‘We’ve arrived for a brief stay and a quick chat only between us. I’m thinking I could change my face again, wearing the same one for too long makes me bored. After all, I have as many to choose from as people live. Did you believe my story young man? Did you think me insane when I talked about bowls of noodles and people beyond gods? Every single story has a single grain of truth, I’ll leave it up to you if you decide to tell others. Likely, nobody will believe you. And if you decided to use my actual name behind it then they’d call you a spy in my own employ or a threat. That’s the value of the truth, nobody wants to accept it. Yes, they might believe you about a woman whose face changes but the rest of it? No. Your habit of asking too many questions and an inquisitive, enquiring mind had gotten you into far deeper trouble that you realise young man. You were lucky you were a favoured student. The Head Mistress of the Academy protected you by forcing you out, we’ve tried our best but finding all the...bad apples...in the barrel proves difficult. Rot and decay don’t only come from death.’ said Lady Joanne.
They had stopped the carriage on a side street in the merchants quarter and children had come running over along with more than a few merchants looking for opportunity and deals. Cris had been surprised at how fast the woman sitting opposite him could not only change her face but her entire personality and mannerisms. She was either a born actress or an extremely good liar, both in her his view made sense if she was actually the spy mistress of the kingdom.
He had heard of her as many had but she was mean to be an old, greying woman, frail who was accompanied by a troupe of masked figures each of different ages, both male and female. Each would remove their mask in turn becoming the focal point while the old woman simply made her way through the city.
Either the woman in front of him was far older than she appeared or her face and eyes weren’t the only parts of her body she could change. Shapeshifters had been one one of the rarer troops belonging to the Dark Lord, each individual could easily shift form once consuming the flesh and soul of an individual.
If there had been such a creature in front of him, his own aura senses would have been screaming at him, at even at the tavern entrance and tunnels beneath he would never have accompanied this strange woman.
‘I know that look. Did anyone ever tell you that when you think your eyes draw to the up and right ever so slightly? No, I can’t read minds. Spend long enough trying to read faces and you pick up these things. Merely a trick of the mind. I could train you along with other skills if you liked. Would you like some fruit? Or a sweetmeat perhaps?’ asked Lady Joanne as she held up one of the small food baskets which she had purchased from a street merchant.
They had provided her a discount first-time customer out for their first date as a noble couple. She had played the part well enough and even coerced Cris to play along as she smiled sweetly and said that they would pay directly in noble scrip, or hard currency if needed.
Not that Cris blamed her for buying it, a carriage suddenly stopping on the side of a busy street after it had circled the area a few scant times would make watching eyes take notice of and tongues wagging. Better to satiate a few merchants around than draw further attention to themselves. The fact that the carriage lacked any house sigils on the outside meant it was being purposefully low-key. A young noble couple out for a trip and first date would make sense and stop all further questions.
The smell within was calling to Cris, to his empty stomach and parched throat. Deciding that if she wanted him harmed then she wouldn’t waste her time talking so much he took a bite and swallowed a large bite. His stomach ached but instantly felt better but his body was in need of liquid refreshments. The earlier items gifted from Maxton Ge had been digested hours ago.
He regulated his own body making sure that he wouldn’t need to relieve himself for a good while longer, not wanting to repeat the same mistake as the night before.
Then he reached into the basket and pulled out a small clay flask, with a sniff, realising it was a weak wine he cracked open the top, dropping the lid back in the basket and drank deeply.
‘I’d ask if you need to use a toilet but you wouldn’t be much of a trainee priest without a few minor magical skills to your name. Such as burning out harmful poisons. Not that any of these have them in. Here, take more. What isn’t used gets ascribed back to the Queen upon her orders. Spending a little coin is fine but there needs to be transparent accountability. It was one of the first jobs she gave me before I ended up in my present lofty position. There had been a large portion of the surviving nobility eager to improve their finances quickly and the war provided opportunities for corruption. I simply impersonated and rooted them all out. Another story for another time perhaps. I think you’ve made your decision.’ said Joanne.
She pulled another basket of food and drink and handed it over to Cris then crossed legs over, hit the ceiling with hand several times, closed the curtains inside the carriage and pulled out another silk mask from a compartment beside her seat and covered her face.
Cris watched the shifting motion and focused his attention on two baskets of food and drink, he finished them off and packed away the leftovers and empty flasks into the baskets before tucking them under his carriage seat.
‘I agree then. Not that I don’t trust your word of releasing me freely. You have something of a reputation in the kingdom as an extremely dangerous person. I know the priest and priestesses actively fear you. Thank you for the food, will we leave again?’ said Cris.
The carriage began moving again shortly before he had even finished speaking but this time it was faster than before with a sense of deeper urgency. More than a few people who been browsing, buying or selling goods moved out of the way as the horse and carriage increased in speed. Cris finished a swallow of another small weak wine bottle before it was drained dry.
The foodstuffs that he had been holding was nearly dropped form his hand as he gripped the side of his seat, opposite him Lady Joanne showed little sign of discomfort as she rocked side to side in time with the motion of the carriage.
