Part of me was sick with disappointment. The Lady in Red had been such a mysterious figure out of our reach for so long that the eventual reveal felt… premature. I had wondered if, in finally seeing her, there would be a twist where I’d recognize her from somewhere.
But no. Before me stood a woman in a thick red dress, a similarly colored wide-brimmed hat on her head. Conventionally attractive, although she looked almost as tired as I felt. Slightly off too. If she told me she was a vampire, I would believe that wholeheartedly. Black hair down just past her shoulders, pale skin, and a wry smile full of confidence. A lady in red.
“Correct, that is the name I go by,” she said, even if my question was more rhetorical. “Before you try to attack me, this is a just a Visage of me. I am not here.” Her dark eyes ran me up and down like I was a piece of meat ready to be diced up. “I must say, Max. You are full of surprises.”
I drank down the potion, hoping the System would hurry up and put my clothes back on. Once the gross tang of the drink left my mouth, I gave her a sour expression and shrugged. “To what do I owe the displeasure? Here to beg for you life?”
It was a miracle that I had my temper in check. I wasn’t sure whether it was learning that the mythical woman was just a flesh and blood idiot like the rest of us, or her presence commanded something else that had me calm… but I was a hair-trigger away from testing if the ‘visage’ thing was just a ruse.
The wry grin left her face. “You are an impudent toddler messing in things you don’t understand. Ready to burn the world to ashes so that you can rule over whatever debris remains.”
I practically spluttered with indignation. “That is what you are doing. How many people have you killed or corrupted so you can rule on high?”
“I’m doing what is best for the System,” she snapped back. Her body was tense, but she hadn’t budged an inch aside from her face.
Crossing my arms, I turned to face her properly. “Only by your own metrics and worldviews. Flawed and murderous ones.”
The Lady worked her jaw, clearly holding back a rebuttal. Eventually, she exhaled through her nose. “Max. You are smart and competent. I’d much rather a strong ally than a foolish enemy. You have undone my work through the last two areas, but I promise you, if you or any of your hapless Guild steps into Candlekeep, then I will kill you all.”
“Threats don’t really work on me.” I shook my head. “I don’t know how or what you’ve been doing, but we will not stand down when our lives are at stake either way.”
“Those strong and loyal to me have a place. You’ve seen the fully realized System-created now, did you not? My team can fix the System and set things right. You can help with that.”
I had to admit that I was interested and impressed with the Monsters that I had just dismembered. Not quite enough to betray my friends, those I love, and the people we had lost along the way. Even the assholes I had murdered to get here deserved some close and not to just be a stepping stone for me to jump into the Lady’s arms at the first attempt at coercion.
My hand went up. “I’m done talking with you.” I clicked my fingers and my outfit appeared back on me. “Peddle your silvery words somewhere else.”
Her expression twisted into something like disgust, as if my dismissal was something foul to gobble up. While she sneered, I wondered if she was about to reveal that this was a ruse and she really was here. Something told me she wasn’t that short-sighted.
“As you wish, Max.” She shook her head, the sour look falling away to be replaced with a confident smirk once more. “I have given you enough chances to be a part of the winning team. The people who not only want to, but can save Othea. When you lose everyone you love and have nothing but death to comfort you in this failed existence, don’t come crying to me.”
Not allowing me to get the last word in, the figure started to dissipate, as if she was made of dense smoke. The fact that she had an icon over her head telling me she was nothing more than a Visage created by someone was a spoiler I had been trying to ignore, but I didn’t want to take any chances.
Twin purple cards spun out around me, spiraling in a tight orbit as I drained my mana to empower them. With an increasing tempo, I twisted them around in an expanding circle. Grass and flowers were lopped and shredded before my attack dissipated about twenty feet out.
I regained my breath, fresh blood running from my hands as a few trees slowly collapsed in the background. I had scoured the area near me, everything in that radius torn to pieces. Safe wasn’t really the right word, but I was alone.
Stretching out my shoulders, I sighed and decided how to break the bad news to Ren.
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[Max: Hey… moonflower.]
[Ren: Did you DIE? I’ll be so pissed. What’s with that guilty message?]
[Max: Still living, I promise you.]
[Max: I had a run in with the Lady in Red. Sort of.]
[Ren: Did she DIE? I’m so pissed. What do you mean, sort of?]
[Max: Some manner of projection of her real self.]
[Max: She just wanted to try to entice me on to her side once again.]
[Max: Gave vague allusions to something bad I’ve already half forgotten.]
[Ren: How annoying. I thought up all those new bad words to call her in hell.]
[Ren: I hope I’m there next time.]
[Max: Me too. Anyway, be alert as she is likely to try something untoward.]
[Max: Now that I’ve turned her down again.]
[Ren: Last ditch of desperation yada yada. We’re safe. You stay safe, handsome.]
