Shadow Honor - Book 1 of The Trial

Shadow Honor - 17

"You want to help us?"

"You look surprised, Prince Maxthane," Dogo answered with a disarming smile. "I think we've already made ourselves quite clear. Your father risks bringing doom upon us all."

Dogo, Maxthane, Grim, and Madame Godani sat around an elegant table in the Inkblade guild hall. A full tea cup sat before each of them, and a plate of cheese and crackers sat in the center for anyone to eat from. It had remained untouched through the course of their discussion, though Grim and Maxthane had both thanked Madame Godani graciously for her hospitality. Even though Maxthane had gone most of the day without eating, the adrenaline of their escape was still with him, and he didn't have much of an appetite.

The gladiators were in another room being fed a large meal at Madame Godani's expense, awaiting the result of the discussion being held without them. Maxthane didn't think it would take much longer, though he was still bewildered that Dogo and Madame Godani had any desire to stop his father. Maxthane sat in the company of thieves, and thieves always looked out for themselves first.

"My motives are not so altruistic," Madame Godani admitted with a tight smile, "but I do agree with Dogo that we have to ensure this does not come back to harm The Shade. I still believe that this rebellion will not amount to anything, but we need to make sure that we cover our own interests."

"Spoken like a true thief," Dogo noted with a laugh. "You'll never change."

Madame Godani grunted as she glared at Dogo sitting beside her. "You were always too good for The Shade, Dogo." She made a shooing motion with her hand as she added, "What with how much you dislike our dishonorable ways, I'm honestly surprised you stick around."

Dogo glared back at her and opened his mouth to reply when Grim raised his hand to stop their quarrel. "Please, we appreciate any help that you have to offer," Grim interjected. "Can you get us to the surface?"

"Yes, though we will have to be more careful than we were when we helped Styx escape," Dogo explained. "Salidar is already suspicious that we had something to do with that, and I'm not certain we can avoid his attention if we act openly."

"So what do we do?" Maxthane asked.

"There is a fourth exit to the surface," Dogo replied quickly, drawing surprised looks from Maxthane and Madame Godani.

"What are you talking about?" Madame Godani asked suspiciously.

"It's located above the Black Lake," Dogo answered with a smug grin that turned Madame Godani's glare murderous. "The Ebon Pillar leads straight to it."

"The Ebon Pillar?" Grim asked, "I haven't heard of that."

"It is located in the center of the lake," Dogo explained, ignoring Madame Godani's glare. "It rises from a small island reputed to be the home of a terrible beast. Everyone in The Shade avoids the island."

"How did you find out that there was an exit to the surface at the top?" Maxthane asked in wonder.

"It's how I enter the Shade every time I come home," Dogo replied with a shrug. Madame Godani's glare turned thoughtful as her anger seemed to dissipate. She nodded slowly and smiled at Dogo, leaving Maxthane to wonder what thoughts were going through her head.

"So there is no beast on the island?" Grim inquired with another smile.

"I didn't say that," Dogo replied with a grin. When Dogo saw Maxthane's horrified expression he sighed and continued, "I don't know, to be honest. If there is, I've never seen it, but I have heard things from time to time. It could just be the tentacle beasts that live in the water."