As she had put on a fresh silken mask, Cris wasn’t able to clearly make out her features but the creases at the sides of her mouth indicated to him that she was smiling. Her hair remained the same red colour as she hadn’t bothered it changing it until she caught on the fact that he was looking at her and the colours simply drained. Each lock of hair lost colour and became a pure white as it quickly shortened length down to just before her shoulders.
‘I think I’ve given you enough patience now, don’t you think so? I’m not going to hurt you or threaten you. You’ve already been tested on that account twice and you’ve done a decent job so far. I would like to ask a personal question but you don’t have to give me an answer if you prefer. What do you think? Will you accept a question from a faceless woman and in return I’ll answer one of yours freely and at length. We still have a little time until we arrive at our location. Oh, and to be clear it’s a boring building in the government district. I’ve got it on loan for the duration of this part of the operation. You would have passed it’s like a hundred times and taken little interest. Deal or not Master Cifesboren?’ said Lady Joanne as she cocked her head to the side.
She touched her shortened hair, devoid of colour except for blank whiteness, it had also changed in texture, thinner than previously. Curling part of it in her fingers she placed a palm on her mask before dropping it back onto her lap.
‘No. A trick repeated becomes accepted and then becomes normal. Ah, I forgot. I was meant to give you something else. I mean, I like this cloak and all but you’re more than welcome to have it back. You might even need it later. A little protection always helps.’ said Lady Joanne.
The carriage had stopped its sudden rocking as the horses pulling it switched from a gallop into a steady trot. Cris no longer felt his stomach lurch in protest, his face was somewhat green as the wine and sweetmeats settled back into his stomach. The sensation was less than comfortable.
He tried to talk to the woman in the silk mask but when the carriage hit a hard bump in the road and tilted to the side his stomach protested and he held a hand over his mouth and one held up in the space between them to show he needed a moment.
Gulping down his food and drink hadn’t been the best idea but Cris was wary of applying his own light magic after his excess in the dungeon beneath the tavern. There had already been slippage and more would be damaging. He had heard rumours of the powers of the Fallen Angels and the damage they had incurred, more construct than human if the tales were to be believed.
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‘I’m fine. Just a little indigestion. Questions and answers. I feel that all I end up with are more questions. To be honest, my father doesn’t matter. I didn’t know his name and my mother told me stories of his martial prowess but never his name. Perhaps she was concerned that I’d accept it as my own surname instead of this….joke name they gave me. Sorry, I can’t answer your question. Does that count?’ said Cris.
His body had begun healing slowly, the two periods of time when he had slept had helped him somewhat but his skill using light and purity magic remained limited. He could infuse the power granted to him through a goddess ideally through a designated weapon, attempt to purify corruption out of the physical and spiritual forms of others to a small degree and also use his aura to sense others.
His popularity within the Academy of Purity had been down to his ability to learn fast and his general attitude towards the teachers. Many of the nobles there and few low-born had resented the position due to being third or fourth children in line to inherit and were relegated to a position in the church.
In his particular case, once he had graduated he would likely have become one of the Queen’s Guards or a guardian priest. He’d not done that well in hand to hand combat drills so becoming one of the warrior monks who guarded the main temple would be unlikely.
This woman felt like she knew too much about him, the entire situation with Agnes, her two comrades, the strange foreigners with their lyrical language had been constructed. There had been danger, he was sure of that, so they were clearly willing to put him at risk of death but the situation didn’t make sense.
Unless, his mother’s present husband had decided to make an example of him and teach him a lesson but it was unlikely that the Duke would have that much political leverage and power to make the Spymistress of the kingdom to do his bidding.
Even the Queen had her limits, only the Goddess Aliza was above all in her ever-protection of the Kingdom.
The woman had failed to respond to his question as she shook her head as though in disbelief of his words or she was laughing at her own personal joke. The carriage continued on it’s journey after a brief stop at a guard checkpoint, a few questions and Lady Joanne stuck one hand out of the carriage window with a folded document and a badge before Cris heard the guard usher them onwards with haste.
The entire time he’d never heard the carriage driver speak a single word. All the communication was done through the woman knocking on the ceiling above their heads and getting a response.
As he was going to open his mouth to try and carry on the conversation or ask her what type of ciphers she used a series of knocks and bangs came from the ceiling of the carriage causing the woman to straighten her posture, place both hands in her lap and reach for another package, this time a small wooden chest underneath her seat.
Seeing her expression she began to talk to him as she brushed off imaginary dust off the box and fussed over it a little with her hands. Cris was sure that her fingers gripped it harder than was necessary and if not for the mask he was certain that she had just licked her lips but the expression was far harder to make out without a clear face.
‘A half-breed noble of foreign heritage, a failed academy trainee priest, a minor noble with a smaller mansion than my own. A young man with an inquisitive mind who asks too many questions and wants to know more. You didn’t give me an answer but to make it short I need to employ you for a particular task. The why is saving the kingdom but the how is more tricky to explain. Ah, have a look outside, this took a little longer than I thought but everyone has had plenty of time to freshen up. Those augmented will be joining us a little later as they had to make a quick detour for their friend Joachim. None of this bootleg priest business, they’ll meet a senior priest to help fulfil their needs. Here, have her cloak back. It stinks a little, as do you.’ said Lady Joanne.
