Chapter 29: Strings

“Trina’s unwashed feet! Vina! On your right!” Tacey swore, yanking her around painfully by her left arm.

Startled, Vina thrust her right sword out awkwardly, skewering the creature that charged her. Grateful for its low level, she dispatched it with a single blow. But in the aftermath, she found her footing unsteady. “Quit tossing me around!” she snapped.

Ignoring Vina's complaint, Tacey drove her spear through a creature and flung it aside nonchalantly. She advanced, drawing Vina forward with her. “Boost your attributes, and I won’t need to treat you like a child!” she shot back.

Vina eyed the dispatched creature, its blood barely leaking from the body. “I've told you before, slice an artery. I need them to bleed!”

In response, Saryne barrelled into the swarm of creatures to their left, while Vina attempted a feeble blood burst on the right. The creatures had learned to scatter, diminishing her attack's impact. Tacey's gaze was sharp with disappointment. “We're both using piercing weapons, Vina. What do you expect?”

“I'll slice you open to get the blood I need, if that's what it takes,” she threatened, angling her blade towards Tacey's wrist.

Tacey merely raised an eyebrow and yanked her further into the throng. Vina yelped in protest, but to her astonishment, the creatures appeared disoriented. As they stumbled and lashed out at one another, Tacey and Vina attacked ruthlessly. Amidst the chaos, they fought until the only creature left standing was Saryne. Vina was breathing heavily from the effort as she realized not once did any of the creatures appear able to focus on them.

You have earned 14780 experience points from killing shadow controlled creatures of various levels with the help of Tacey. Experience will be split equally. You have earned 7390 experience points.

“Carda said you were better than this,” Tacey chided once the last of the creatures lay still.

Vina sneaked a glare at her as she scanned the battlefield leading up to the barred town gate. The guards on the walls were eying them carefully. “You weren’t exactly all powerful when you were away from Saryne, either,” she countered. She kept her true capabilities hidden; she wasn't about to deplete her blood reserves in front of Tacey “You’re literally restraining me. What did you do to these creatures?”

Tacey gave her a mocking smile. “Guess.”

Vina rolled her eyes at the condescending response. She had her suspicions. Tacey’s aspect, after all, could disrupt communication with the Darkness. It likely had further abilities. “So, your aspect can disable more than just communication. Aspect of Idiocy?” she snarked. “I can see why you would have high attunement.”

Tacey narrowed her eyes. “Keep it up, and I might cut off communication with you, too.”

Vina retorted, acid in her voice, “Now there's an idea we can both get behind!”

Tacey opened her mouth, no doubt to respond with another scathing comeback, but she stopped and Vina could feel why. The town guards had opened the gate and a number of them were now exiting the doors. She could feel Saryne slink back into the wilderness out of sight.

“In Trina’s name, it is her,” said a familiar voice from an armored helm. Two of the other people around him grumbled something Vina couldn’t quite hear.

“Trip?” Vina called out, recognizing the voice behind the armored helm.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Trip asked, his voice rougher than she remembered as he slipped off his helmet.

Ignoring his hostility, Vina quickly explained, “A gloom is emptying and heading this way. It’s going to attack Prosit.”

“We're suspected so,” Trip said tersely, kicking the corpse of a creature at his feet. “The attacks have increased lately. Everyone's preparing to evacuate.”

Tacey stepped forward and tried to take control of the situation. “My name is Lady Ezra. I’m a representative for The Watch. We can offer shelter to your people in Termily. Could I speak with your town’s leader?”

Trip gave her a nonchalant shrug. “Sure, you can enter. But Vina... she’s still barred from entry.”

Vina flinched at the harshness in his voice. “Trip…” she began, but was interrupted by Tacey.

“Vina is my captive. I was planning to turn her in for the bounty on her head when I got tasked with a different mission. If I promise to keep her under control, can we both enter?”

“Maybe. Let me check,” Trip replied, his eyes lingering on Vina with a cold glare. She felt the sting of his resentment but couldn't understand why he was so angry.

Tacey also looked at her with suspicion in her eyes, and it was suddenly clear to Vina that Tacey had no idea about her history with this town.

While Trip made the walk back, Tacey tried to make a few more verbal jabs at Vina, but Vina didn’t respond. Her thoughts were consumed by Trip's hostility. He had been so understanding when she was first taken into custody. “What changed?” she wondered aloud.

Her gaze drifted to the fortified western gate. It was stronger than she remembered, bristling with archers and what might be aspect users. But it was still no match for the darkness she had witnessed on Carda’s Line.

