Shadowborn

Chapter Eighty-Four: The Silver Swallow

Chapter Eighty-Four: The Silver Swallow

When I get back to the manor, I head straight for the library. I’d been visiting one of the barracks to make the finishing touches when I’d felt the pull from [Danger Sense]. It wasn’t a strong enough pull to warrant me tearing through the city to get to Rhallani, but it was a close run thing. It was gone by the time I hit the front door, and my Link gave me the sense that everything was fine, but I was more than a little concerned that the sharp spike had happened in the first place.

I’d had a few pings throughout the day. Minor encounters that were resolved before I could really begin to worry. I trusted Rhallani enough to keep her head and Safina to protect her, but the second I’d felt the waves of peril from whatever happened I knew I was in for a day.

I paused at the front door, a little confused by the heavy looking boxes that a number of burly men were carrying into the house. I recognized a few of them as the ones who helped move in the abundance of furniture we’d needed to furnish the manor, but I didn’t recognize the boxes they were carrying in. A quick peek in one told me they were all books, which is what led me to the library.

Inside, I was met with a flurry of movement. The movers were stacking boxes along the wall while a number of servants unpacked books. Many of which looked to be old and worn, just the kind of thing that Rhallani would absolutely love. Seeing all of it made me feel better immediately. Regardless of whatever danger she’d found herself in, she’d still managed to acquire no small amount of books.

It didn’t take me long to find her thanks to our Link. She was sitting on a table with a fresh journal in her hand, tongue between her teeth, a charcoal pencil scribbling away. As if she sensed my presence, she looked up and saw me. Immediately her shoulders sagged with relief and she hopped down, running straight into my arms.

“I’m sorry,” she said, hugging me tight, “I’m sure you were worried.”

“A little,” I admitted, trying to play down just how relieved I was to have her safe in my arms, “but let’s save the apologies for after you tell me exactly what happened, alright?”

“Right,” she sighed, “you’re right. Well, for starters, I bought a library.”

I chuckled. “I see that, but we both know that’s not what I need to know, is it?”

Then she chewed her lip. “Well, the good news is that I found two more of Noelle’s sisters.”

I forced myself to count to ten before I trusted myself to respond. “I’m gonna need a little more than that, Angel.”

And so she told me how her skill had led her to a small unnamed book shop where she’d found a tome written in a language that had to come from the same place as the Jailer’s Blade. How they’d been interrupted by Four and Seven, along with a human they didn’t recognize. She finished by telling me how she’d sent Festus to follow them, then brought the owner and his granddaughter back to the manor to talk about purchasing their property, which had apparently been a quick conversation considering all the books were already being moved in.

By the end, Rhallani looked distraught. “Can you talk to Safina? She’s been beating herself up pretty bad about all this. She feels like she should have done something to save her sisters, and no matter how many time I tell her this is pretty much the best way it could have gone, I can tell she won’t listen.”

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll see what I can do, then we can talk about where the collared ones ended up.”

She nodded, then pulled back. “I sent Festus out as a raven, but we got close enough that I could change him to a house cat. He’s been inside getting the layout.”

“Good girl,” I said, my voice low. She shivered, her lips curling slightly, but I knew Safina was weighing heavily on her mind.

“Zaren,” she said, grabbing my arm before I could get far, “I talked to her. She didn’t have it nearly as bad as you were afraid of. You definitely don’t have to treat her like she’s made of glass.”

“Duly noted.”

I left her to her maps and headed for where Safina was sitting on the ground against the wall, her knees tucked to her chest and her tail wrapped around her legs. She watched everyone moving around with her jaw clenched.

She tensed slightly when I sat down next to her, but that was her only reaction. Even sitting, she dwarfed me. It made trying to comfort her feel... odd. “You did good,” I said after a few minutes of silence.

“It doesn’t feel that way,” she replied tersely.

I nodded. “I get it, trust me. It’s hard when you can’t save everyone. Having to choose can’t have been easy, but you made the right choice. You didn’t have any way to disable the collars, and Fang can only neutralize one enemy at a time. You’d have had to beat the shit out of one of your friends, hope to immobilize them without killing them, while also making sure the asshole they were with didn’t make things worse.”

“You protected Rhallani, you gave her the chance to trail them, and you got her home safe. Now we can go after them. Maybe even find their base of operations and a few more sisters if we’re lucky.” I put a hand on her thick bicep and squeezed. “You did good Safina. As good as I possibly could have asked of you. You did your job, which means I can do mine.”

She started to relax. “They were right there. They were so close.”

“I know. Trust me, I do. And when it’s time to go after them, you’ll be right there with us. Promise.”

