Chapter 041:

Verona was almost skipping as she walked through the central plaza.

A great weight had been lifted from her heart, a heart now filled with joy; knowing that Anton would still love her regardless of her changes, to say nothing of the physical pleasures she was once again able to experience. It felt so good just to lie in a warm bed after so long. That night, meeting her Goddess Jira properly for the first time, had almost turned into one of the worst and most sickening she can remember. She had no idea as to why Jira's words made her so angry, beyond being incredibly insulting.

In a strange way that too had lifted some of the burden on her mind. At least she knew what she was dealing with, and was not possessed by something evil or simply going insane.

"Verona?" came a soft elderly voice from behind.

Verona stopped and turned around. Sybil was following her, but her age meant that she could not travel as fast as someone as young like her. Nevertheless, she was trying her hardest. It was something she instantly regretted forgetting.

"Sorry." Verona apologised as she walked back to her, "I got carried away in pleasant thoughts."

"It seems like it." Sybil chuckled.

"Who are we going to see, exactly?" Kal asked.

Kal was walking behind Sybil, in a very strange way. She now moved less confidently and proudly now that she was heading somewhere new. Her eyes darted around and her hand rested on the hilts of her daggers.

You're walking like you're a thief, or a wild animal on the hunt. But you haven't looked like this until now... Every other time Anton has been with you.

She looked at her fingers resting on the daggers. They twitched in readiness, as if she expected that she was about to be assaulted at any moment, despite Anton's announcement that she was protected.

Is that it? That you don't believe him?.... That's not entirely right. It's like you think it might still happen despite his assurances.

Kal caught her eye and frowned. She did not like Verona looking at her so intently.

The words that Anton's god,Tethra, the prayer goddess and the same one that Kal prayed to every night, spoke of came back. She remembered hearing that she cried every night, and that she deserved some happiness. What she did not need was Verona judging her.

"Well," Verona moved so she stood in between them as they walked south, "We didn't really want to say it in there, just in case somebody got upset."

"Who?" Kal seemed even more confused.

"It's easier just to show you."

Kal smiled lightly but still looked thoroughly confused.

As they walked in silence Verona noticed the stares again. They were even more brutal on her mind than before. Most were of outright fear of her, not surprising since she had been the one to, effectively, single handedly beat back the Kobolds with her blood power. During the battle most were too exhausted to care  but now they were rested, and had energy to stare at her. Their eyes were full of misplaced judgment. The mounting problems of her blood glyph, like her wild laughing and seemingly effortless way in which she killed the Kobolds, had not helped.

As she looked deeper into their eyes she saw that not all were directed at her. While many were, some were directed at Kal. She showed no obvious sign that she was affected. Just as she was about to turn away she saw something, a quiver on her bottom lip and a tiny twitch on her beautiful green eyes. It was tiny and she fought it back, but not before Verona could see it.

So it does affect you.

Kal turned to Verona, who turned her eyes forward. Through the corner of her vision she could see Kal looking right at her. Verona reached out and linked her arm with Kal, something that she was not expecting. She let out a squeak of surprise, the same cute one that she let out when Verona hugged her when they returned. That was not something she was going to forget any time soon.

"They will accept you completely, one day." Verona said.

"I... I would like that. But they look oddly at you too."

Verona grimaced and pointed to the red marks that covered her skin.

"This," she then pointed at Kal's ears, "And those mean that we will always be outsiders, of sorts."

"True. It is different for both of you. Yet it is not." Sybil began.

She had been very quiet the whole time they had been talking. It was only then that Verona realised she had been listening and watching the whole time.

"Verona was once an ordinary person, just like the rest of us." Sybil continued. "After Anton-"

Verona threw Sybil a look to not explain further. Kal did not know that Anton came from another world but Sybil did. There was a chance they could let it slip, not that Kal would have many people to tell.

"Arrived that all changed... As did a number of things."

That they did.

"Anyway, Kal, they look at her like that because, not one season ago, she was a normal person. As strong, or as weak, as the rest of us. Now she can do... Well, you've seen what she can do."

Verona felt strangely embarrassed as Kal looked at her, not from judgement but one of surprise. She might have thought that she always had her blood power.

"To see someone like change like that can be a little frightening. I know I still find it a little scary."

Something felt warm in Verona's heart. Hearing what someone honestly thought, and not hidden behind false niceties, was oddly uplifting.

"You, on the other side of things, are a complete outsider."

Kal looked a little taken aback by what she had just said.

