As I crossed the street I had to actively stop myself from looking back. It felt like someone was watching me, which was a very real possibility. What mattered was if they recognised me.
I followed Lilith, as she weaved deeper into the city. For a while, we walked among the crowd on the main road before sharply turning into a narrow alley. Just like all the other alleys I had the displeasure of visiting it was dark and unpleasant.
After that, it was just a blur of different shortcuts and corridors as she quickly led me away from the inn. At first, I tried to memorise everything but quickly gave up after the tenth turn. It was impressive how she could keep track of our location.
My trust in her was still thin but she had saved me from the assassins. If she was telling the truth about Noctus ordering her to do so I would probably have to deal with a whole new mess of problems once we escaped. I doubted that a god would take the time out of his life to save me just because of goodwill.
Hopefully, we would soon reach this hideout of hers. Not just because it would provide safety. I needed to go back and somehow contact Pecta. How I would do that, I didn’t know.
Suddenly, Lilith grabbed my arm and pulled me into a backstreet. It reeked of feces and other unidentifiable smells. I wanted to protest, but she shushed me with a gesture.
“Somebody is following us,” she whispered. I listened closely and managed to hear the faint sound of footsteps coming closer. “Not someone from the Desert Vipers. Our follower is good but not good enough for that.”
The footsteps were getting closer. Before the person managed to pass us, Lilith tackled and pinned them to the ground. “Who are you and why are you following us?!” She hissed and suddenly had a dagger pressed against their neck. The tackle had thrown off their cloak and exposed their face.
“Wait, Lilith! That’s Pecta, my companion,” I exclaimed. Just as suddenly as she had tackled Pecta, she stood up and started dusting off her cloak. I tried giving him a hand but he got up on his own and eyed Lilith with suspicion.
“Vindict, why are you with a Shadow Hand?” He warily asked. Lilith chuckled. “Oh, it is quite rare for someone to know us. Most people just assume us to be regular followers of Noctus.”
“Yeah, I grew up in a city with one of your chapters. It wasn’t a very nice experience,” answered Pecta with gritted teeth. His hand subtly moved closer to the sword on his side. Lilith noticed this and tensed, ready to strike. Despite this, I noted that her eyes had an excited glint to them. The dagger she had pulled on Pecta was already gone but her actions had shown how fast she could bring it back into play.
“Wowowo,” I said and stepped between the two combatants. “This is not the time to fight. We are being hunted and Lilith offered us a hiding place. Back at the inn she saved my life which makes her trustworthy. So, can we please get along?”
A tense couple of seconds followed but then Lilith relaxed and chuckled. “You are right. Noctus probably wouldn’t want me to injure one of your friends.” She turned to Pecta. “I have no idea what experiences you have with the order, but I guarantee you that my only goal is getting you someplace safe.”
Pecta didn’t relax but his hand stopped reaching for his weapon. His tone was still tense as he replied, “Lead the way.”
As we continued traveling Pecta told me about the wanted posters and the two assassins. Lilith offhandedly confirmed that they were part of the Desert Vipers. After leaving the bar Pecta had rushed back to the inn but had not entered.
From what the assassins had said, he had believed that the chances were high that they were watching the inn. It was pure coincidence, or a miracle of Persa if Pecta was to be believed, that he saw two hooded figures exit the alley behind the inn. He got a glimpse of my yellow bandages and followed. The rest was history.
I, on the other hand, didn’t share a lot. Most of my free time had been spent in the mindscape and what happened there felt personal. I did say that I had a clue about who was hunting us. With a discreet glance in Lilith’s direction, I told him that we would talk about this later. Pecta understood and nodded.
The last one of us to talk was Lilith. She recapped everything she had told me at the inn, but with more detail. Pecta was very interested in the mysterious contractor who wanted us, or specifically me, captured. She didn’t have any more information on them but I was 100% certain that it had something to do with the horned woman.
When Lilith mentioned her god's involvement Pecta chuckled. She glanced at him and raised her eyebrow. “I don’t really care if you believe me. Though it will bite you in the ass if you don’t believe the words of a Blessed about her god.” My companion didn’t answer but I sensed that he still didn’t believe her.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Silence descended upon us as we continued moving through the stinking alleys. I had a lot of questions but wasn’t comfortable asking them with Lilith around. Despite saving me, she still represented an unknown. A look upward showed that nighttime was close at hand.
Suddenly, Lilith slowed down. “We’re here.” I looked around the alley we were standing in but didn’t see anything suspicious. Lilith was staring at the wall to our right so I focused my attention there.
At first glance, it looked completely ordinary but then my eyes spotted something. A part of it looked… newer. The colour was slightly lighter. When I pointed this out, Lilith nodded in approval. “Wow, I’m impressed. Nobody has ever noticed that. Must have better vision than us generic humans.”