Finally, she turned to look at me. “Promise?”

“You bet.” I took a chance and moved my hand down her arm until it was resting on one of hers. “Thank you, for protecting her. I’m glad you made it out safe. Both of you.”

She turned her face away, but her tail finally unfurled from where it had been wrapped around her. “So, what’s the plan?”

“We’ll need to talk to our resident genius for that.” I stood, ruffling her hair between her horns. She ducked away, a smile finally finding its way to her face as she batted my hand away. Then I held that hand out as an offering. “Coming?”

Our talk hadn’t resolved everything going on in her head, but at the very least she didn’t look completely miserable any longer. She took her hand and allowed me to pull her to her feet, smiling a little when I struggled. When we were vertical, she didn’t let go.

“Safina?” I asked, sensing she had something she wanted to say.

“I...I want a Link,” she said finally.

I cocked my head. That wasn’t what I was expecting, but I was hardly going to complain. “Alright.”

She didn’t seem to hear me. “Valith told me all about it, and I feel like a Link with me would be tactically valuable, too.”

“I agree. Let’s do it.”

But Safina barreled on. “Knowing how much danger I’m in could help you gauge situations, too. Like, if I’m in more than Rhallani, you at least know she’s being protected. And you can empower me so I can protect her even better, too.”

“Safina—”

“And beyond that, I like it here. No, I love it here. Before, all I had was my sisters, but none of us had a choice in that. I’d still die for Valith, but this family is one I want to be a part of. I want to stick around, and I want to help all of you in any way I can, and if a Link lets me do that, then—”

“Safina.” I put both my other hand over hers so it was sandwiched between them. She slammed to a stop, her throat bobbing. “I’d love to form a Link with you. You don’t have to try and convince me.”

“Oh,” she said, her voice small. “In that case, can we...?”

Rather than answering aloud, I reached out with my sense. Her soul, like Valith’s, didn’t shimmer. I’d spent the last few days reaching out with my soul sense and brushing against everyone in the household. Not enough to be invasive. I wasn’t learning anything deep about them past a quick cursory glance to make sure they didn’t shimmer and that they were who they pretended to be. So far, I hadn’t found any additional shimmers past the ones I’d already noticed.

Safina’s soul was big and bright. Cobalt blue and sparking with electricity that had me feeling like I’d stood too close to a lightning strike. Her energy raced through me, eager and curious and energetic. Her soul was covered in dings and chips, like life had tried to break her apart and constantly come up too weak to actually do any damage.

I’d barely activated [Forge Link] before she’d accepted and the Link was seared into place between us. Even after I’d pulled back, I was still aware of her. A low rumble sounded in her chest, but thanks to the freshness of the Link I knew it was a pleased sound. She was deliriously happy in that moment as the feeling of being accepted washed over her so strongly it flooded through the bond between us.

I didn’t even get the chance to open my eyes before she yanked me into her arms, crushing me to her chest with enough force to crack my back about a dozen times. She pressed her cheek into the crown of my head while my face was buried in her ample bosom, lifting my feet off the ground and swinging me back and forth until she finally came to a stop.

I nod slowly. “Find out if there’s any truth to the rumors and see if you can get proof. Look for any connection to this Arthal character while you’re at it. If we can get something concrete then maybe Sandrel and Rolar can help us acquire the property and help any of the people being held against their will inside. Demi-human or otherwise.”

“Done and done, Boss. You can count on me.” She pushed herself off the wall. “The Silver Swallow is known for two things. A wide variety of options for demi-human fetishists and magic sex toys. I figure you and Rhallani could go in and use that as your cover with Safina guarding your back, that way you don’t have to worry about getting it on with a courtesan.”

Some of the nausea in my gut dispersed. “Thank fuck. Never been to a brothel before, and never thought I would. This just gets better by the minute.”

“Motherfuckers,” Rhallani said under her breath, “taking all the fun out of buying toys. Zaren, we need to bring them down.”

I nodded. “How’s Festus doing?”

“His captor doesn’t seem to realize he’s a familiar, just an odd looking stray. She slapped some kind of magic collar on him and he doesn’t think he’ll be able to slip out unnoticed. I can still de-summon him if we need, though.”

I shook my head. If we can get him out the old fashioned way, that would be for the best. If he vanishes into thin air, then they might realize we’re wise to them. De-summoning will be plan B.”

“And Plan A is to go in the front door of the brothel, buy a bunch of sex toys, and try to sneak him out in the process?” Safina asked.

It was so much worse when she said it out loud. “Yep. Come on, lets go.”

