Chapter 5: Orders Are Orders

Earlier that morning, Quint Blackwell pulled himself from the Sanctum Harbor’s cold waters and up onto the northern rocky shore in Lion’s Arch. Without pausing, he scrambled into an alcove and sat himself down on a rock, saltwater dripping from his water-logged body. He immediately focused on catching his breath. The tide had started to come into the inner bay just before he began his aquatic escape. It made for an exhaustive swim, but he had to leave immediately before the Order of Whispers came for them or risk capture. There was nothing he could do but leave Nienna and the documents he found on that rock in the water. He was not about to be taken in by the Order; he’d likely not see the light of day again.

He wrapped his tired arms around his chest and rubbed to increase circulation for warmth as he shivered. A fire was out of the question, and he would need to move on soon. He couldn’t do anything to draw attention to himself. He had to disappear.

When the attack on their hall began, Quint had sent Michi, his red reef drake companion, away to a safe distance to wait for him. He didn’t know what exactly they would be walking into, and he couldn’t bring himself to risk her safety with the severity and unpredictability of the situation. His concern had been justified when the Byrnes arrived in their own airship. Where they had managed to procure one, he didn’t have the slightest idea. Other than the Pact, he wasn’t sure who else had them at their disposal.

He uttered a little whistle and waited. Michi had protested when he sent her away. She always did, and as usual, stubbornly stayed within earshot in the waters whether Quint liked it or not.

After some time, she had not come, so he whistled again and waited a little longer.

“There you are,” he said as the drake finally waddled around the stone and into the alcove. She parted her jaws and let out a soft hiss in reply before swishing her tail back and forth, indicating her pleasure at seeing him again. He smiled and patted her scaly head as she curled around him. “Good girl. Time for us to go.”

It was nearly noon by the time the two of them were underway. After donning an old cloak he found drying on a log on the beach, Quint and Michi made their way through the northern part of Lion’s Arch and continued to skulk through the midday shadows in no particular path, just in case they were followed. Up one alley and down another, they eventually circled the inner city twice before making their way to their final destination at the corner of the old weaver’s shop.

Quint waited, poised to move from behind a stack of crates as two young boys laughed, tossing a ball back and forth, before disappearing into a doorway in the back of the building. As soon as they were gone, Quint started to move but felt something was off. He looked down next to him to find his scaly companion missing by his side. He uttered an impatient, sharp whistle and waited until he heard the sound of claws clattering against the rough stone pathway from behind. Michi came waddling around a corner, munching on a fish she found along the way. Half of it still hung from her jaws, its caudal fin flapping up and down as she chewed. When she saw Quint, she opened her wide mouth just enough to let out an indignant hiss.

“I know you’re hungry, but we can discuss your complaints later. Now is not the time,” Quint whispered.

Michi firmly clamped her jaws together, severing the fish’s tail as her yellow reptilian eyes stared at him down her wide snout. It landed on the ground with a wet plop.

Quint shook his head. “We’ll get you more food when we’re underway. Now, come on.”

Michi padded along the dark alley after Quint until they came to an old wooden door across from the weaver’s shop. At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary door: one no one would give a second thought to. The only thing which may have caught the passing eye was the new mithril locking mechanism built into the door itself. The new shiny addition contrasted starkly with the worn wooden door. He silently berated himself for not aging the mechanism with a little oil. It didn’t matter now. This would be the last time he would be here anyway.

Reaching into a hidden pocket he had sewn into the waistband of his trousers, Quint produced a small key of the same mithril material as the lock. He looked over his shoulder once again to make sure no one was following and then unlocked the door of his second safe house: one he had kept off the books from the Order.

It was dark inside, save for a little light breaking through between the wood planks covering the only window in the room. Even though he couldn’t see very well, Quint had the layout memorized. He expertly weaved his way through the small room until he came to an old desk. He paused for a moment, thinking he heard shuffling behind him, but when he looked over his shoulder, all he could see was the dim outline of Michi’s low-set frame as she waddled about the small room looking for another snack. Despite the slight unsettling feeling he felt crawling under his skin, the lack of time he had was a great motivator to keep moving. He turned back to the desk and pulled open the drawer to retrieve a box of matches to light the lamp resting on the desktop.

