Back in the border zone of Big City once more, Loolipo guides them into a part of town Shaddar has not visited before. The place is clearly abandoned with many of the buildings having been torn down or burned several years ago.
“Hawke told us that this place used to be the main part of town for the hobgoblins to live,” Loolipo says quietly, “It was burned by the Guild of Villains during a riot long ago and never refurbished.”
Kug snorts. “Just made us cram into the palehair ghetto is all they did,” he says with disgust, “I’ve heard the story many times from my band’s chiefs. They fixed most of their own warehouses, where we store furniture and other fine things until some human wants it, but not any of our dens or gathering halls.” The hobgoblin spits to one side of the wagon. “I hate humans…”
“Rightfully so, General. But be patient: Retribution is coming,” Shaddar promises. He notes with satisfaction that many of the other hobgoblins have listened in on this exchange. Good.
In a few minutes, they pull the wagons into a partially burned out building and are greeted by a smiling Hawke.
“Ah! Good to see you, Boss!” he says. With a sharp eye he takes in the fine equipment and the additional wagons rolling into the loading room behind Shaddar’s cart. “I take it that you found what you were looking for?”
“More than,” Shaddar says smugly, “But I hear from Loolipo that you have had some… trouble?”
“I’m sorry about it, Boss, but I did my best under the circumstances.”
“No, you have nothing to confess or fear, Hawke! From the reports I have heard you have done very well. We were going to be relocating immediately anyway. Once we settle in, you can give me a detailed report of what transpired while I was away.”
“Oh? You have a place picked out?”
“Yes. I am sorry about your fine meadhall, my good man, but it will seem like a small sacrifice for what you are about to inherit.”
Shaddar feels the running approach of his last thrall. Cutt dives into view from a set of stairs holding his head and weeping. “Master! Oh, it was awful! All my glorious work – ruined!”
“It’s your own fault, rat!” Hawke snarls, “Now get back to work and stay out of my sight!”
Shaddar refuses to even look at the gnome and the thrall pouts, but obeys his master’s proclaimed second-in-command. As he must.
Hawke shakes his head in disgust. “It was only a building, Boss, but the way that Cutt laughed about it was quite insulting.”
Giggles rise up from the stairwell that the gnome descended. “It was glorious, master! Glorious! Hee-hee-hee! I have no regrets whatsoever! Ka-boom! Ha-ha!”
Hawke frowns. “He’s like that every time someone mentions it. Maddening.”
“Yes,” Shaddar murmurs, “For now, give me a summary of events.”
“Of course, Boss,” Hawke says. “We lost all but a single lumpy in the attack, but I’ve used that one to recruit several more to our banner. A handful showed up the day you left and signed up, so we still have some front-line bodyguards.”
Shaddar notes via his mind reading skills that Kug has already discovered these new recruits and is currently regaling them with tales of their glorious battles and showing off the jewels and gold nuggets they collected as spoils.
Shaddar nods to Hawke. “Good. I also suffered a few causalities, but those that returned are the stronger for it. We also gathered quite a bit of capital should you need it.”
Hawke shrugs. “Might come in handy.” His thoughts are quite pleasing to Shaddar, “But this isn’t about money anymore. Oh, no! Money can’t buy sweet vengeance or stolen power. And now I want both. The Boss will lead me to both, so long as I follow orders and remain useful to him.”
Hawke goes on to report that he has re-established connections with some of his old friends who were punished for being loyal to Hawke when he was blinded and about to be cast out of the Guild. Their careers in the Guild had been stymied from that moment on and all that he has approached are only too happy to get some payback for themselves and the horrible deed that the Guildmaster did to their friend.
“I’ll introduce you to them later, should you wish it. But for now I’ve been having everyone at my disposal track the activities and movements of the Guild and especially the Guildmaster and his inner circle of advisors, like Flame. I still don’t know who the Guildmaster is, but we’ve gotten a pretty good idea of when the captains and advisors all convene so you can issue the challenge at one of their regular gatherings that we’ve identified and that’ll do.”
“Excellent work!”
Hawke smiles uncomfortably, “Did Loolipo tell you the bad news?”
“What’s that?”
“Two days ago… The High Lord… spoke,” Hawke says nervously.
“And just what is the High Lord of the City?” Shaddar asks calmly, thinking that perhaps Hawke really knows. He is not disappointed.
“What is he? Well. He’s a Lord. Really big normally – I saw them years back during some kind of ceremony at the Grande Circus. They can shape-change and they normally do here in Big City. Sometimes they walk among us. You know?”
The image that Shaddar sees in Hawke’s mind explains all. Smooth, shiny plates of metallic-looking scales. A regal frill rising above the noble head and racing down the huge beast’s spine. Wide and sleek wings that flash like lightning in the sun. Claws that are at once delicate in their dexterity and powerfully strong and sharp.
“Ah,” Shaddar thinks, “the Lords are dragons!”
This fits with everything Shaddar has learned about the Lords. Proud. Shape-changers. Universally feared by the weak humans. Access to powerful magic. A focus on calling the Realm their treasure. The claw marks he saw in the ruined illithid city. The mention in the hand-written records of the pygmy illithids of there being Dark Lords who fought against the Lords that won – chromatic versus metallic dragons, obviously. The eating of treasure? Even that makes sense. Shaddar has read that the older dragons will stop eating flesh and subsist on eating pure wealth.
Shaddar nods in understanding for Hawke’s benefit. “Of course! Silly of me not to see it… Well! This poses no difficulty that a carefully laid plan of attack can not take care of! Don’t look so fearful as you speak of them, Hawke! I assure you that Lords can be slain just like any other foe.”
“But, Boss!” Hawke says, “Word from my network is that the Lords of the City have heard of the insult… About the brothel?”
Shaddar tips his head back and laughs. “Good! That should take those wyrms down a notch or two! Just what their pride wants!”
Hawke is stunned at Shaddar’s attitude, but takes a measure of confidence at his hearty response.
“Tell me: Have they every been so grievously insulted before? How will they respond to such slanders?” Shaddar asks.
“Last time was almost nine hundred years ago,” Hawke says, “A blacksmith got drunk and proclaimed that he would like to put a set of shoes on one of the Lords to see if it would help them run faster.” Hawke swallows. “They tore half of the city down eventually until they found the man and then… they ate him.”
“I see,” Shaddar says with a twitch of his tentacles. “Luckily we will be safely underground soon. Let them tear their city apart – the more civil disorder the better from my perspective!” he thinks gleefully.
“Well that’s enough for now. I have some vital arrangements to see to. You may oversee the packing of everything here and be ready to move to our new center of operations tomorrow night most likely.”
“Boss?”
“Yes? Is there something else you need to tell me right away?”
“I don’t know if you think it’s important or not, but don’t you want to know about Jorin and Bort?”
“Oh. Yes. I suppose,” Shaddar says with a bored sigh, “Were they killed in the fight? Did they live?”
“They lived. Both of them were outside the meadhall when it got surrounded and tripped right into a group of Heroes on their way back inside,” Hawke says with disgust at their lack of skills, “Arrested. I haven’t heard anything more about them since then. It’s not as if they actually know anything that could damage us. They might be hanged or they might be let go. Should I arrange a rescue or anything like that?”
“Oh, no,” Shaddar says while rolling his eyes, “You are quite right, Hawke. We must focus on important matters.”
Chapter 1 < Chapter 47 Chapter 49 >
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