Valith vanished to do recon while the three of us walked in the front door. Serena, Tiana, and Noelle were at a restaurant a few blocks away in case we needed them, but I hoped to get in and out without confrontation.

When we were just outside the door, I paused. “I might have to play the part of slimy Patron inside to get what we need, but rest assured I won’t let anything happen to either of you.”

Rhallani squeezed my hand. “We won’t hold it against you.”

I nodded, wishing I could try and kiss away some of that anxiety on her face, but doing so in public was probably a bad idea. Doing so in front of a brothel that catered to those who used and abused demi-humans and very likely run by our enemies was definitely a bad idea. “Stay with Safina, and if we get separated, get out, alright?”

As we entered the dimly lit, smoky entry hall, I reached out with my soul sense. Courtesans of both genders and all races lounged around in skimpy attire, the gazes of more than a few latching onto me the second I walked in. I’d opted for a finer outfit to play the role, but the whole thing made me feel sick.

Backs arched, legs spread in invitation, breasts were pushed out, and hands caressed bodies to try and entice me and any other men and women making their way through the curtained front doors. Rhallani and Safina at my back, along with the waves of reassurance that were pulsing occasionally through my link with Serena, were the only things that kept my mind from burning the whole place to the ground. Preparing myself for the worst, I started to examine the souls around me.

Still no shimmers, but I’d come to expect as much at this point. Instead, I focused on the states of the courtesans around us. It wasn’t as bad as I’d hoped, but it wasn’t good either. I didn’t see any signs of any magics like the collar that would strip away wills, but I saw more than a few souls that were drowning in hopelessness. Some were clearly struggling, and many were far from happy. For the most part, there seemed to be a level of contentedness. People who’d accepted their fates.

Valith was right. This place needed to go down.

Ornate signage directed us to their ‘shop of wondrous pleasure,’ but we’d barely made it halfway before a portly woman with far too much makeup and jewelry stalked towards us.

“Well, well,” she said in a husky voice, “if it isn’t the prestigious head of House Nocht. I’m surprised it took you so long to find my humble establishment.”

I kept my face carefully expressionless. “You must be Madame Reade. I see my reputation precedes me.”

Her smile was wide and oily. “As such an important man to this part of the city, you’re the talk of the town Lord Nocht! Now, tell me how I can make all of your desires come true.” Her eyes flicked to the Half-dragon behind me. “If it’s training you require, I’d be more than happy to give a man such as you a discount. If you’re looking to employ some of your girls here for some extra income, I can certainly be persuaded.”

It was a struggle to keep the revulsion off my face. “Perhaps in the future,” I lied. “For now, I’m here because I understand your establishment has the best selection of...aides this side of the Velossian sea.”

She seemed more than a little disappointed, but she hid it well. “I see. Well, if that’s the case, then of course I won’t get in your way. Please, if there’s anything at all I can help with, don’t be a stranger. I have some rather lucrative deals with many of the city’s elite, and I’d be happy to add you to that roster.”

I think I’d rather gargle boiling oil, thanks. “Maybe another time.”

Watching her slink away into the smoky building made me think of a snake, and I had a feeling I’d be spending a not-small amount of time in the baths tonight to wash the stink of this place off my skin. I knew there were brothels that operated above board, staffed with courtesans who genuinely enjoyed what they did. This wasn’t one of those places. The more I saw, the more I believed that.

Now that Madame Reade was gone, we were able to enter the shop. Sex toys of all shapes and sizes filled shelves and racks, and there were couches strategically placed all over where courtesans showed off the goods in action. I did my best not to look, but their placement made it difficult to find a safe place to look. I leaned towards Rhallani and whispered, “go nuts, Angel. Consider it a reward for quick thinking.”

She bit her lip, then nodded. “That door back there is the quickest way to Festus.” She handed me a slip of paper. “This route should take you to him. Be careful?”

“When am I not?” I asked with a smirk.

She shot me a droll look, and I turned to Safina. “If things get hairy, get her out of here. I can handle myself.”

Safina nodded, one of her massive hands on Rhallani’s shoulder. “I won’t let her out of my sight.”

“Good.”

I left them behind—Rhallani headed straight for the specialty wall in the back—hoping I didn’t make a mistake in giving them such a hefty coinpurse. In the darkest corner was a wall that wasn’t actually a wall, but rather a doorway hidden in the folds of the purple and silver curtains that draped the room. I waited until nobody was looking in my direction, busying myself with examining a frankly ridiculous dildo, before slipping past and into the darkness behind.

