Read Online Slavers of the Savage Catacombs by Jon F. Merz - Free Book Online Page A

mind, despite the years of training. It was something he was completely unprepared for. This wasn’t bending some stodgy old rule; this was putting his own desires before the needs of his clan.
    When the last bits of night started to dissolve into daybreak, Ran rolled out of bed and prepared himself. Tanka rose soon after and made them a light breakfast of tea, rice, and dried beef. Ran ate without talking.
    “You didn’t sleep well last night,” said Tanka.
    “Terribly, in fact,” said Ran.
    Tanka nodded. “I know what you’re going through.”
    Ran looked up. “And what is that?”
    Tanka smiled. “You’re thinking that you could go west and no one would know. And if they did find out, you’d be long gone and out of the clan’s grasp.”
    Ran said nothing. What was the point?
    Tanka held up his hand. “I’m not trying to get you to admit anything. I’m only telling you that I understand how you feel. Imagine graduating and immediately being told to go to this city. I’ve been here since I left Gakur. I’m so homesick, it drives me crazy. There’s nothing I’d like better than to leave this horrible place and go home.”
    “Have you asked for reassignment?”
    “Three times,” said Tanka. “But the clan’s needs come first. I’ve been told I’ll be replaced at some point. But when that day might come, I have no idea.” He sighed. “So while it’s not the same thing, trust me—I’ve thought about running away. Several times, in fact.”
    “What stops you?”
    Tanka shrugged. “Maybe I’m not brave enough. There’s a funny thing for one of us to say, huh? A shadow warrior not brave enough to go off on his own. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the thought that the clan would find me some day. Maybe it’s the idea of being loyal to the clan no matter what the cost.”
    “And so here you stay.”
    “I’m optimistic, though,” said Tanka. “Surely one day they will realize I’ve been here too long, and they’ll bring me home. Perhaps as an instructor.”
    “For disguises,” said Ran with a grin. “You’d be marvelous at it.”
    “I would,” said Tanka. He stood up then. “Well, enough of that. You’ve got a reconnaissance mission to get on with, and I’ve got things to do.” He paused. “I hope that last bit of conversation will remain strictly between us.”
    Ran nodded. “Have no fear. Just two clan members discussing the state of things. Nothing to it.”
    Tanka nodded once. “Thank you, Ran. I can’t tell you how nice it’s been to have someone else here from Gakur. It’s going to be tough when you leave, my friend.”
    “You never know,” said Ran. “I might need some help up north. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have beside me than you, so be ready.” He belted on his swords and hefted his pack onto his shoulders.
    Tanka clapped his hands. “That reminds me. You need a means of getting in touch with me if things are indeed dire.” He vanished into a back room and came back with a falk on his arm. The bird sat still, its eyes roving around the room before settling on Ran.
    Ran could see the sharp talons and the knife edge of its hooked beak. Brown and black feathers covered its body. Tanka held it up, and the falk took flight once around the room before coming back to rest on the edge of the table.
    “It’s easy enough,” said Tanka. “These have all been trained back in Gakur. This one is trained to return here. All you need to do is put the message in the compartment at the base of its leg and release it with a simple command of ‘ichi.’”
    “‘Ichi.’”
    Tanka nodded. “The falk will return here as fast as possible. They don’t get excited unless there’s danger nearby, so you don’t need a hood for it.” Tanka clapped his hands once, and the falk took flight again.
    “Hold out your arm.”
    Ran did so without thinking, and an instant later the falk settled its weight on to his left arm. Ran winced, expecting to feel the sharp talons