The King's Knights

Chapter Two: Clearing the Bar

Who was running Antion anyway?

William needed clarification and he lived here.

Not Pandora, she had been dispatched to Sorn to mediate the unrest there. Lady Estela and Sir Jomas had gone with her. Not Prince Bor, he and his family had gone into the heartlands of Antion to survey the Kingdom. And not Duke Vanion, his Father, who probably could have taken over if he wanted to.

For his part, William had spent that time healing the sick and injured wherever he could. It was a good excuse to get the lay of the land. And it did much to ease the suffering of the masses. Now it was getting dark as he walked down newly cleaned streets.

Shifting his crimson cloak closer around him as he walked through the elven quarter.

He didn't know why he was beneath sun lamps. But it was fortunate that it was; otherwise, William would have missed the manhole. Out of it was scaling a sunny-faced, blonde boy his age. He was clad in workman's clothes but with a broach with the symbol of a dragon on his neck. His eyes were blue, and he had the smell of the sewers about him.

Nagos looked at William in surprise. "William, what are you doing out here so late?"

"I expect the same thing you are, Nagos," said William, surprised. "I am working.I wasn't aware the sewer projects were operating at night."

"Well, we have to work by lantern and spell anyway. Relma wants this done as quickly as possible. We have a lot of ground to cover," said a voice. "We've been rotating out in shifts."

Out of the manhole came a beautiful, buxom, blonde-haired woman. She was clad in battle armor made by Zigildrazian—the sort designed to show off the chest and stomach area instead of protecting it. The black collar on her neck did her quite a few favors, as did the crystal circlet.

How had she scaled the ladder in high-heeled thigh-high boots and remained unsullied? Narcissa never got dirty, except in a sensual sort of way involving sweat. William had tried holding it once, but it was heavier than he liked.

"What sort of work?" asked William, looking to Felix.

"A lot of blockages," said Nagos. "Filth has built up in many channels, slowing the flow down. We have to clear it, and then we have to clean it. Narcissa and I have also had to worry about giant rats."

"My sympathies to you," said William.

"Well, I have a job, and I'm being paid for it," said Narcissa. "Check that pipe if you want to see how it is doing."

William looked to the nearby water pipe, topped with a lever to pour it out. It seemed somewhat rusted, but Felix moved over to it. Pumping it with a creaking sound, William saw blackish, thick liquid splatter out. It landed on the cobblestones like sludge.

"It's almost black," said William.

"Exactly," said Nagos. "A few years ago, anyone who tried to use that started getting sick. Then the water went green and then black. Nobody has used that pump since."

"Anything interesting about the job?" asked William.

"I find it interesting learning about how all these pipes work," said Nagos. "We have to unscrew individual segments and clean them out. The metalwork on some of these is exquisite. Of a design I've never seen. It could help with making canon."

"Nagos, why did you want this job?" said William, wondering why he was so enthusiastic.

"Foreign King, right?" asked Nagos with a big smile. "I was interested in how the sewer system worked. I've dug cesspits back when I was part of a pirate crew. Right, Narcissa?"