"I don't mean it like that. You are a beast-kin. Half-breed or not, they don't see any difference. You're a beast-kin, which everyone has been told about in children’s tales as wicked creatures, but have never seen one themselves. But what they have been told over and over again has sunk into their minds. It'll take time for them to adjust."

She smiled warmly at hearing that.

"Being a cute beast-kin also helps."

Kal flushed, not as deeply as when she was told that infront of the whole village, but still very noticeable. Verona looked back at Sybil. She had a cheeky look on her face.

Despite your age you still have a sense of humour.

Verona sniggered as Kal's blush deepened. She closed her eyes and held her head down. Verona unlinked her arm before giving her a pat on the back.

"The past two days are probably the first in a long time that you've been called something like cute."

Kal's flush began to fade as she scratched at her cheek.

"Actually, I was called cute by one of the Orcs that we met at the lake."

"Wow." Verona and Sybil muttered.

Kal's face changed again. Verona was no great reader of faces but she felt like Kal was about to ask something difficult.

"It was... Strange. That whole meeting. Most humans first instinct is to kill an Orc when they see one. And yet, the first thing he wanted to do was see if they were friendly, if they can be talked to."

Verona knew instantly who she was talking about.

"There could have been a lot more Orcs than there were of them." Sybil answered. "It sounds like it was a reasonable decision. Besides, he could take care of them by himself."

Verona nodded in agreement, but all it succeed in doing was increasing Kal's confusion.

"Exactly. Then there was him dealing with that Duchess Belinda, haggling over the price of the bondsmen and offering the information about a possible attack from the Clansmen and Orcs for free... And dealing with myself."

"He doesn't care about you being a beast-kin. It doesn't worry him."

Kal chuckled nervously as she massaged her hand, which she brought into a fist.

"No. It's not that."

Verona tilted her head, not understanding what she meant. Whatever it was she was not saying.

"I... I don't know what to make of him. He's very... Odd."

"That he is."

Verona chuckled as she scratched her head. Kal brought her hand up and started to twirl a few stray hairs near her ear and looked down at the ground. A light groan from Sybil caught her attention. She had a face that was difficult to describe, mainly it looked to be of concern. Verona raised her eyebrows to get her to explain but she did not.

A lot of people don't seem to want to tell me stuff today.

She looked back at Kal, who had resumed her normal walk and pace.

"Anyway," Kal started after a cough, "Could you please tell me who this mystery person that we're meeting is?"

I suppose there's really nothing to be gained by keeping it a secret from you. Other people seem to be doing that...It'll help show you that we can share things between friends.

"You know Dana, right?"

Kal nodded.

"That's the woman that we travelled with us to Maxill. The one that rides the horses."

Verona nodded.

"Yep. Anyway, she was the only person that was willing to come out of the mountain alive. The goblins had done horrible things to them, they just wanted to sleep. But there was someone that went in there to look for her, and it wasn't Raston."

Kal frowned.

"I don't know who that would be. I arrived well after the Yellow Goblins were killed."

"It's her brother, Dennis." Sybil added. "He, unlike quite a few of us, was willing to brave the infested mountain to save his sister. He should make a fine new Marshall."

Kal bent her head down in thought and rubbed her chin.

"Because he knows what life was like before, he knows that Anton was very important in not only saving Atros but also someone very important to him, and has an interest in not letting it fall back into the way it was."

Verona looked at Kal questioningly. She looked a little nervous underneath Verona's stare.

"During the trip to and from Maxill, there was not a lot to do on quite a few of those days. I learned a little bit of what happened before I arrived."

"That's basically it." Verona replied, as she broke out in a smile, "We need someone that's going to be loyal to Atros and have a good reason to keep order."

"He seemed like he would be a good fit for the role." Sybil added. "Nobody alive has any real experience as a Marshall, or law man. Our last one died... Well, before even you were born Kal. So we're going to have to do our best to figure out how it will work. And my son cannot do everything."

Kal looked around at the villagers going about their day. There were more out than when they had arrived at the council meeting, but there were still many more to come. It was a little surprising that a large number of the villagers working were the former bondsmen. Their previous life must have conditioned them well for working hard and early.

"Everyone seems well behaved." Kal said.

A small group of villagers parted to let them past. Verona sighed, as they moved well out of the way, along with the near standard look of repressed fear on their faces.

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"That's now." Sybil began. "Before it was kind of a mess, all waiting for the end in some way."

Kal looked very surprised.

