“And Dirge, Quip, and Thorn … and maybe Pratt,” Attica added, thinking of the men who had been killed or seriously injured back at the den.

The man stared at her slack jawed before picking up where he left off. “He’s bloody tapping our guild members, and you’re just gonna to let ’im get away with it?”

The bald man named Rom eyed the intruder wearily and then shrugged and said, “Don’t wanna join ’em, do I? Me thinks he’ll be tapping you, too, if you don’t shut it.”

“For all we know this could be a bloody takeover by the Serpents!” said an exasperated Blondie.

Rezkin cocked his head and said, “I assure you, I am not a member of the Serpent Guild … or the Wolf Pack … or the Diggers, Blood Hawks, Crimson Blades, Razor Edges, or any other guild in any city.” Only three guilds actually operated in Justain, but anyone who played in the dark would know the names of the others. Like the Diamond Claws, they were the powerful patron guilds that operated in the other capital cities to which all smaller guilds in the other cities and towns had to pay tribute in order to continue operating—and breathing. “None of that matters, however, because in the next thirty seconds, everyone who is not on that side of the room is going to die. It will be very disappointing to have to kill all of my personnel at the start, but we do what we must,” he said nonchalantly.

A couple of the younger men and an older merc moved to the side of the room where stood Attica and Rom. “Even if you could kill us all, you wouldn’t. What good would it do you? You wouldn’t have a guild left,” Blondie protested.

Rezkin nodded and with an empty, icy stare replied, “That is true, but the news would spread, and the next guildmaster I approach will be more likely to accept my proposal. Now, your time is up.” Just as he said this, another man scurried over to join Rezkin’s supporters. “It seems the count is now six of mine against … five of yours.”

Blondie and his cohorts glanced around and noticed their numbers had dwindled far more than the few who had defected to Rezkin’s side. Several men and women had obviously realized the imminence of additional bloodshed and escaped out the back. Rezkin caught the eyes of his followers. “Kill them,” he ordered with a nod.

A moment of stunned confusion fell over Rezkin’s new followers as their eyes went wide in surprise, but it was too late. The order had been given, and Blondie and his comrades reacted instantly. Rezkin stood in place as the two sides collided. Fists smacked against flesh, daggers slashed and plunged as they slid through meat and collided with bone, and bones cracked and broke as men called out in clipped death wails.