Chapter 14
The moon was nowhere to be seen, the stars scattered loosely through the ink colored sky. Leather wings hovered through the night air, leaving no shadows below as the stars were not bright enough to give away his approach. Jahren would leave no trace of the direction he came, and if he was lucky, he would manage to disappear just the same. He did not enjoy the errand he was sent on... But he was the only man capable of pulling it off, and so he would do it without complaint.
As one sees waste, another sees gold. How simple could they be?
He felt as if there was more to the situation than that. How easy would it be to falsify entry and infiltrate, with such a simple password? They would not sell to Tourik, he was told... But how would they treat races not a part of the Dominion? What if a Gaidec were to walk through the gates? What of the Daegra like himself? They were going missing after all, and evidence pointed toward the Brotherhood being the culprits. How dangerous was this mission, and what had he gotten himself into?
He shook his head and frowned. Trysten was confident that Jahren could manage this task, and it would be an insult to question such judgment. The Prince's keen mind was worth betting on, and so he would trust in that. He doubted Trysten would put him in a position that might compromise their progress in rescuing his sister, regardless of how desperate the situation was. It would be better to simply let her run free for the time being, and evaluate the situation. Jahren had no doubt Trysten would trust his own sisters survive-ability over losing an important pawn. Even if they didn't exactly get along, Jahren's tree gift was useful, and Trysten knew that.
Descending into a cluster of palm trees, he was careful not to be seen as he waited for contact from Okuo. He was ordered to hold position on the outskirts of the cave until the rest of his unit was in their places and he got confirmation. The rest of his men needed to keep their distance in order to avoid suspicion, but they needed to be close enough to be able to act in case things went awry. Kneeling in the sand, he was careful not to move as he searched the surrounding area for any sort of patrol. It seemed the people here banked on the position of this cave, and didn't feel the need to send men outside to watch for intruders. It made him wonder how difficult it was to get inside. Or to escape.
Your referral is a man named "Sinister Star".
"A strange alias. Seems rather obvious."
It is meant to be. You are a member of "The Sinister", your alias is Sinister Moon. Your status is White, which means you are a guest. Red are regular members, Black are dealers. Blue are security.
"Who is this Sinister Star, and how do I avoid being caught in this lie?"
I have a few connections within The Black Hole, young one. You would do best to stop underestimating my reach in the world.
"Will I meet this man?"
That depends.
"On what?"
His mood. At any rate, when you enter the cave, knock three times to prove you are there for a transaction. Once you are inside you must travel to The Widows Inn, and ask to speak with a woman who goes by Spider. I will intervene as necessary but the rest is up to you.
"Noted. Thanks for the intel, old friend."
Just be safe, Jahren.
He nodded and slowly stood from his place in the shadows. Entering the narrow cave, he knocked three times before following a curve in the path deeper in. Two men stood on the inside of a gated off portion of the cave that seemed to continue into unending darkness. He looked from one man to the other and kept a passive expression as he sauntered up to the locked gate.
"As one sees waste, another sees gold."
"Referral and status."
"Sinister Star," he mustered a cocky smile as he leaned against the gate, "And white. For now."
"We'll see about that," one growled while the other shot him a smile back. So far so good. "There're a few names under Mr. Star. Alias?"
"Sinister Moon."
"Ahh, I see ye'. Kyaga Daegra mix, young adult... Weapon of choice's a set of throwin' knives. Care to confirm?"
"Of course," he materialized two, and then three of his knives and juggled them with a cocky grin. Both of the guards seemed to enjoy his attitude and moved to allow him inside. "So, if I were to, say... meet up with a friend at the Widow's Inn. How would I get there?"
"Just head inside and keep walkin'. Ye' can't miss the place." the guard pressed a white badge into his hand and nodded. "Let's people know yer here as a guest."
"Thanks, boys. Enjoy your night."
Jahren continued down the hall in relief. He was lucky that encounter went off without a hitch. Who knew what might have happened if they suspected him? He had to keep his nerves in check, or this mission would go sour very quickly. This was only one of many encounters he would have tonight, and he needed to keep a low profile if he were to escape with the suppression cuff.
The cave grew ever darker as he walked, and he had to press his hand to the wall in order to find his way through the tunnel. As he rounded a corner, the telltale light flooding through the cracks of a door frame followed the sounds of a crowd on the other side. He crept to the entrance and tested the stone entryway, finding that pressing it inwards triggered a mechanism that allowed it to slide sideways into the wall. He was momentarily blinded by the light that broke through, and he stopped to adjust before passing through the entrance inside.
There were carts lined up in rows with various trinkets and other such harmless items near the entrance. As he continued down the line, he found replicas of the six gems of power. He found himself drawn to the cart as he looked over the different pieces of jewelry.
"Unfortunately the totem belt doesn't change shape to match the size of its wearer like the real one," and older woman said as she rounded the table, "but its a beautiful piece, nonetheless."
"It is. It looks nearly identical to the original."