When Trip returned, she immediately noticed the absence of Marit, the friendly guard who had once vouched for her. “Trip... where’s Marit?” she asked, already suspecting the answer.

Trip ignored her question, but his vibrance betrayed him. The depth of his grief was palpable, cloaked by a veneer of formality and hostility. “You’re cleared to enter, Lady Ezra. Head straight to the Town Hall. Your fugitive can guide you.”

Vina gave Trip another wounded look as she was pulled by Tacey through the gates. After a moment she stopped looking at him. She tried to steel her emotions. She knew there were people like this in the world. When she was here the last time, she knew some people of the town were not tolerant of those with blood skills. Despite their sensitivities, she decided to not hide her eyes as she walked through the town and met every gaze that hung on her for too long.

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There weren’t many who stared at her though. Everyone was too busy gathering their belongings. Too focused on their own struggles to pay attention to the Asharaina being paraded through the streets. Everywhere she looked, there were people loading belongings into large wagons. Others were simply throwing bags on their backs and starting toward the western gates now that the creatures outside had been cleared.

“What did you do to this town?” Tacey asked her in a serious tone.

Vina shook her head mournfully. “I tried to help them by becoming an adventurer. While I was clearing out a bandit camp, they discovered I had been practicing blood runes. My lantern drained the blood of a bandit through some way I don’t understand, and he died.”

Tacey’s eye opened wide in realization. “That’s how you earned your blood class option. You drained the life of a living person.”

“No! I earned it because my top skill was blood related,” Vina countered.

“You really are still learning how this world works, aren’t you?” Tacey offered gently. “Your class types are determined by your skills either singly or in combination. Class types are things like warrior, defender, knight, hunter, thief, and so on. Your class themes are determined by your actions leading up to them. A class theme to hunters might be bounty hunter for instance. I read that you’re a blood weaver.”

Vina thought back to the moments she chose her class. “I thought my class was connected to my two skills in Blood Runes and Throwing.”

“That was a wrong assumption. Most likely it was based on your acts with the lantern that resulted in someone’s death and the blood runes skill itself. You did something truly evil and Trina recognized it.” Tacey stopped at an intersection where Vina knew Pawld’s shop was just off to the right. Tacey looked around, clearly lost. “Which way?” she asked.

Vina pointed toward the town hall, but her eyes wandered to the side, hoping to sneak a peek at Pawld. Unfortunately, his shop curved around yet another corner, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to spot it. She wasn’t sure it would even matter. Pawld might well be gone having already evacuated the town with the others.

“So you’re saying everyone who has a blood class must have done something like what I did.” Vina asked stiffly.

“Or worse. Yes. It’s the only way to get a blood class assigned to you.” Tacey answered, triggering a memory of Nyaire for Vina.

> “It didn’t lie about me either. I did something horrible to earn my blood class.”

Vina felt her anger rise as her memories of the moment came back. She understood why so many would be happy to see her artwork now. They could not only obtain a class with no effort, they could obtain a blood class without having to do something perhaps morally questionable. “That’s not true anymore. My masterpiece has changed that.” Vina felt Tacey tense at the mention of her artwork and she turned on her.

“What does it do exactly? What is your hope?” Tacey asked quickly.

Vina gave her the best smile she could. She realized news still had not reached this side of the world. “It makes more people like me.”

Tacey stared at her for a moment, and Vina felt her vibrance go through several different emotions ranging from fear to anger. Vina prepared herself to grab Langternem from her mount and recall herself to a refuge should Tacey suddenly forget to hold her. But Tacey got control of herself a moment later. “It’s distressing that Trina would bless something like that. I am certain she’ll destroy it once she is revived.”

“I imagine if she disagreed with it, she would just strip its abilities now, wouldn’t she?” Vina suggested. But Tacey didn’t respond. In fact it seemed as if she didn’t hear Vina at all. She merely walked in the direction she had indicated, pulling Vina along behind her until they entered the Town Hall. Quickly they were ushered to a room not unlike the one Vina had seen the last time she was there.

The room was once again lined with four guards, but this time Tressi was waiting for them. She remained seated, eying the paperwork in front of her, as she gestured for the two of them to sit as well. Without looking up she spoke, “We’ll have to make this quick, so I won’t be mincing words. Lady Ezra, I’m aware of The Watch’s code names.” She flipped back to a page in front of her and gestured at a list. “The one you used places you among The Twelve. Either Tacey or Zera. I’m guessing Tacey from your eyes. If I’m right, that means you have the official refugee determination letter and resettlement process. Can I look at them?”

