City of Towers_ The Dreaming Dark - Keith Baker [80]
The other halfling considered for a long moment, then finally tucked his blade into his belt and held out his hand. “I am Moresco, and I give you welcome for the length of your stay.” He helped Jode to his feet. “So you weren’t expecting the carnival then?”
“Carnival?”
“The Carnival of Shadows has come to town. It will soon pass by on its way to the Talain Coliseum. The crowds have gathered to watch the opening parade, and it is good hunting for my swift blade.”
The Carnival of Shadows! The elves of House Phiarlan were known across the length of Khorvaire as the finest actors and entertainers in the land, and the Carnival of Shadows was a jewel in their crown. A blend of magic, skills honed over the course of centuries, beasts, and exotic entertainers drawn from across Eberron … the wonders of the carnival were a thing of legend.
Even as Jode absorbed this information, the crowd cheered. Apparently the parade had just come into view. He sighed. “Normally, I would be overjoyed to see such a spectacle, but I imagine it will make my travels even more difficult.” He glanced thoughtfully down at the metal grate. “I don’t suppose that you know any secret paths that pass beneath the street and the many feet above?”
Moresco gave him an appraising glance. “Where do you wish to travel?”
“The Daggerwatch Garrison.”
Moresco raised an eyebrow, but Jode simply smiled and shrugged. Outside the tunnel, some sort of exotic beast gave an eerie, fluting cry.
“I may know a path that would be safe to travel, but you must act quickly if you wish to make use of it. Tell me what you have to offer in exchange for my secret knowledge.”
“Would that I had my treasures on my person,” Jode said. “But all of my possessions were wrongfully taken from me by a zealous watchman. I was contacted by an honest sergeant—a rarer beast than any you may seen in the carnival, I imagine—who has promised to return them to me. Escort me to the garrison, and I can offer you a ruby the size of your nose or a targath charm that will protect you from disease and infection.”
Moresco considered the offer with narrowed eyes, than nodded. “Very well, I will show you the path. But we travel above the streets, not below.” The sound of drums and elven pipes drifted down from outside. Moresco cocked his head then grabbed one of the rungs on the wall of the drain shaft. “Follow me. Quick and close.”
They emerged into a sea of sound and motion. Jode had heard stories of the Carnival of Shadows, but he was not prepared for what lay beyond the drain. Sharn was infused with the magic of Syrania, energy that enhanced all powers of flight, and the parade presented wonders that could be shown in no other city. Through the forest of people, he saw acrobats dancing between floating platforms—miniature citadels of crystal and stone, each carved to resemble one of the royal palaces of Khorvaire. As the performers tumbled through the air, glowing figures darted after them. Ghosts? Illusions? From the ground, it was impossible to tell. Hidden musicians wove webs of melody that were so dazzling and hypnotic that Jode almost missed seeing the manticore that soared overhead. Then he saw the men suspended forty feet above the street on massive stilts decorated to resemble the towers of Sharn. Perched atop their stilts, the walkers wore costumes patterned after the racing beasts of Eight Winds. Jode could see a griffon, a hippogriff, and a pegasus, and he assumed that others would follow.
“Quickly now!” Moresco said. The halfling had his knife in his hand, and he tucked it between his teeth.
They darted between boots and squeezed past shins, slowly making their way to the street itself. As they reached the very edge of the crowd a massive stilt came down right in front of them, and Moresco leaped onto it. Jode