The hall was tight and poorly lit, which worked in my favor thanks to [Dark Sense]. I summoned a good amount of shadows and wrapped myself in them, using them to hide the shinier parts of my attire and muffle my footsteps. The one time I passed someone—a courtesan walking with a satisfied smile, a bag of coin, and a slight limp—I was able to easily fade into the dark.

Thanks to the route I’d memorized, it didn’t take me long to find my way to the underground room where poor Festus was apparently being held. I avoided several trip wires and two different pressure plates, even using my shadow on the door to make sure I didn’t set off whatever trap or alarm was built into the hinge. Only then did I get a look inside the room. It was the first room I’d seen that was actually well lit, and it very quickly became clear that I’d found the source of the specialty toys upstairs.

Tables and benches were filled with half-finished or damaged products. Dildos, straps, plugs, small little egg-shaped things that were no doubt meant for something sexual, and other things I really didn’t want to think too hard about cluttered the room. All magical, and all well made. A quick examination told me that whatever artificer they had pumping out fake dicks knew what they were doing. The materials were of a middling quality, and none of the enchantments were particularly powerful, but I knew clever artificing when I saw it.

I knew when an enchantment was stretched to perfection, getting the maximum amount of use out of the magic interred in the array. I could recognize when someone was talented enough to make a superior artifact out of inferior materials. I was hardly an expert on sex toys, but the talent behind whoever had made these was as evident as the creativity in how the magic was imbued. Carvings, Stitchings. Inverted symbols flipped and wrapped around the core of whatever the device was. If they chose, their creator would likely be capable of making some very dangerous weapons.

And through it all, there was the sound of music. It didn’t take me long to find the source. A music box, but boosted by whatever magic the artificer imbued it with. Instead of a single metal cylinder, there looked to be several rings inside.

But, despite this being the workshop, the artificer was missing. I did a loop, reaching towards the walls with my shadows. Eventually, I reached out with my darkness and covered up the crystals in the walls that were lighting the room, plunging it into darkness.

I closed my eyes and let [Dark Sense] run free. It was difficult to hear past the music, but I didn’t want to turn it off for fear of alerting the artificer. After a minute or so, I realized I could feel the slightest draft coming from my right. It took some searching around, but eventually I found a latch that opened a secret door built perfectly into the wall, tucked away in the furthest corner of the room from the entry.

I carefully picked my way down the set of stairs behind, leaving one song behind for another that drifted up from below. I gingerly stepped into a room nearly identical to the one above, albeit with considerably less sex toys. I saw cloaks, homemade pieces of armor, low quality gems, and plenty of household tools that were no doubt enchanted as well. And working at the largest bench in the room was a woman with thick black gloves that went to her elbows, tinted glasses, and a stained and burned apron on.

And nothing else.

I’d like to say I averted my eyes immediately, but that would be a lie. She bobbed and danced along to the music with a very shapely—and completely uncovered—rear pointed directly at me. Long black hair was tied up in a messy bun at the top of her head and long, pointed ears told me I was looking at an Elf. Either High or Wood, but likely the former considering her skin was nearly as pale as Rhallani’s. Each ear held no less than four piercings, from studs to rings to a set of swords that hung down nearly to her shoulders.

Shoulders that rested above a back I saw was intricately tattooed. Along with one of her thighs. And the opposite calf. And one of her biceps. Her back was the largest and most intricate. Wings spread across her shoulder blades, one a feathered wing like a Seraphim’s, the other leathery like an Erinyes. A scaled tail wrapped around her left bicep, and a thorny vine covered in roses twisted down her thigh. On the back of her calf was a spider web that looked realistic enough to make me shiver.

And on a pillow next to her, looking at me with murder in his eyes, was Festus. A thick, spiky collar sat around his neck. As I watched, the woman danced to the side, kissed him on the head, then did a spin in time to the music back to her original position. Her eyes must have been closed under the dark, home made glasses on her face because she didn't react to me. The spin showed off black painted lips, pert breasts that strained against her enchanted apron, and even more piercings. I counted two studs on her left brow, a ring in her lip, and a half-moon hanging from her nose, plus yet another intricate tattoo of a dragon resting on one of her collarbones, its tail trailing down her shoulder to where it wrapped around her bicep.

Just as I started wondering if I should just try and sneak Festus out, I reached out with my soul sense. The first thing I felt was faint surprise at the bright, bubbly nature of the soul that seemed so at odds with the tattoos and the makeup. Her soul was one that hadn’t seen any large trauma past one of loss from a long time ago, but it did bear the signs of repeated, smaller traumas. Traumas like being basically imprisoned in a brothel, for instance.

Oh, and there was one other thing. She shimmered.