"Yeah. It wasn't great." Verona scratched the back of her head. "I was living underneath a table, wondering how I would die."

"That's..."

Verona smiled and linked her arm again.

"That's all in the past now. Let's focus on the future."

Kal returned the smile, and so to did Sybil. Verona hopped that everything would continue to go well and peacefully, even though she knew it would not.

---[]---

Sybil brought them to a halt outside a house on the south eastern side of Atros. It was not that far from the central plaza but, to Verona, every house looked very similar. That was why her parents had planted the blue flowers outside her house. Although now she was as the age of twenty it was no longer an issue, but thinking about it did remind her about how much she miss the colours.

I should see if Anton is interested in having a little flower garden or something. I think there is some room near the back of the house that we don't use. It might be fun. Brighten the place up.

A knock on the wooden door brought her back to the present. Kal, to her side, tensed up once again. It was nowhere to the extent of when Anton outed her infront of the whole village but it was close. Remembering the embarrassed expression on her face, the way she turned to Anton for help, and how she tired in vain to cover her uncontrollable embarrassment and blush, brought a smile to her face. It was absolutely adorable to see her like that.

Sybil knocked again, more forcefully this time.

"Is this person already out working?" Kal asked.

Sybil shook her head.

"I've known most of the children that have grown up in Atros. And I know that he has difficulty in waking up."

The words that Tethra spoke came back into Verona's mind.

I don't think I can ask outright, but...

"Do you manage to get much sleep here... Or when you were travelling? I know that it was a bit difficult for me the first few times."

Verona chuckled at the end but it seemed to have no effect on Kal. She shrugged, after taking a moment to think about it.

"I did enjoy getting a full night of sleep here. But, out there, you learn to make do with what you can get."

Verona studied her face as best she could. She looked a little sad as she spoke, not that she would have known what Verona knew, but it felt like it might be the truth.

She doesn't want someone to pity her, remember that.

Finally the door opened. A bleary looking man emerged, his clothes dishevelled and slightly smelling of alcohol. Verona lent closer to Kal.

"You've got a better sense of smell than the rest of us. Can you smell that?"

Kal nodded lightly.

"Very well. I can smell the alcohol coming from the air leaving the house. I can smell and hear things that most humans, or even full Beast-kin can't."

Verona nodded, but then a thought creeped in the back of her mind.

If she can smell that, what else can she smell? I certainly hope not me smelling of... That would make things pretty awkward.

Verona glanced up at Kal, something that annoyed her as she was shorter than her, and saw nothing on her face. Right now she was very difficult to read.

The man glanced between all three as his dreary eyes rapidly came into focus. It was then that he realised who was standing outside his door.

"Errr....Sybil. I'm sorry if I'm a little late to start work in the fields but I can assure you that I can be there in a few heartbeats."

So he works in the fields growing and tending to the crops. That's interesting, completely different to what his sister does.

Sybil waved him down.

"We aren't here about that." she said. "We're here about something else."

He looked between them as he straightened himself up and his clothes.

Verona could appreciate his nervousness. Here was one of the most influential people in Atros, the Blood Berserker mage who has killed tens of thousands of Kobolds by herself and in a relationship with their extremely powerful mage, and the half breed beast-kin that was under Anton's personal protection. It was little wonder that he was so scared.

He seemed to relax a little but remained very nervous.

"Then... How can I help?"

"We need to talk to you and we would rather not do it outside your front door." Sybil lent down and rubbed her knees. "My bones and joints are not what they used to be. Do you have enough chairs for all of us?"

Before Dennis could answer Kal interjected.

"I can stand, it's not a problem for me."

Verona shook her head.

"No you're not. You are one of us, so you won't be standing like you aren't allowed to sit."

Everyone went quiet as Verona flushed a little in embarresment.

"Sorry, Kal. Lately I have been a little quick to snap at people."

She scratched at the visible marks on her hand, hoping that would be enough to convey her message. Judging by her face it did.

"So," Sybil broke the awkward silence, "Do you have places for us all to sit?"

He shook his head.

"No. But we do have enough out the back in the garden."

"You have a garden?" Verona asked.

"Yes. Well, we've always had one but it's needed a bit of work. Please, head around the back and find a seat. I'll get properly dressed."

He closed the door with a frightening speed, leaving the three quite bewildered.

"He's not running away?" Kal asked. "Is he?"

Verona closed her eyes to concentrate on the sounds. She wished again that she had Anton's prayer ability. There had been quite a few times where it would have come in handy.

