Chapter 11: Vice Encio
The deeper Kai followed the assassins, the more convinced he became that Yggdrasil had an entire second city hidden beneath it.
The streets grew narrower.
The buildings older.
Torchlight replaced lanterns.
The clean stone roads of the upper districts gave way to cramped alleys and underground tunnels.
At some point they passed through what looked like an abandoned warehouse.
Then a wine cellar.
Then a tunnel hidden behind a collapsed wall.
Kai eventually stopped trying to memorize the route.
There was no chance he'd find his way back.
"How much further?"
One of the assassins glanced back.
"Almost there."
"You said that twenty minutes ago."
"We're almost there now."
Kai didn't believe him.
Andre didn't seem concerned.
He casually walked beside them as if this happened every week.
Which, knowing Andre, it probably did.
Eventually they reached a large iron door.
Two armed guards stood outside.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
The assassins approached.
One knocked three times.
Paused.
Then knocked twice more.
The iron door slowly opened.
Kai immediately regretted following them.
The room beyond looked less like a hideout and more like the headquarters of an organized criminal empire.
Maps covered the walls.
Stacks of documents filled shelves.
Weapons rested neatly on racks.
Several armed men stood guard throughout the chamber.
Every one of them looked dangerous.
At the center sat a man.
White hair.
Calm eyes.
Light armor beneath expensive clothing.
One leg crossed over the other.
Completely relaxed.
As if he owned the room.
Which he probably did.
The assassins immediately bowed.
"Boss."
The man sighed.
"I told you not to call me that."
"Sorry, boss."
The man rubbed his temples.
Kai instantly understood why.
The white-haired man looked toward Andre.
"Still alive."
Andre grinned.
"Disappointed?"
"A little."
"Good."
The man nodded.
Then his attention shifted toward Kai.
The room suddenly felt colder.
Not threatening.
Measured.
As though he were being evaluated.
"So."
The man folded his hands.
"You're Kai."
Kai frowned.
"You know me too?"
"Zindine knows you."
The man shrugged.
"That means I know you."
Kai wasn't sure if that was reassuring or terrifying.
The white-haired man finally stood.
"Vice Encio."
Kai shook his hand.
The grip was firm.
Professional.
Unlike everyone else he'd met recently, Vice seemed normal.
Which immediately made Kai suspicious.
Vice returned to his chair.
"I've heard the story."
"Already?"
"You're not that complicated."
Andre laughed.
Kai ignored him.
Vice's expression became serious.
"You need to meet Akshay."
Kai nodded.
"Yes."
"Normally impossible."
"Normally?"
Vice pointed upward.
"The city is unstable."
"The military is tense."
"The king is paranoid."
Andre interrupted.
"To be fair, we did break out of prison."
"That would explain some of it."
Vice stood and walked toward a large map hanging on the wall.
"The royal district is heavily guarded."
His finger traced several routes.
"Main roads are impossible."
Another route.
"Official channels are impossible."
Another.
"Bribery is expensive."
Andre sighed.
"Get to the point."
Vice smiled.
"There is one way."
Kai already knew he wasn't going to like it.
"Smuggling."
Of course.
Several minutes later, Kai found himself disguised in a worker's uniform.
Andre somehow looked even more suspicious while disguised.
Which should have been impossible.
Yet here they were.
Vice's men loaded several crates onto a wagon.
Kai noticed some were marked as grain.
Others as construction materials.
One was labeled "Definitely Not Illegal."
Kai pointed at it.
"Seriously?"
Vice sighed.
"My men think they're funny."
The wagon began moving.
Slowly climbing toward the upper districts.
Kai remained hidden beneath a tarp.
The plan sounded simple.
Which worried him.
Simple plans rarely stayed simple.
As if on cue—
Voices echoed ahead.
Guards.
The wagon stopped.
Kai immediately became alert.
Outside, someone spoke.
"Inspection."
The driver laughed nervously.
"Again?"
"We've got orders."
Kai felt the wagon shake.
The guards were checking cargo.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
One of them stopped directly beside Kai's crate.
The lid began opening.
Andre punched through the wood.
The guard disappeared.
Silence followed.
A very uncomfortable silence.
Kai slowly closed his eyes.
Of course Andre ruined it.
Of course.
"What the hell was that?!"
A guard shouted.
Andre emerged from the crate.
Stretching.
"I got bored."
Kai wanted to throw him off the mountain.
Chaos erupted.
Guards rushed forward.
Vice's smugglers immediately scattered.
Weapons appeared.
Shouting echoed through the streets.
The operation had officially failed.
Kai burst from his hiding place.
A spear narrowly missed his head.
Another guard lunged.
Kai dodged and countered.
The man crashed into a wall.
More appeared.
Too many.
"THIS IS WHY WE DON'T PUNCH PEOPLE!"
Kai yelled.
Andre threw another guard down a staircase.
"HE LOOKED SUSPICIOUS!"
"HE WAS A GUARD!"
"EXACTLY!"
Kai wasn't even surprised anymore.
The fight spilled into a narrow alley.
More soldiers arrived from nearby checkpoints.
Crossbows fired.
Civilians fled.
Somewhere behind them Vice's smugglers were loudly arguing about refunds.
Then a familiar voice echoed through the chaos.
"Why is it always you?"
Everything stopped.
King Akshay stood at the end of the street.
Surrounded by royal guards.
Dressed far less formally than before.
He looked exhausted.
Like a man whose day had somehow become worse.
Again.
The king stared at Andre.
Andre stared at the king.
Several seconds passed.
Akshay pointed.
"Arrest him."
Andre pointed back.
"No."
The king slowly looked toward Kai.
Kai raised both hands.
"I can explain."
"Can you?"
"No."
"Thought so."
A long silence followed.
Then Akshay sighed.
The kind of sigh reserved for recurring problems.
"Bring them."
The king turned and walked away.
No chains.
No threats.
No soldiers rushing forward.
Just an order.
Kai blinked.
"That's it?"
Akshay glanced back.
"You're carrying a letter for me, aren't you?"
Kai froze.
The king smirked.
"Did you really think I wouldn't hear about that?"
Andre groaned.
"We could've skipped all of this."
Kai looked at him.
Then at the unconscious guards.
Then at the destroyed wagon.
Then at the burning checkpoint.
"Yes."
They absolutely could have.