The Colour of Vengeance by Rob J. Hayes Read Free Book Online

'em but my crew only killed the one o' them. Jus' got blame fer the other. Never did find out who did it.”
    “Well then ya marched up ta Hostown and killed Gregor H'ost an' all,” Betrim thought about correcting his old friend again. It was, after all, Thanquil who had killed H'ost. “An' ta top it off ya slaughtered half the town despite there bein' an army camped right outside.”
    “Now that bit weren't me. That were...” Betrim paused, hard to explain that it was done by some sort of demonic shades summoned by H'ost himself. “It weren't me!”
    “Don't matter who it really were, Thorn. Rumour is you did it.”
    Betrim almost spat but he didn't reckon Arip would take too kindly to it given the gaudy rug he had covering the floor looked like it cost as much as one of those expensive whores; the fancy ones from the Five Kingdoms that called themselves mistresses . “Rumours is shit, Arip. You know that well as me. Seem ta remember there was one 'bout you an' a horse back in the day.”
    “Aye. You should remember it, you bloody started it!” They both had a good long laugh at that but, after sobering, Arip's face dropped back to being serious. “Rumour or no it was enough fer the good folk o' Chade ta put a price on ya head, Thorn. A big fuckin' price!”
    “How big?” Betrim asked with a grin, he’d had a variety of bounties on him for as long as he could remember.
    “Big enough that if it weren't fer me owin' ya fer savin' Rilly back then I'd be tempted ta turn ya in my own self!” Arip paused and let out a sigh. “Fifty thousand bits.”
    Betrim made a face that said he knew how much that was. Truth was he had no idea but it was certainly a lot. It also didn't escape his notice that it was the same amount he was supposed to get paid for his part in killing H'ost.
    “Solantis then,” Betrim said, his eye still fixed on Arip. “Can't think of a reason I'd want ta go there but anywhere's better than here right now, I guess.”
    “An' after this we're done. No more debt,” Arip put in quick.
    “Aye. You get me ta the wilds an' we'll call it even.”
    “Good. Now how about you pick up that glass an' fill me in on what really happened back in Chade an’ Hostown?”
Jacob Lee
    It had been so long since Jacob had been out he had almost forgotten how wonderful a place the world truly was. The morning sun glinted over the tops of the white marble buildings giving the city of Sarth a beautiful soft glow that seemed to radiate from the city itself. The sounds of the early morning; shop owners setting up their wares and calling to each other in friendly tones, a couple of mange ridden dogs barking at each other over the remains of a half-eaten rat.
    To his right a group of slaves walked by; going about their tasks under the ever watchful gaze of their loving overlord. To his left a small canal boat floated along; peaceful in the sparkling blue waters. Its load, a large net too big for the small boat, filled with the early morning catch of fish. Some of the fish struggled in the binds, attempting to break free; others went merrily to their fate.
    There was a wonderful smell in the air. A strange mixture of freshly baked bread, some foreign spice; possibly cumin, and rotting garbage. Jacob spied the source of the latter leaning against a large white building; greenery for the most part, lettuce he believed, though he wasn't going to go over and check. Despite his curiosity he didn't have the time for such a luxury.
    Two women were standing arguing over the ownership of a man who was nowhere to be seen. One of the women demanded she had two children with the fellow, while the other woman claimed that the two were in love and he was going to leave his old hag of a wife. Both women looked ready to come to blows but both stopped and stared at Jacob as he passed. They fell silent and looked more alarmed than comforted when he smiled at them.
    Back when Jacob had been just another Arbiter he had been used to such