Michi suddenly let out a sharp hiss. Quint froze.

“I was hoping you would come here before disappearing,” a voice spoke out in the dark. A bright flash of light suddenly filled the room, and Quint had to shield his eyes so as not to be blinded by the sudden change.

Despite being temporarily blinded, the drake wildly snapped her jaws in the intruder’s direction, seeking out any limbs she could find while Quint reached for a knife he kept in the drawer. He felt around the entire drawer, but it was nowhere to be found. He cursed to himself as he looked around for something to use. Improvising, he grabbed the lantern resting on the desk top and spun around to face the intruder. A sudden impact against his hand startled him, and he let the lantern go. It fell to the floor with a clatter, glass shattering all over the floor. Quint’s looked down to find his missing knife resting amongst the mess.

“Thank you,” the stranger said from where she stood on a chair. She glanced down at the aggravated drake who was still snapping at her legs and scoffed. The illumination crystal she held in her hand had now dimmed to a soft, white light. “After the morning I’ve had, I really needed to throw something.”

Recognizing the voice, Quint relaxed a little and then bent down to pick up his knife. He stuck the small blade underneath his belt for the time being. “Danae? What are you doing here? How the hell did you get in?” He rose to his feet and eyed her suspiciously, unsure of her intentions. “Michi, stand down. It’s Danae.”

The drake snapped her massive jaws one more time then backed away from the chair, but protectively remained in the space between Danae and Quint.

The airship captain flashed her colleague a smirk. “You’re not the only agent who can slip a lock, you know. Besides, I’m the one who helped set you up with this place,” she said. “I’ve come to give you a friendly warning to get the hell out of the city.”

“As you can see, I’m already working on it,” he replied as he picked up an empty pack from the floor.

She stepped down to the wood floor from the chair she had perched on while watching Quint shuffle back and forth across the room, gathering various supplies. “You should know, you’ve certainly put a thorn in Halvora’s paw, and she’s intent on knowing where you are. I’m curious what spurred the bad mood towards her favorite agent.  Did you forget to file your paperwork again? Disobey an order? Maybe argue with her about a mission? I was reminded this morning that she really doesn’t like that.”

“I stole something important from her office.”

Danae stiffened. “I’m sorry, you what?”

He tied the full pack closed and sat it down on top of the desk. Bracing himself against the old, sturdy piece of furniture, he turned toward Danae, frowning. “There were some documents I stumbled across a while back in Halvora’s office when she and I were going over my current assignment. When I discovered what Nienna’s intentions for the blade were—she—she needed to see their contents.”

“You stole from a Preceptor. You stole from Halvora Snapdagger,” Danae said as she let it all sink in. Her dark eyebrows rose, and her aqua eyes went wide with concern. “No wonder why she wants to find you so badly. What in all the Six deem holy possessed you to do such a thing?”

“I know it wasn’t the smartest move.” He swallowed hard and nervously pushed back his salt and pepper hair from his eyes. In all his years with the Order of Whispers, Quint had believed in the importance of rules and protocol. Without recognizing it, something had subtly shifted in his way of thinking lately. Certain rules seemed easier to cast aside now. “I knew what I was doing when I took those papers, and I know what it means now. But Danae—Nienna needed to know what it’s going to cost.”

“W-what do you mean, Quint? What will it cost?” she hesitantly asked while eyeing him with equally healthy amounts of concern and suspicion.

“That’s for her to know and to decide.”

Danae took a step forward, but Michi let out a long hiss, eliciting a glare from the ship captain who had stopped in her tracks. “Your beast has never liked me.”

“Don’t take it personally. She doesn’t like most people.”

She frowned at the drake, and then gave her a murderous glare before looking away. “What will you do now? Where will you go?” Danae asked her colleague.

Quint picked up his bag and slipped his arms through the straps. “It’s probably best I don’t say.”

