Shadow of the Avatar

Chapter 20 -- Infiltration

After we got past our differences, Desiray and I turned out to make a great team. Where I have talent, she has experience. She's a whiz at locks, and me at wards. Quite simply, together we're a menace to society...

--Wren

Wren could only throw herself flat to avoid Corona as he hurtled out of the darkness, as a flickering red and white blur. Desiray gasped and lunged out of the way.

Thunder rumbled. Rain hissed. Water gurgled. Wren tasted foul gutter runoff. Her heart raced and her ears rang. No pain. No sound of impact. What happened?

Laying face down on the sodden street she felt cold moisture soaking through her breeches. The sensation made Wren jerk to her knees.

Corona chimed. He lay in her hand, the weapon's feather lightness unnoticeable in the excitement. Even though the blade had passed through its target, no color darkened the milky white metal. Even rain water didn't stick to it.

Desiray was on her feet and helped Wren up. <Shreds. Did Cassandra warn you it would do that?>

Wren stared at Corona and spoke aloud. "No." Regaining her composure, she went back to mindspeak. <I suppose this is more of Cassandra's humor.> She gripped Corona hard and shook him. "It wasn't funny," she growled.

Corona made a whimpering 'forgive me' sound. Damn Cassandra. "No more surprises," she hissed at the weapon. Corona responded with flat 'harrumphing' sound. "I mean it."

<I need to spank Cassandra,> Desiray said in Wren's mind. <Damn thing is as dangerous to us as them.>

They waited to see if there was any new activity. Wren was surprised that there hadn't already been some response to Corona's brilliant light.

<Nothing,> Wren said to Desiray. <They must have thought it was a lightning flash.>

Desiray shook her head. <Strange.> She stepped further into the alley and peered toward the sentry post on the guild's roof. Lightning outlined the saw-tooth silhouettes of the merlons that jutted up from the guild's roof battlements. <The sentry hasn't come back to the corner.>

Wren frowned. <Does that mean the corner is open?>

<Let's get closer.>

Probing ahead with her sword, Desiray led the way toward the guild, approaching the spot where Wren hit the lookout. Wren sensed the woman listening and reaching for the reasons behind the unexpected silence. Had the other guard actually left his post? Shouldn't there have been more ground level watchers?

At the corner, beneath the overhang, they found the downed sentry. Little remained of him save some streaks of crimson running into the gutter. Wren's stomach tightened. Even killing scum like these Dagger thieves made her ill.

<Look,> Desiray pointed a short ways away between the buildings. Another individual lay face down. <Guess you hit two.>

A chill went through Wren. <Better make it three. Look over by the guild's wall.>

A splash of crimson formed a large red circle on the stones of the guild. Another Dagger thief lay collapsed beneath it.

Lightning flashed. Wren closed her eyes and looked away from the sundered corpse. A queasiness rumbled in her stomach.

<Shreds! What's going--> Desiray stopped herself. <Damn, four!> She pointed to a body slumped through one of the notches at the top of the wall.