The Council of Blades by Paul Kidd

Author:Paul Kidd [Kidd, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-7869-6414-7
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Publishing
Published: 2012-10-29T16:00:00+00:00

“You and I—two creatures almost from different worlds! Who knows what adventures might greet the explorer’s eyes? The pounding pulse—the alien touch of scents and dreams. We owe ourselves the experience—let us seize it while we may!”

One eye blackened, and the sharp mark of a woman’s handprint standing sharp and red across his cheek, Luccio Irozzi wandered disconsolately through the plazas of the Mannicci palace, reciting his little litany in puzzlement. His evening had somehow gone sadly astray. Now, with the firework display lighting up the world and shuddering every windowsill, the entire party population had crowded onto the balconies to marvel at the unprecedented show. Having been beaten nearly comatose by a dozen eligible females, Luccio decided to take a break and reassess his romantic strategies.

“You and me are two creatures almost from different worlds?” Luccio changed the timbre of his voice and tried again. “You and I? Yes—you and I are both inhabitants of far, far different worlds …”

It didn’t seem to work quite as well as it should. The daughter of Blade Captain Toporello had somehow managed to pour the contents of a flower vase into his tights, and it felt as though some of the rose stems might still be down there. Dejected and defeated, Luccio made his way into the deserted courtyard and sat himself down beside the bubbling waters of the ornate fountain.

A note written on mother-of-pearl had asked him for a tryst here at midnight; Luccio scanned the deserted courtyard and hung his head with a disappointed sigh.

Fireworks burst and blasted overhead like a war between the gods; crowds made “oohs” and “aaahs” of appreciation, sounding like the ebb and flow of distant seas. The rear courtyard suddenly dissolved into a noisy chaos of bellows, shouts, and screams, while the whole palace shuddered to an unseen blow.

Having lost the party mood, Luccio ignored it all and sadly trailed a fìnger into the cool water at his side.

A penniless father had left Luccio the heir to an empty house and a world of debt. Without funds, there were no mercenaries—without mercenaries, no votes, and without votes, a gentleman had no influence at all. Disinclined to don a metal suit and join the troops himself, Luccio normally faced his misfortunes with a flippant smile.

Heaving a sigh, Luccio laid himself back against a marble statue of a spouting dolphin and let his velvet cap fall to the ground. Spray from the fountain kissed his cheek as he closed his eyes to the flash and glitter of artificial stars.

“It’s true, really. I don’t really have anything to offer. Nothing but poor old Luccio—who, frankly, is not much of a prize. No fortune, no mansion, no votes, no ties; a simple promise of devotion doesn’t hold any water these days.”

A stream of ripples in the fountain drifted to a halt; the whole world seemed to draw a quiet breath.

“It never really seems to work out for me. There’s nothing to fall back on but myself—and I keep wondering if that’s anything to offer to a girl.

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