Flames of Mira by Clay Harmon

Author:Clay Harmon [Harmon, Clay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing Ltd
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21 – Jakar

Jafa Velmira, leaderof the largest mercenary company in Radavich, Cirk Mezar—‘Cat’s Eye Company’ in Radavich’s old tongue—walked with her second-in-command as I led them through the city’s industrial park in the city’s northeast quarter. The rhythm of her steps lost their usual cadence, and I looked over my shoulder to see her checking our surroundings. I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to stick her sword in my spine if she thought I was leading her into a trap.

The most powerful of all the jafos and jafas in the city had been the hardest to convince to attend Sara’s meeting—most people, even leaders of mercenary crews and companies, avoided this part of Radavich since the martial horn had sounded two passings ago. The city guard had lost total control over the thugs and criminals who now had free rein of Radavich’s outer districts.

“The guardsmen are starting to learn,” Velmira said as we approached a deserted barricade. Dozens of laborers moved through the checkpoint toward a line of warehouses along Radavich’s lake—most businesses had remained open, despite the martial horn, as the palace had given no indication of when the city would end the lockdown. The city was a seafood colony too, subsisting primarily off what they caught in the lake, and people needed to eat.

“The city guard deserted the outskirts and only patrol the housing districts of the nobility and around the palace,” I said.

We passed a group of laborers carrying a thirty-foot length of timber toward a loading area of water aqueducts. “Jakar, was it?” Velmira’s second-in-command said. She was a tall woman, broad of shoulder and with enough muscle to cleave me in two with the one-hander at her waist. “You sure you know nothing of this meeting? Rumor has it you’re close with Mira’s Hand. Seems odd she would share so little with you.”

“All I know is that the meeting will be worth your while,” I said, parroting Sara’s words. In truth, the princepa had kept me in the dark, but it had to involve getting her past Radavich’s lockdown and into Tulchi. A hard plan that required a lot of bodies.

Dwelling on the fact she’d excluded me from her plans for the first time in weeks caused the ugly feeling in my stomach to worsen.

We reached the entrance to a warehouse built on the shores of Radavich’s lake. It belonged to a margrave out on business protecting the territory’s northern border, who worked as a distributor for Rodi’s Ash operation. I knocked on the door and Cassandra answered. “You’re the last to arrive,” she said, nodding to Jafa Velmira.

The din of voices dropped a degree when Velmira stepped onto the warehouse floor. A collection of crew and company leaders stood in the center, and a dozen of Rodi’s crew lazed against the barrels and crates lining the walls. Rodi and Sara stood in front of the foreman’s corner office that they had locked themselves inside of before I’d left to retrieve the jafa.

“Thank you for coming,” Sara said to Velmira, who took her place in the middle of the group.

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