Vina felt the surprise in Tacey’s vibrance. “Yes… I have both of those documents, but they were not intended for Prosit. We had an earlier city, named Randar, evacuated to Termily specifically for followers of Trina. We are processing those refugees now. The plan is to add your town to those using the same refugee standards and processes. Here, I’ll share it with you.” Tacey seemed to be looking at a screen and soon Tressi glanced up with her eyes focused on the screens in front of her.

Vina shifted awkwardly in her chair while Tressi and Tacey performed negotiations, but after a moment Tressi shook her head and gave a sigh. “The resettlement process requires equal distribution of our citizens across The Watch’s towns. Your capital city isn’t even an option. My people simply want transit through Termily to other towns not controlled by The Watch. We are prepared to make payment for use of your portal rings to a city of our choice.”

Tacey made a sad face, but her vibrance did not match. “I am sorry, Mayor. The world is much less safe than it once was. Portal rings that we do not control are no longer considered safe. There would be no means by which we could, in good faith, open a portal ring to another location and simply allow all of your people through without knowing it was safe for them. Our towns are the only remaining safe places.”

“I know of a portal ring not controlled by The Watch.” Vina interjected. “It’s nearby.”

The vibrances in the room swayed between many different emotions, but Tressi’s was filled with curiosity much to Vina’s relief.

“Where would that be, Asharaina?” Tressi asked carefully.

“It's about an hour walk outside of the eastern gate. If Tacey is unwilling, I can activate it for your people free of charge,” Vina offered. “Uh… it would be a blood portal though.”

Tressi gave a slight laugh, but then she frowned. “I appreciate your offer Asharaina. Unfortunately the eastern side is already controlled by The Darkness. According to our scouts, they’re waiting for something. Probably nightfall.”

She turned back to Tacey. “I need provisions added to the resettlement process. Families cannot be broken up. I also want an escape clause. If I can find someone within Termily who will transport us out before you can process us, we’re taking it.”

Tacey bit her lip in consideration and then agreed. “Send me the wording and I’ll add them in.”

After Tressi and Tacey finished their negotiations and shook hands on the deal, Tressi turned to Vina. “They placed a bounty on your head, and this one caught you. Is that why she won’t let go of your hand?”

Vina let out a sigh. “There’s more going on, but that’s the jist of it. And you’re right, she is Tacey.”

The guards shifted uneasily in the room and Tressi frowned at her, “Our feelings about The Watch are well known, but we can’t help you against one of The Twelve. I am sorry, Vina.”

Vina bowed her head slightly in acceptance. “It’s okay. I understand the position you’re in.”

Tressi looked at Tacey cautiously and then back to Vina. “I appreciate your ability to grasp the complexities of our situation. Do you also recall I said you weren’t supposed to return to Prosit until you gained better control of your blood skills. As the Asharaina of Blood, I am hopeful you have succeeded. Do you care to show me?”

Vina smiled at the opportunity. “You could say I’ve gained some control.” She held out her left hand and blood began to seep into her palm.

“Vina…” Tacey warned her.

“Calm down, Tacey! It’s just a demonstration,” Vina countered. She lifted the blood into the air and let it float like a globe while Tressi and the others watched, some in disgust and others in fascination. Then she let it fall onto the wooden table between them. She slid it across the table and formed two common rune words. With a sizzle they burned into the wood. She let them glow for a moment in bright red before using blood call. The remaining blood flowed back to her body, but the burned wood remained with two dormant runes.

Tressi stared at the runes for a second, and Vina could feel the confusion in her aura. At that moment she realized Tressi probably couldn’t read them and she felt some panic begin to rise within herself. But Tacey scoffed, breaking the silence. “You’re sorry?” she said mockingly. “You killed someone here and all you can say is you’re sorry?”

Vina remained silent, and Tressi spoke. “That’s what you wrote, Vina?” She shook her head as if to clear it. “I also said, you need to stop scaring people. You seem to have doubled down with those eyes.”

Vina smiled and activated her disguise skill and her eyes immediately went white once more.

“...and your nails” Tressi pressed, gesturing toward her red rune glowing nails.

Vina cringed. “Those… are a recent addition. I promise my next disguise skill point will go toward my nails.” Vina immediately got a prompt notification saying Tressi accepted her promise.

“It doesn’t help you much, but I’m allowing you full access to Prosit again, Vina. Get yourself some gloves or keep your hands in your pockets. Please don’t scare my people with your eyes. They have enough to worry about.”