“Wait, you told her that you aren’t human?” Pecta butted in. “Yea, it was kind of an emergency,” I answered apologetically. “And besides, it did not turn out bad. She is actually really relaxed about it.”
“That’s what we call luck,” he sighed, “You need to be more careful. By Persa’s grace, if it was anyone else, the city guards would already be after us.”
“He is right you know,” Lilith added. She was kneeling next to the wall and moving her fingers across its surface. “The only place where you find non-humans is in the underground and when someone is found out they are immediately hunted down. The only reason I was so relaxed about it was because it's basically my job to hang out in these circles.”
She glanced at my companion. “The order is also filled with non-humans. Whatever problem you claim about the order, inclusivity isn’t one of them.” Pecta didn’t openly answer but I could hear him mutter, “How about morality?” I doubted that the assassin had heard it as she had returned her attention to the wall.
I quietly glance at Pecta. This order they were talking about wasn’t something I had ever heard about but he didn’t sound very happy about it. Despite my recent problems with trust, I still believed in his judgment.
“Ah, got it!” Lilith exclaimed. She had pulled out a stone and was now elbow-deep in the hole. With a click, part of the wall next to her swung inward, exposing the entrance to an unlit room.
She placed the stone back in its original position and crawled inside. Pecta was visibly debating whether it was a good idea to follow. I shrugged and got on my knees to enter. If Lilith wanted to harm us, then she would have already done so by now.
The room I found myself in was dark, with only the rough outlines of objects visible. Suddenly, a small flame brightened up my surroundings. Lilith had activated a small device that produced the light.
Now that I could see the chamber, I noticed how small it was. My head was almost touching the ceiling by simply standing. It was also sparsely furnished. The only furniture consisted of a rickety table and two chairs. With the low lighting, I noticed a stack of hay in the corner.
“You will need to stay here until the contract on your heads is lifted,” Lilith stated. “How long will that take?” I asked, dreading the answer. Just being in this room and knowing that there was a vast city to explore made me uncomfortable.
“Eh, probably around 10 days. Depends on how much our client wants you and how much money they have,” she answered. Looking around she remarked, “This was all a bit short notice, so I didn’t have the time to stock this place up. I need to leave, so the other Vipers won’t get suspicious. Don’t worry, I’ll come back tomorrow with something to eat.”
With that, she crawled back outside. “And don’t forget: don’t make too much noise and DO NOT leave without telling me. Noctus would be pissed if someone under his care died. I would also be pissed,” she called out. Then the Blessed of Noctus was gone.
I looked at the spot where she had just been. “Blessings are so cool,” I muttered before closing the hidden opening behind me. There were still so many questions left unanswered. I glanced at my companion. Luckily, I had someone who hopefully had answers.
----------------------------------------
Werth was usually a calm man. Being a Facility Lord had taught him that it wasn’t worth it to get emotional about the little things. The only times he displayed any real emotions was if they pertained to his end goal. However, as the last of the constructs was destroyed he let himself enjoy a moment of satisfaction.
Finally, the challenge was done. He looked up at the floating being of flesh and knowledge and prostrated himself. The god didn’t show any emotion at one of his servants having beaten the first stage of the Crucible of Knowledge.
That was fine with Werth. He was a servant to the one true master, the Bringer of Knowledge, the All-Seer, and the Engineer of Humanity. His will would be done, no matter the cost. Achieving the rank of Blessed would only help to further the master’s goal. It almost brought a tear to his eyes.
One of the master’s arms approached the Facility Lord and presented him with a crest of an open book. Werth felt a burning on his chest before suddenly waking up.
It was disorienting to open one’s eyes after having spent time in the realm of a god and for a brief moment all the servant wished for was to return to the presence of his master. That sensation only lasted for a brief moment before logic took over. Returning would mean that he couldn’t accomplish the master’s will and that was unacceptable.
Looking down at his chest Werth noted the image of a book that seemed to have been burned onto his skin. He smiled at the realisation that he was finally a Blessed. The bottom rung of Chosen but still better than the common man.
After putting on his clothing, the Facility Lord exited the chamber to find one of his servants standing guard. Werth had instructed her to block anyone from entering whilst he completed the Crucible.
The guard bowed as she saw him return. She was a fellow servant of the master and was glad to see her superior having returned. “Any news?” He demanded.
“The Administrator wants to see you, Facility Lord.” Werth gritted his teeth at the mention of that woman. Not only was she a monster, but she also stood in the way of the master’s plans.
His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. ‘Is the Facility Lord a Chosen? Can we finally finish our plans here? Oh, I hope we finally won’t have to listen to that monster and complete the master’s plan.’
Surprised, Werth looked at his subordinate. She hadn’t said anything, yet that had been her voice. Then it clicked. So, this was Mind Read, one of the possible Blessings given to a Blessed. The Facility Lord smiled. This would make his job easier.