Taylynn, while jamming her blade into the skull of a grotesquerie of nature replies, "I haven't yet had my first real battle."

I scoff, "What do you call this then?"

She scoffs in return, laughing, "This? This is nothing, a lover's spat, the only thing hard about this is getting them into bed, and maybe putting them down for the, grk, night! See? Easy!" Her blade comes clean out of the cranium of the dead grub-beast in a single jerking motion as she uses her foot for leverage to kick it away from her weapon.

I grumble under my breath, "I wish you hadn't said that." Nothing good ever comes from someone claiming a task is easy while they’re still working it.

As we continue to run for our lives, she continues to tease me, while simultaneously egging on the beast trying to devour us. We're still scouring for the hidden stasis area of the other orc tribe, so that our clients, or perhaps friends, who aren't being chased by this horrid armored worm creature can get the unconscious or injured to safety. Despite us having to dodge and weave our way through these ruins, the worm can plow right through them, being as gargantuan as it is. It's sheer determination that wins us back every inch of distance put between us and the worm whenever it closes the gap by shortcutting through walls that we had to navigate around.

I don’t know why these people call themselves orcs, they’re humans just like everyone else. Though I’m beginning to question whether or not magic is actually real as I’m fleeing from a monstrously colossal worm-grub-thing. That’s to say nothing of these supposed stasis fields that let the tribes live their lives in moments, outside of normal time. I’ve seen a little girl enter a field, and come back an old woman who squeezed my cheek in fond affection, remembering me from her youth. Her journey to old age? It took maybe three seconds. Also, the fact that no one save these orc-named people seems to be able to enter the fields beyond the ruins is a bit perplexing for a skeptic.

I chastise Taylynn, "I thought you said, huff, this was easy!"

She pokes fun at the fact that I recently let on about my inner mental narration, "The only thing easier than all of these so-called battles is Aces. She says to herself."

I retort, "Hey, I heard that!"

She quips, "You were meant to!"

The cheek of this woman! And yet, hm. And yet I’m all the more enamored of her. This pair of women, what is it that holds such sway over me? Am I simply enamored of the first few people that got to know me without hiring me for a job? I’d like to think I’m not that dependent on their affection. And, of course, I’m not sleeping with Tiago, though he’s hinted an interest, nor George. What then? Why does it feel like we’ve been together all my life and beyond? That we should continue to be together for all of this life, and beyond? They’ve both agreed that they desire the same. What cosmic fate sets two such women in the path of an oddly unaging assassin? I’d think there would be no such destiny in store with even just one of them, let alone the two.

I feel as if fate had decreed that I was to live a lonely, near endless existence by the blade, until I died by the blade. It’s almost as if I had already lived this life once, only there was no magic, no Celestial Emperor, no Taylynn, no Selunie. It was all just politics and murder for ages. I see the end of my life obtained by another, nearly on accident. Apparently that individual had wanted to be my apprentice, and had been training to impress me, though we’d never even met. They were far better than they realized, and I was dead before either of us knew it. Seemed odd to just die suddenly like that, but I stopped existing right as they attacked. As far as I know though, no one recalls a version of me running around for a century prior to this one.

I roll ever so slightly, and accidentally smash my nose up against Teuila’s. She had to have turned to face me in her sleep. Ow. I don’t even think I noticed my nose being broken back in the compound. That’s unpleasant to say the least. Teuila seems unscathed, so I’m all the more worried that she looks so tired, drained. Oof, we’re going to need to wash the sleeping bag, my wounds aren’t all sealed. I really need to learn enchanting, and to be able to view that soapstone of ours with the aura vision spell. It’s so incredibly handy. I truly want to be able to duplicate it.

Hm, Dawn isn’t nearby at the moment, but it seems like they’re walking the edge of my danger wrap range, half in half out. Probably trying to let me know they’re nearby if I wake up, like this. My eyelids are drooping heavier and heavier as I head back towards dreamland. Dawn also appears to have completed whatever pacing they wanted to do, as they cut across camp while I pass out.

I struggle, gripping the edge of nothing, scrabbling and clawing my way back towards reality from this supposed stasis field. It takes years, decades, nearly a century of effort, nearly two centuries of effort. On the other side is someone shouting for me, someone whose love pierces this magical barrier, calling me back. It was so long ago now. I can’t remember who they were.

Finally I’m free as I tumble outwards into reality, and I’m being gripped tightly by a sobbing woman. What the devil? My limbs feel like lead, and my stomach feels like I haven’t eaten in years. A shock of my own hair falls in front of my face, and there’s a streak of white within it. Odd, I don’t remember ever showing signs of aging before. I flex my face, and feel no wrinkles or tautness or any other tactile representation of age.

Right then, who is this woman? I try to puzzle aloud, “Somehow, somehow this happened before, a hundred years in a second. In the. The machine? This was worse, century or centuries. Tay, Te, a last thought, someone, Ter, Tayl, Taylynn? Is that you? How are you still alive after all these years?”