She had slipped the gift given to Cris from Agnes off her shoulders, given it a shake and a quick fold before tossing it over to his outstretched hands.
Catching it Cris swiftly unfolded it and threw it over his own head, at the least he had a form of protection. He did prefer having a better set of equipment. Being unarmed this long was considered a risk, even if he was in the relative security of the capital city.
‘Hmm..young Master Cifesboren. Do you know who Maxton Ge is? Do you know what he actually is aside from being an esteemed emissary from the Celestial Empire? A fish jumps over a waterfall and become a dragon. Such a strange saying, in his own language it makes more sense but he’s a very, very dangerous man. He likes you, despite his actions. And his...bodyguard has taken a liking to you as well. I wager you’ll meet more comrades, just as strange on your little task for our beloved Queen, Goddess and Kingdom. Here, take his gifts. He...connected them to you personally and I don’t want to risk my hands melting off. It wouldn’t kill me but it would hurt and sometimes that enough.’ said Lady Joanne.
As the carriage came to a halt Cris was tempted to look outside the closed curtained window as he heard voices beginning to shout as there was a sudden jolt on top of the carriage. More shouting and a clash of weapons rang out but he was unable to see any of it. Then he heard the motion of crossbows being fired and even more soldiers shouting out.
Lady Joanne removed her silken mask from her face to reveal that of an older woman, closer to a grandmother in age which combined with her shortened colourless white thinner hair would make her a case of an older noble lady combined with her clothing.
Her skin had turned into a darker tan and her face showed crease lines around her eyes. Both of her eyes had turned into a pale brown iris, close to a light green.
Opening the small wooden chest sitting on her lap she unclasped it and revealed the leather backpack and arm brace containing the twin knives which had been gifted to him by the construct Ren on the words of Maxton Ge.
With no hesitation he snatched both of them out of the box and with one smooth motion opened the backpack to see the same empty containers inside before he strapped the leather bracer to his upper arm and withdrew one, fitting it behind him where he had his previous white blade stored.
A cry of pain rang out followed by the sound of metal clattering to the ground outside as another followed, then another cry of pain until Cris was certain he had heard at least five echoes of metal falling to the floor. The side door of the carriage was hit hard but it only shook before it was hit again.
Cris put one hand on the knife behind him, preparing his aura to detect the fighting outside. If this was another attack by cultists or anyone else he’d be able to make out their presence. He had enough energy left for one quick burst before he was relatively empty.
‘Lady Dee Mawr. Is this another test for me? Did you arrange for cultists to fight again or hire mercenaries to fight your own guards?’ said Cris.
The side door of the carriage shifted again as it was hit, the curtains within shaking. This time the woman sitting opposite him, crossed her legs and interlaced her fingers as she leaned forward. Her appearance of a grandmother was at odds with her voice as it remained that of a young women in her early twenties at most.
‘To catch an assassin you need bait. Especially when you take his own adopted grandson from him. Cris, say hello to the true Alessandro. You can come in now old man. You took longer than I thought although I must say that impersonating my driver, getting the daily cipher out of him was a good trick. I hope you left him alive.’ said Lady Joanne.
The side carriage door was ripped open and a man hardly breathing heavily opened it. His creased face and short grey hair was flushed red with anger and he held a twin set of stiletto knives, one in each hand along with a bandolier of matching knives across the front of his chest. His clothing was a mix of grey and brown wrapped material around his entire body with a matching hood pulled down revealing his face.
All of the weapons had been purposefully matched the same colour and if Cris hadn’t been looking closely he wouldn’t have detected them. A broken off arrow was stuck out of one shoulder but the old man didn’t pay it any attention. A tiny trickle of blood ran down from the side of his mouth as he took in a deep breath.
Behind him Cris saw the moving bodies of at least five armed guards, their swords lay next to them but all of them lay crumpled on the ground on their sides. There was a faint smell in the air of blood and another mixture.
Alessandro took a look at the knife that Cris was holding and snorted as he gave a bright smile and sniffed the air a couple of times as he wiped the blood from his mouth away roughly with a sleeve.
With a movement fast enough that Cris couldn’t pick up on it he sheathed both knives in two empty spaces in the bandolier across his chest before he spoke turning his attention to Lady Joanne and then to Cris in turn.
‘Your father would have been pleased. The ones he gifted to you were poisoned just enough to make you sick for a day or so, and you choose to handle more poisoned ones. Much higher quality than I’ve seen for a long time but I recognise the design. From the Empire, interesting. Spymistress Dee Mawr, you will release my idiotic grandson from this game of yours. Cristiano, I’ve taken care of the local guards here but knowing this woman she’ll have backups hidden for her backups. You’re welcome for taking care of the cultists armed with crossbows by the way, the Queen’s Guard aren’t as through as they like to make themselves as. Old woman, you’re not my type. All of your agents are alive but in pain. It’ll pass in an hour. Change face all you want. Doesn’t work on me. Cristiano, stop staring and get out of that carriage this instant! We need to leave. Now!’ said Alessandro.