“You don’t need to worry about keeping secrets from me. It wouldn’t be the first time I kept a secret for you, remember?” Danae replied, shaking her head. “Besides, the crew and I—well, we’re working on our own right now.”

This new development caught Quint’s attention. “You left?”

“Unofficially. Halvora called it a conflict of interest. Says it’s too personal and I’d get my crew killed and mess up her precious plans, whatever they may be. She doesn’t want us going after the blade. She…,” Danae trailed off as she struggled to find the words. She could feel the pit in her stomach rising to her throat. “Those crazy nobles killed Blake and shot up my ship. If the Order won’t let us see this through, then I don’t see the point in serving.”

He frowned and bowed his head. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I know how much she meant to you and your crew,” Quint said. “I know how much the Order means to you though. Are you sure you’re okay with turning your back on them now?”

What was left of her confident façade fell. “The Order gave me everything I never knew I needed. I owe them my very life, and I have been paying that debt back every day. But I can’t just leave Blake’s death be for nothing. I need to be there. I need to see this through.”

“I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but the Order is still good,” Quint insisted. He nudged Michi to move out of the way. The red drake begrudgingly slithered aside and let her master cross the space to Danae. “Don’t let emotion cloud your judgement.”

“Says the man who stole from a Preceptor.”

Quint frowned, but he nodded. “And now I need to get as far away from both of you. Neither you nor Nienna need another problem to deal with.”

“You’re not going after the others?”

He shook his head. “No, I can’t.”

Danae’s eyes went wide with surprise. “How can you just leave them?”

“This isn’t easy for me-“

“Isn’t it?” Danae narrowed her eyes at him. “Nienna and her people are going after the Byrnes, and here you are ready to skip town and never be seen again. Those nobles aren’t going to go down without another battle. They have an airship, but who knows what else they have. Our friends have no idea what they’re walking into. Nienna trained as an agent, but what about the rest of them. The crew and I are heading to the Priory’s headquarters in Lornar’s Pass to meet Nienna and her friends.” She uncurled her arms, holding them out as she pled with her colleague. “Come with me. You’re a part of this too. You should be there with them. They’ll need you. She’ll need you.”

He clenched his jaw and shook his head. “They need me like they need another target on their backs.” He nervously glanced at the door. “I should be on my way, and you should get out of here as well.”

Danae watched him head to the door and then suddenly remembered the device she kept in her pocket. She pulled it out and presented it. “Here, wait. At least take this. I usually keep it on me in case of an emergency. It’s a beacon tied to the Raven. Just press the button and we’ll be able to track the signal to you. We can come and pick you up if you change your mind.”

He looked at the small, round device in her hand for a moment before finally taking it and placing it in his pocket. “Good-bye, Captain Morgan. It was a pleasure working with you.” He flashed her a sad smile, nodded, and headed for the door.

“Likewise, Mr. Blackwell.”

***

Larkin Hayes carefully peered over the edge of the tiled roof from where he crouched and watched Quint leave his safe house. He smirked. His friend had been wise to keep this place off the books. Truth was, you never knew when you would find yourself in a bind, so it was always good to have a backup location. Quint had done a good job keeping this place under the radar. The Order certainly had not been aware of its existence. Neither had Larkin.

Halvora had been correct in her assumption. Captain Morgan had led him and his team directly to Quint, despite her mediocre attempts to shake a possible tail. It was obvious she was under a great deal of stress. Her movements were stiffer than usual, she hadn’t checked her surroundings as frequently as she should, and the path she chose wasn’t as random as it should be. Stress led to mistakes. Larkin usually preferred to avoid mistakes, unless others were making them of course. Her stress was his benefit today.

Looking over his shoulder, he silently signaled to the two agents he brought with him that it was time to move, and they slowly began their descent from the building. Larkin remained a little longer, watching Quint as he made his way along the alley with that scaled beast of his following behind. Larkin frowned. He had hoped the day would never come where he would have to hunt down one of his own, but yet here he was.

Orders were orders.

He just hoped Quint didn’t resist.