Her lips meet mine hungrily and I can’t say I don’t enjoy it, but I’d like an answer. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her shed a tear before, but I feel the wet from her face meet mine. I’m utterly starving, ravenous, my body screams for nourishment, even simple salty tears. I’d rather not do something foolish like lick her face or chew her tongue.

Taylynn finally relents, stating, “Aces, you couldn’t, you shouldn’t have been able to. A hundred years? It took that long? Oh, look, there’s white in it.” She plays with that loose lock of hair.

I flex my face and rattle my head momentarily. Hm? What’s she talking about? A hundred years for what? Taylynn looks quite distraught. Did we fail the job?

I ask, “A hundred years for what? When did we end up in such a dusty place? Is that some sort of enormous worm? Did you slay that? Just what the devil is going on Taylynn?”

Tay looks mortified, shocked to the extreme, “Aces, no, no. You don’t remember? Our job. The job with the orcs. We finally took this thing out together. You caused a salt-slide while I lured it. The rocks shifted when the worm spotted you. It knocked into the wall and you fell towards the stasis field. I was afraid you’d die from the fall, but this is almost worse.”

I harumph, “Excuse me? My living is almost worse than my dying?”

She cuffs me lightly upside the head, “Shut up you dummy, no, of course not. Only moments ago you said you spent a hundred years struggling to leave the stasis field. You shouldn’t have even been able to enter it. I’m worried about you.”

I raise an eyebrow, “Stasis field? What in the devil is that? Have we made it to your job yet or not? I did agree after all, you’ve no more need to wheedle me about it. Though, I seem to recall you setting me up for a crass joke just now. I’d just asked why we should only take your horse.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Taylynn gasps and covers her mouth for some reason. Now she’s shedding tears. What on Rayileklia have I said this time that’s gone and upset her? I spy a colossal creature, it must be some prehistoric beast, preserved by all that salt. Did we take a detour for her to show me this monstrosity? It’s a grotesquerie of nature to be sure. It would be just like her to want to expose me to something such as this.

Taylynn pleads, “Aces, Aces? Please, I need you to be honest with me, I know your internal monologue is going on. It must know, mustn’t it? Please tell me exactly your last few minutes of internal monologue. Please. I’m not doing it to tease you.”

I grumble, “Alright woman, no need to beg. It was something to the effect of: Her beautiful smile is answer enough, yet she says, ‘Yes, and, I want us to just take my horse.’

I raise an eyebrow as I query, ‘What, why?’

She teases, waggling her eyebrows. Having set me up, she lands her punchline, ‘You really need a reason to ride tightly up against my backside for weeks upon weeks?’”

I pause for a breath and finish my answer, “Then all of a sudden it continued: ‘Taylynn gasps and covers her mouth for some reason. Now she’s shedding tears. What on Rayileklia have I said this time that’s gone and upset her? I spy a colossal creature, it must be some prehistoric beast, preserved by all that salt. Did we take a detour for her to show me this monstrosity? It’s a grotesquerie of nature to be sure. It would be just like her to want to expose me to something such as this.’”

Taylynn gasps and cries as her hands cover her mouth once again. She grabs me tightly while sobbing for some time yet. Where in the devil is her horse? Have we had to mudcamp on foot to reach this place? I don’t recall doing such.

Taylynn pleads once more, sobbing between sentences, “Aces, Aces we have to get back. We’ve got to see Selunie right away, please. Please don’t start the next leg of the job yet. Don’t follow the next lead, please. Not until we’ve spoken at length with Selunie. You can’t, you just can’t. We need to talk to you.”

I try to console her, “Alright love, alright, chin up. If it’s that important, I’ll delay a while. I was already going to delay a while to join you on your mercenary task anyway. Dearest Taylynn, what ever has gotten you riled so? I’ve never in all our years seen you so emotional. Please don’t take that as admonishment. I’m honored to witness more of your emotions.”

Despite having slept for quite some time, Teuila still hasn’t woken up for any appreciable amount of time. She’s breathing, and she drank some water while awake for a few seconds not long ago. I haven’t been faring much better. My injuries from the compound are catching up with me. It truly feels like we cannot afford to spend this amount of time recuperating. There are looming deadlines, literal deadlines. Regardless, Teuila’s out of commission and so am I.

Dippy is willing to stick it out with us as we recover, but Dawn has assured Dippy that she has it handled. He really should be getting back to his clan, to give them the news about the Derbrightmine dwarves, and possible preparations against dragons. I should have asked the Don for more information about that, but that might have constituted my favor, which I’d pledged Hellga. Ugh. I don’t know what they did with her, and can’t afford to think about it. Dippy has said he doesn’t know anything about Terrorzin or any other dragons, but that he’ll take the information home regardless.

If we were certain that the Don actually had some sort of prophetic pool, or something of the sort, and that the dragon attack would be soon, not just any random time between now and the next millennium, I’d say we wait at Derbrightmine Dominion for the dragons. My head lolls as a pressure builds behind my ears. My jaw simultaneously slacks, dropping, while also tightening, locking in place. The energy it takes for me to stretch and unlock my face costs enough that I pass back out once more.