I smiled as I closed the windows down. It didn’t really matter what the Lady was up to, or if the Crimson Shadows had been working for some greater good all along. I knew those were just words to try to sway me, but even if true… I just fought on the side of Ren and I being on top. Stars of the show, happy and peaceful. Or at least with as much peace as we could stand.
Truth was, I didn’t mind being the bad guy if it meant being beside her. We’d taken our fair share of lives trying to do what was right. The road to hell is paved with good intentions? Fuck that, we had been to hell. Traveled that road out the other side and continued committing sin ever since.
As my feet took me in the direction of the tower once again, I remembered I was also losing it slightly. Not the best time of day to be ruminating over moral quandaries.
I pulled out a sandwich from my Inventory. Prepared earlier… or maybe yesterday. The System didn’t care to tell me and it tasted as good as if I had only just created it. Normally, I didn’t like to eat while on the job. In fact, I wasn’t even hungry. I placed it back into my Inventory, half-eaten.
Instead, I spun out a card over my hand. Just to get a feel of it and keep my hand busy as I walked.
Just how could the Lady create System-created that actually acted and thought as if they were real? While one part of me would love to see the world fully fleshed out and filled with active towns and a thriving population, I doubted that she had used a normal and safe way to do it.
The fact that the first example I had seen from her was a group that was sent to track me down and kill me painted my expectations for what the future might bring. Perhaps she should have led with the negotiations before putting a hit out on me.
I kicked a small rock through the grass as I walked absent-mindedly. Not that it would have changed my answer. Even if we all swore fealty, it wouldn’t be long before our power was too much of a threat. We were just two forces opposed to each other. Nothing would ever change that.
But could I really change anything? After all that I had been through… was there even a realistic end goal to my attempts? I felt drained, my energy completely leaking from my body like a colander. It wasn’t even fear, but… a worry that I wouldn’t amount to anything. Why should I?
Demonic Magician, but what did that really mean? I was the king of hell, but didn’t feel competent enough to decide on whether I wanted to eat a sandwich or not. I’d been getting by on luck and the System holding my hand… so what would my life be like beyond that? Even if I could win—whatever that meant—the prospect of being content with my lot seemed just as fantastical as… all of this other bullshit.
I sighed and my body shivered as a cool wave of… maybe just a fresh breeze? The cool air washed over me, despite being properly dressed now. I stopped for a moment and frowned out at the empty woodland in front of me.
“You look like you have a lot on your mind, Max?”
I turned an eyebrow to the side. “I certainly do, Ren.”
There she was, my faithful companion and other half. Bright red hair flowing in curls over her freckled and scarred face, deep green eyes burning into me. In her hands she held her signature battleaxe, the sharp and hungry edge glinting as it caught the sunlight.
“I’m surprised you didn’t try to attack the Lady. I guess that’s what you keep replaying in your head.” She smiled, softly - but there was a desire, just the smallest spark, hinting that she wanted to find out the contents of my skull first hand. One of the few places Ren hadn’t been. Unless after the horse attack…
“Oh, you know me.” I grinned. “I am a master of seeing through illusions, so I knew she was just a weird cloud version of herself. That’s not what I’m thinking about, however.”
“No?” Her expression dulled a little. “How about getting to this tower so we can save our friends, then?”
I nodded eagerly. Close enough. “Got it in one, moonflower. However, a much more important thought has just crossed my mind.”
“Right…” Ren brushed some copper curls behind her ear before grasping at the hefty melee weapon once more. “Like what?”
My facial muscles ached as I smiled wider. “I was just thinking, my dear… the day is young, and I have just killed off the threat to our sleeping Guild. Why don’t we make the best of it and have a bit of a date together?”
She shook her head slowly. “Keep your head in the game, Max. Just turn around and let’s get to the tower.”
Maybe she was right. Even if I was crazy—and I was crazy—I shouldn’t be putting my own desires over the priorities of the Guild. Friends needed saving. Something that had become my responsibility.
“You…” I ran my tongue across my dry lips. “You don’t think we could just run away from all of this? We deserve a vacation, do we not?”
“Max.” Ren’s hands tightened on the axe, her knuckles whitening. “You are clearly tired. Let’s sort this tower out and then we can rest.”
Ever the fountain of wise words, Ren was right. There was plenty of time for being selfish after the day was won. The next few days needed a lot of winning, at least. I should be trying to work beside my elven wife, not arguing with her. After all, I had traveled all this way for the sole purpose of destroying the tower. Would be rude to be late for my appointment.
I gave her a bow, and she shuffled slightly. My head swam slightly with vertigo as I stood back up straight, and she looked tense. Things had been difficult for us all lately. “I apologize, Ren. You, of all people, know how I get when I am tired and stressed.”
She nodded her agreement with that statement, but had little to add.
With a smile, I turned to lead her toward the tower. Today was going to be one of those days—I could feel it.
Right before I felt the displacement of air, as Ren’s axe whistled through air toward the back of my skull.