepped closer to Ulric, who strained to hold the rope.
Kaui gripped her dress. 'You don't think he's the one who sneezed, do you?'
The orc looked at the bloodwolf's eyes which were fixed on him. A cold chill ran down his spine and he took a step back. 'He looks alive.'
The orc on the street put on his hat and fumbled in his pocket, pulled out a pipe, cleaned it, stuffed it with tobacco, and lit it. 'Damned dog.' he grumbled as he looked down the street.'
'It's the light.' Kaui said. 'But he looks alive enough to make you think he could pounce and rip you apart at any moment.'
The orc nodded. 'A cousin of mine was killed by a bloodwolf once. Pieces of him were all over the place.' he said and backed away far enough to the door before turning away from the eyes he could swear were following him. He hoped he wouldn't get nightmares later. 'Finish your business quickly.'
'I will.' Kaui said as she watched him go down the corridor. She closed the door and leaned back against it with trembling legs and let out a deep breath. Ulric grabbed the rope with his other paw and gestured at the window. 'Ah!' she said and hurried to check on Iphigenia and Elzbieta. The orc at the street looked up a bit at the bright night sky, blew a puff of smoke, and strolled back to where he came from. As soon as he disappeared from sight she gestured at Ulric to continue letting Iphigenia and Elzbieta down.
'We're safe.' said Iphigenia when they stepped onto the ground.
Ulric collected the rope and Kaui looked at him. 'How are you going back down?'
He grinned at her as he coiled the rope around him again and gestured at the window.
'You're just going to jump!?'
He nodded.
'But you might get hurt even when you could jump this high!'
He shook his head, stepped into the window frame, and out again. Kaui gasped as she rushed forward to look down, and watched as he jumped away from the wall, bounced off of the opposite building, bounced once more from the wall beneath her, and landed safely on all fours in front of the alley. She sighed, closed the window, and hurried down to meet up with the others a few streets away and return to master Barkan's home.

***

'I think I know where the ambush will happen.' said Kaui as she brought up a meal for the three half a day later. She laid out a map on the salon table and pointed at the symbol for a village. 'Penrata, near the canine beastfolk border.'
Iphigenia swallowed a spoonful of stew. 'It's so far from human territory, how could they even get there without being seen?'
'Probably by keeping low like we did.' said Ulric. 'How sure is she that it's this place?'
'Pretty sure.' Kaui said after Iphigenia asked. 'The one who came to buy supplies mentioned taking old stuff there for apparently no reason.'
'Expendable.' said Elzbieta.
'When will they leave?' asked Iphigenia.
'In less than a quarter day.'
Iphigenia stood up. 'Then we have no time to waste. Can you smuggle us out again?'
Kaui nodded and soon enough she rode her cart towards the city gate with the three hidden in it again. The same unhappy guard at the gate as before saw her coming and waved her through quickly this time.
Inside the forest she halted and the three stretched their legs after crawling out of hiding. Iphigenia smiled at Kaui. 'Thanks for everything, you've been a great help. We'll follow the carts and fight whoever tries to attack.'
Kaui nodded and waved as they set out on the parallel route Kaui had drawn on a map for them. She looked at the city, sighed, and looked back at the group disappearing between the trees. She bit her lip for a moment after climbing onto the cart, then spurred the cow on to ride home.