She could not hear any thing like a door being opened. Hopefully he was not running.

"I don't think so." Verona replied. "We could have just asked him right then."

"Would you agree to something like being a Marshall after you had just woken up and approached by all of us?" Sybil asked.

Verona shook her head.

"No. I don't think I would."

Sybil backed down from the door and moved to a small, low wooden gate in between his house and the adjacent.

"I guess we go through here." Sybil mumbled as she opened the gate.

A small flat stone path, surrounded by short grass, led them around to the rear of the house. Kal mumbled something as she walked behind but was not willing to share. At the back was a small, but beautiful, garden. It had a few small trees and flowering shrubs, and a few small blue and yellow flowers. Quite a bit of work had gone into this.

Kal looked rather astounded as well. Most of the village was rather bland and lacking in colour compared to here.

Definitely need to put some effort into making this place a bit more colourful. At the very least it'll make it a bit friendlier to newcomers.

"This looks very nice." Kal said softly.

Verona turned around and smiled.

"The Duchess Belinda of Maxill had a very impressive garden as well." Kal continued. "Although I think she had quite a few servants to do it for her."

Verona titled her head in thought.

"That mansion... Well, it did have something that looked like a garden around the front of it... I didn't know it had one like this."

Kal nodded.

"We went through the mansion and were shown to a garden that was half enclosed by the mansion, where the Duchess Belinda was waiting for us."

"Huh."

Anton said the same thing about the trip, at least you aren't lying about that... Not that I actually know if you are trying to lie.

In front of a large central tree was a wooden bench, side on to the rear of the house. Sybil quickly took her seat followed by a grunt and the sound of relief from her bones. Verona sat next to her and so did Kal, after a moments hesitation. They did not have to wait long before the back door opened. Dennis emerged, still wearing the same clothes but they were more neatly presented along with himself in general. At least he did not want to make a bad impression.

As he made his way to them, Sybil began to speak.

"This is a very impressive garden you have here. It must have taken a bit of work."

He smiled as he took a seat on a small wooden chair to the side.

"Yes. Yes it did. I never got the chance to thank you, Verona, for saving my sister."

Verona smiled.

"I'm just glad that she's better now."

Dennis smiled bitterly.

"The first few days were very difficult. She would wake up in the night screaming and trying to fend off imaginary goblins."

This is horrible to think, but I'm glad it wasn't me.

"A few days later, I think that you and Anton had already left, I talked to some other elders who said that she should not spend all her time staying inside. It would do her good to go outside and do something. Anything to take her mind off what happened."

If you're stuck inside all day there is little else you can do except think. And for her it would have let her mind wander to the worst days of her life, stuck in that dark and musty cave with all those things crawling all over her... Doing anything would be better.

"We had this garden out the back here, so we fixed it up, using a few neighbours to help out. It... I think it helped her a lot."

"Yeah. She even has a boyfriend now." Verona added.

Dennis chuckled.

"I honestly didn't think she would be ready for something like that, but she told me that she knows what she's doing and I trust her."

"That is very good to hear." Sybil said.

"But," He continued, "I don't think all three of you came here to chat about my sister."

Sybil shook her head.

"No. No we did not. We came here because we would like for you to be the first Marshall of Atros."

Her words seemed to not reach his ears. There was nothing to indicate that he even heard, let alone understood, what was being asked of him. A few moments later he finally realised.

"Me? You want me to be a Marshall?" He asked exasperatedly, "To enforce laws and punishment?"

Verona looked carefully at the man. He was not the strongest looking man but he did not look entirely weak either. Someone in the middle for the people in the village. This could work.

"Yes." Sybil answered flatly.

"I... I wouldn't know the first thing about it."

Sybil shrugged lightly.

"That doesn't matter. I think it will be a simple job; making sure people don't steal things, start fights and just help keep people happy and in line."

"But why me?"

Verona was the one to answer.

"As Anton has brought more than seven hundred new people to Atros, there will also likely be more in the future, there's a good chance that some of them will be bad. At the very least they won't respect us and the way we do things. So, we need someone that has a very good reason to be loyal to the ruling council, to follow through with their duty and to make sure that the madness of before Anton... Arrived, is not repeated. You know exactly what it was like. The new people from Maxill don't know how bad it can get. There situation seemed different to ours."

"So that's why we've come to you." Sybil added.

Dennis nodded slowly.

"Alright. I don't have any experience but I'll give it a go."

Sybil clapped her hands once in celebration.

"Excellent." she began. "You and I, Jeff and Berty-"

Berty?

