Chapter 6 – Shadows at the Docks
The stench of salt and rot clung to the air, mingling with the faint sweetness of spilled wine from the taverns lining the waterfront. Lanterns swayed in the breeze, casting long, trembling shadows across the slick planks. Lucian kept to the darkness, boots barely making a sound as he weaved through the maze of crates and moored ships.
The docks at night were a different world from the daytime bustle. The shouts of merchants were replaced by murmured deals, the creak of ropes, and the slap of water against hulls. Here, the Watch rarely ventured unless in numbers, and even then, not without hesitation.
Lucian's contact was late.
A figure finally emerged from the gloom—a woman with a hood drawn low, her gait smooth and purposeful. She glanced over her shoulder before approaching him. "You're early," she said, voice low but carrying a sharp edge.
"You're late," Lucian replied.
They stood in silence for a moment, the wind filling the gap between words. She reached into her cloak and withdrew a small bundle wrapped in oilskin. "Inside is what you asked for—routes, names, times. But you didn't hear it from me."
Lucian opened the bundle slightly, eyes flicking over the ink. It was more than he'd expected. Smuggling manifests, troop rotations, even a coded message marked with the Church's sigil. His pulse quickened.
"This… could ruin people," he said.
"That's the point," she answered, eyes glinting under the hood. "But tread carefully. Someone's already watching you."
As if on cue, a soft scrape echoed from the shadows behind them. Lucian's hand went to his blade instantly, but the woman was already moving. "Not here," she hissed. "Follow me."
They darted between stacks of cargo, weaving through narrow alleys where the sea's smell turned sour. Behind them, bootsteps multiplied, growing louder. Whoever was following them knew the docks well.
Lucian's mind raced. The information in his hands could be the first real strike against the Church's grip. But getting out alive tonight would be its own victory.
At the end of the pier, the woman jumped aboard a small fishing boat. "If you want answers," she said, "you'll have to trust me."
Lucian hesitated only a heartbeat before stepping onto the deck. Behind them, shadows gathered, and steel flashed in the lantern light.