“Suddenly this is a lot more people to sneak out with,” I said.
“Where you go,” Nathalie said, “I go. I have been charged to you, and I will not allow you to get rid of me again.”
Nikolai raised an eyebrow at me. I just shook my head.
“Just follow me,” Emeline said, brushing past me wearing leather armor. “I will be the one who gets us to Philomon and Philomon will get us out.”
Whether or not she spoke the truth, her confidence made up for it.
It was a quick trip from the hotel to a rather large mansion with high walls and a symbol I recognized. We didn’t go to the front gate. Rather, we went around to the side, the servants’ entrance. There was a large man guarding the small gate there. He was almost big enough that he could have blocked the gate just with himself.
Emeline whispered something to the guard.
He looked a little confused, but nodded. He went inside, and we stood around like idiots for a minute.
Alarm bells were still going on in the poorer districts, and I really hoped the fire wasn’t spreading too far.
“Question,“ I said, “what’s the fire department situation here?”
All eyes went to Emeline. She was the only true local here.
“There are fire brigades, both volunteer and professional, and I believe there are certain Imperial Magic Users who are staffed for emergencies.”
“So fires aren’t really that big of a deal?””
“It is a city made of wood, Montana,” Nikolai said. “It is always a horrible occurrence should Osterstadt burn.”
“Right,” I said.
A moment later, a wagon trundled up to us and stopped. It was a bigger, rougher thing than I expected to see around these mansions. The driver, a clean shaven fellow with a hooked nose and long hair gathered in a ponytail, leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. He produced a pipe from somewhere about his person, and, as if he hadn’t a care in the world, he packed it and lit it. He drew deeply, then blew a few smoke rings.
The gate creaked as it opened, and the guard stepped out.
“This is for you,” the guard said, pointing to the wagon.
“But,” Emeline started, “is he—”
“He said for you to get in and go. That a visit might be in order in the future, but at the present time, it is neither appropriate or safe.”
“I— I—” Emeline stammered. She swallowed hard, then climbed into the wagon and faced away from anyone.
The others got aboard. As I grabbed the wooden rail to pull myself up, I felt a hand on my back.
“Montana?” the guard asked.
“That’s me,” I said.
“This is for you,” he replied, handing me a folded note and a small pouch.
“Uh,” I said, “thanks.”
The wagon started moving before I had even gotten in, and I had to do a little hop and a jump to get aboard.
I looked back, and the guard was already standing at his station. I gave a little wave. The guard just looked at me.
We trundled and bumped along until we got to the gates. Not the main gate, but gate three, the one reserved for the guild. The driver gave a jaunty salute to the guards, and the guards, seeming bored, opened up the massive door and let us out with nary a second glance. The wagon drove a ways, then stopped, before going through the rather laborious process of turning around.
I snuck a gold piece out, and palmed it.
As the others jumped out, I shook hands with our driver, and gave him thanks. The driver nodded, disappearing the coin without even pausing to look at it.
And then he drove his wagon back to the city.
It was nice being away from everything, back out in nature. Sure, I’d been looking forward to a night in a real bed. I was also looking forward to a hot meal or two, but that just didn’t seem to be my luck.
We walked towards the tree, Ragnar and Skeld in the front, then Nathalie, then Emeline with a cloak around her shoulders and the hood up as far as it would go, and then Nikolai and I.
I related the story of the bath house to him.
Nikolai kicked a rock. “I cannot help but wonder what Donner’s true motivations were.”
“Getting out of prison,” I said.
“That much is true, but he could have just walked away from you. What did he gain in attempting to kill you?”
“He’s thorough?”
Nikolai barked a short little laugh. “You are far too innocent for the game of court we are about to play.”
“That’s why you’re here.”
“If only you would listen to the words I say.”
“They might sink in one day.”
He just shook his head.
I put my arm around his shoulder, realizing how much taller I was than him. “Let’s build a nice little town, shall we? Maybe forget about all this court nonsense, just make a place that’s relaxing and peaceful?”
“Oh, you poor fool,” Nikolai said. “If you make a place like that, they’ll kill us all just to live there.”
To be continued in book 4.
About the Author
Eric Ugland ran away from Seattle to join the circus. And then he came to his senses, and moved to Manhattan. Now he's a novelist in Los Angeles. Don't worry, it doesn't make sense to him either.
The Good Guys is a continuing LitRPG series I’m writing in the world of iNcarn8. Join my reader group and be the first to know when new books come out.
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Contents
Also by Eric Ugland
Part I
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29
30. Chapter 30
31. Chapter 31
32. Chapter 32
33. Chapter 33
34. Chapter 34
35. Chapter 35
36. Chapter 36
37. Chapter 37
38. Chapter 38
39. Chapter 39
40. Chapter 40
41. Chapter 41
42. Chapter 42
43. Chapter 43
44. Chapter 44
45. Chapter 45
46. Chapter 46
47. Chapter 47
48. Chapter 48
49. Chapter 49
50. Chapter 50
51. Chapter 51
Part II
1. Heir Today, Pawn Tomorrow
52. Chapter 53
54. Chapter 55
55. Chapter 56
56. Chapter 57
57. Chapter 58
58. Chapter 59
59. Chapter 60
60. Chapter 61
61. Chapter 62
62. Chapter 63
63. Chapter 64
64. Chapter 65
65. Chapter 66
66. Chapter 67
67. Chapter 68
68. Chapter 69
69. Chapter 70
70. Chapter 71
71. Chapter 72
72. Chapter 73
73. Chapter 74
74. Chapter 75
75. Chapter 76
76. Chapter 77
77. Chapter 78
78. Chapter 79
79. Chapter 80
80. Chapter 81
81. Chapter 82
82. Chapter 83
83. Chapter 84
84. Chapter 85
85. Chapter 86
86. Chapter 87
87. Chapter 88
88. Chapter 89
89. Chapter 90
90. Chapter 91
91. Chapter 92
92. Chapter 93
93. Chapter 94
94. Chapter 95
95. Chapter 96
96. Chapter 97
97. Chapter 98
Part III
2. Dungeon Mauling
98. Chapter 100
99. Chapter 101
100. Chapter 102
101. Chapter 103
102. Chapter 104
103. Chapter 105
104. Chapter 106
105. Chapter 107
106. Chapter 108
107. Chapter 109
108. Chapter 110
109. Chapter 111
110. Chapter 112
111. Chapter 113
112. Chapter 114
113. Chapter 115
114. Chapter 116
115. Chapter 117
116. Chapter 118
117. Chapter 119
118. Chapter 120
119. Chapter 121
120. Chapter 122
121. Chapter 123
122. Chapter 124
123. Chapter 125
124. Chapter 126
125. Chapter 127
126. Chapter 128
127. Chapter 129
128. Chapter 130
129. Chapter 131
130. Chapter 132
131. Chapter 133
132. Chapter 134
133. Chapter 135
134. Chapter 136
135. Chapter 137
136. Chapter 138
137. Chapter 139
138. Chapter 140
139. Chapter 141
140. Chapter 142
141. Chapter 143
142. Chapter 144
143. Chapter 145
144. Chapter 146
145. Chapter 147
146. Chapter 148
147. Chapter 149
148. Chapter 150
149. Chapter 151
150. Chapter 152
151. Chapter 153
152. Chapter 154
About the Author