"Will need to meet some time later this morning when we can start to figure out how this is all meant to work."

"Okay... But, I am meant to be heading off to tend to the new plantations and start harvesting. We're already a bit behind on that."

Sybil waved her wrinkled hand.

"You don't need to worry about that any more. You will still have to work in some respect, but your main duty will be ensuring safety and internal security of Atros."

"And that's for all the people of Atros." Verona added.

Dennis looked a little confused. Verona looked over at Kal, then back to him. He seemed only get the idea then.

"All of them, even if they are... a little different to us."

Dennis nodded deeply, a tiny trickle of sweat ran down his forehead.

"I understand completely. Be they human, beast-kin or whatever else, I will treat them fairly and without judgement."

"Thank you." Kal spoke for the first time.

"Exactly what we need." Sybil said, taking a few moments to fully stand upright. "We'll head over and try and find my son. He'll be able to suggest some good people to form the first Marshall's of Atros."

Verona straightened up as she thought of something else.

"You might want to consider getting them something a little different to wear. So people know that they are speaking to a Marshall." Verona added.

Sybil nodded in thought.

"I think we can find something for that."

Verona stood up and so to did Kal.

"You two can head over to Jonathan's new smithy, Anton will probably still be-"

A lightning crack roared through the air. Kal winced loudly as she ducked down low and looked to the sky. A nervous hand clutched at one of her daggers as she scoured the sky furiously. There were a few lonely clouds in the morning sky but nothing enough to create such a violent sound. At that moment she remembered that Kal was terrified of lightning. Not a good combination with Anton.

Another rang out and then another.

"That sounded like it came from the new smithy." Verona said worryingly.

A fourth crack came from the north, then it was silent.

"Verona, Kal, go and see what is happening." Sybil commanded. "I'll make my way there as fast as I can. I hope they haven't just destroyed the wall with whatever stupid thing those boys are making."

Verona nodded and headed for the gate, making sure that Kal was following closely behind. She was, but whatever was haunting her from her past had taken its toll. Her hands were jittery and she held one of them on the hilt of her one of her daggers, refusing to let it go.

"You alright?" Verona asked, immediately realising what a silly question it was.

"Kind of." Her voice was only trembling slightly less than she was a few moments before. "I just really don't like lightning. It... It brings back some bad and painful memories."

Verona opened the gate and walked out to the road. There was many people outside, some still as bleary as Dennis had been when he had woken up. All had stopped and were looking towards the north east, where Jonathan's smithy and Anton were.

"Come on, let's find out what's happening."

Verona only made a few steps before she had to voice the question in the back of her mind. She waited for Kal to walk alongside her, so she could try and read her expression.

"Anton said that he used lightning during the trip to defend against the wolves. That didn't affect you?"

Kal hesitated before answering.

"No. That... That's different to normal lightning."

"But it sounds basically the same."

Kal hummed in agreement as she nodded.

"Yes, but those, I know who it comes from. So it's fine."

"He used it at the lake with the Kobolds, and you..."

Kal grimmaced. She had started to plead with Anton not to strike her. That was a very disturbing moment.

"I've come to trust him more. I understand that he wouldn't do that."

Kal smiled as best she could, though there was no indication that she would explain exactly what she meant by that. That might be teased out later, if at all. Verona, reminding herself to make a memory of it, chuckled and broke into a light run, Kal followed closely behind seemingly without effort.

"Do you know what Anton has gotten them to work on?" Verona asked.

Kal shook her head.

"I only know that it uses the special blue powder that he bought in Maxill. Powder that he said not to get any fire near it."

Sounds like the stuff from those drawings of his.

"Well Kal, I think we're both about to find out what mad thing my boyfriend has got them making."

 -------------

Hello,

Broke this chapter in two so it flows a bit better, also easier for me to handle. Next shouldn't be too long away.....

Brought back someone who was talked about and to and gave them a bit more of a character. He's going to rock up from time to time.  I chose Dana's brother, because there's only one other character that's been introduced has a part to play in the 3rd arc.

Verona and Kal are not there to establish what exactly a lawman will be doing in Atros, but to show exaclt what will be watching over them, and to make sure there are no prejudices. And if there are, reminding him to keep it inside.

I'm also showing that Verona's trying to help become a better friend with Kal, also trying to find out how much truth Kal has actually said. Also showing that Kals confidence is quite shaky, and a bit more about the relationship between the two of them.

That's about it.

Thanks for reading everyone!