Ugh, why did I agree to this? I suppose that Taylynn can be very persuasive. After that supposed job I’ve somehow forgotten, the one with the people who call themselves orcs, she desperately wanted to see Selunie, beyond normal desire. She was absolutely insistent that we must return to Victo together. She wanted me to wait to start my next segment of slayings until after we, well, parleyed at the Castle Inn for a long period or something.

Here we are, at the Castle Inn, and I’m not part of any parley. I’m very near a century in age, if not a bit over at this point. I’m certainly smitten with them both, and they both have an exceeding fondness and love for one another, but the constant angry asides during this visit are tiresome. Do they honestly not remember I’m a spy and assassin? I can hear the ladies just fine as they make nonsensical arguments, whether on the other side of a door, or standing thirty paces away. Easily at that.

Hm, that voice is Selunie’s, “I know I agreed, but, but it’s just not fair to them. You know how hard it was the first time around. We, we learned how much worse it was than we ever knew when we followed the clues. I, I failed air, I failed them by not knowing how bad it really was. We worked together to track air down. What if next time, I mean, we didn’t right away. We were you know, when it happened, when we, when we really. Ugh, I mean, that’s obviously not the trigger or air would be at our side. Air doesn’t deserve to be treated this way.”

Again, more nonsensical arguments. The air doesn’t deserve to be treated a certain way? I roll my eyes. Why are they even upset with each other over this weird nonsense?

Taylynn sounds sad as she responds, “I know babe, I know. Just, just promise me though, okay? Keep that promise, please? Things are getting darker, and if they forget again, maybe, maybe we should just forget too. I love air, I really do, more than anything. I, I sort of agree and I sort of disagree about the other part. Air deserves to make their own choice, without a whole other, well, you get it, if all that gets forced in there, in air.”

She continues, intimating a number of things, “It took us, you and me babe, so long to find each other. If this ends up going deeper, like the theories, infinite recursion. It could tear air apart. Forever, in ways we can’t even comprehend. The same with each other. I mean, the theories never even, well, theorized, we could do something like joining air. If one of us remembers, and the other doesn’t? Maybe it’s because we can’t handle it. Like, we’re not ready, or don’t have room. Probably the only way we could handle it is if we somehow made it all the way back to the start, otherwise, yeah, no room. Hah, just like back then, always leave room for air to breathe.”

Selunie bursts into tears and I can hear her thumping Taylynn on the chest. My two loves console one another, and for some reason, my face is tear-streaked. I don’t even remember crying. What in the devil is going on with me lately? Taylynn said something happened in that last, what was it, a stasis zone she called it. I can barely remember our job together. I’ve no idea what the devil a stasis zone is. Something about that I wasn’t supposed to be able to enter it, and something about time.

Taylynn rambles, “When air went missing, and, and you and I started, when we really, you know. You know, you believing in me meant so much more to me than I could say, sharing the search with me. You astounded me. You do, you still do. How do you put it? Always have, always will.”

Selunie sniffles as she thumps Taylynn once again, and she’s mumbling again, “I, I know dummy, you big jerk. I’m sorry I hated you for so long. Or well, wanted to hate you. Could never really bring myself to do it. I love you. As much as the air we both breathe.”

She sniffles and they both chuckle at some inside joke. Now my eyes sting, wet with tears once more. Ah, perhaps it’s literally some dust in my eye. There’s a rustling of fabric as they hold one another closer. I’ll go have a wash in the trough. I dart out the window, dropping a story and a half, giving them their private moment.

Hopefully they’ll have all the moments in the world when this job is done. I can feel it, this is the last leg of the journey, one way or another. Leaving quietly and letting them enjoy this one now seems fair though. Perhaps I was an ass for not having done so earlier. Heh, Vale humor. We’re all asses there. They didn’t forget I’m an assassin, I just forgot common human decency to avoid listening in on private conversations. A lifetime spent in the shadows does that to a person.

Ah, much better, no more stinging wet, well, besides those accursed clouds. How many years have they darkened our skies? I could swear they weren’t always there, but yet another detail where everyone else in the world disagrees with me. Just like everyone else in the world thinks there’s magic and always has been. Even if there is magic now, there certainly wasn’t any to start.

It’s been a few minutes, maybe I should simply head out on the next leg of my journey, and let them comfort one another. Ah, the shouting voice from above means they’re past their private conversation, and upset with me for leaping out the window. I wish they’d make up their minds, do they want privacy, or my company. They were outside the only doorway. What did they expect me to do if I wanted to privvy? Well, not that that concern is. Hmf. Ah well, I’d best return. I begin to scale the wall when I hear, “And use the door you goon!”

I awaken with a start, shouting, “Castle Inn, Victo!” I blink rapidly, unsure why I just shouted that. Wait. Castle Inn, that’s Jarvis Tavner’s inn!