“All yours are accounted for, so get on your way. Tell Garland I'm not planning on pursuing this any further today.”
The death toll had risen to fourteen. Fourteen dead, apparently, an auspicious number for encounters with Haven. Three dead by my hand in the initial fight, five near instantly killed in the blast that had shredded Owens to bits, one shanked by Sly, and then the remainder had simply bled out as their comrades' attention had been occupied by other concerns. Clearly much more important concerns: arguing, assigning blame to each other and to the other Houses, and a lot of feeling sorry for themselves. House Ishtar's representatives dead, tossed like ragdolls and broken. House Haven markedly diminished, but still with enough members to limp back with today's haul. House Stormhawk's group also broken, with only one, one and half legged, partially conscious, still breathing survivor now claimed as a spoil of battle beneath my foot. My two ex-minders exchanging a glance after their attention had momentarily drifted to him. The two keeping their distance after Sly's sudden appearance - and, just as sudden, disappearance.
“You're not going to get away with this,” Olivia says.
That's my line you just stole.
“You're going to be kill on sight.” Kyle also deciding to steal another appropriate line. After a moment his eyes narrowing. “You planned it all, didn't you? That supposed fight you had, it never really happened, did it? You faked it, sat in jail for a few days – on purpose, as a ploy, not even because you were actually arrested - you set up a simple trap for Livy and then we all walked into it. That has to be what happened.”
What a peculiar position to be in. Underestimated, disbelieved, and derided by all comers, and then after managing to wriggle out strictly through sheer luck and tenacity, being accused of some grand, calculated plan. Underestimated, that's been the problem. They believe, but they don't. Sly didn't believe before, but now he firmly does. Omen believed enough to get a posse together to try and intimidate, but he didn't believe enough to prevent him from trying to do it in the first place.
“Alright,” Kyle raising an arm to signal to the rest of group, “we're heading back.”
“But what about-” one of the others starting to say.
“It's not worth it. He isn't our concern.”
The other guy closing his mouth, not pleased with the order, but deciding to follow it. Haven's caravan moving out with only a couple token backward glances. The man beneath my foot stirring. Ignoring the sounds he made for a moment, my attention fixated on his pack. Not his pack, my pack. That's where it ended up. He'd stolen my pack. Looking back at his no longer bleeding, Mended stump of a leg. He's not going to be able to walk out of here so easily like that.
“Nico, you're going to be okay.” The lie easily falling from my lips. “But I need to take off your armor to treat your wounds. Let me help you.”
The man not resisting – maybe out of false hope, maybe out of partial delirium - even rolling to the side in order to help me remove his chain coat. The man's torso and hips covered in bruises on the side he'd lost his lower leg.
“Eat this.”
Chewing the leaf and watching me.
“You really hurt me, Nico, several times now. I'd thought, I'd hoped, that maybe we'd be able to get past it, but after today I don't think we can. I don't think I want to, anymore. I think it's past time for a clean break. You're too heavy for me to carry out of here, but don't worry, I can fix that.”
“Lucy, I'm sor-”
The word freezing in his throat as the paralysis takes hold. Hefting my recently acquired hatchet. A grey blur streaking over from across the way, Vesper, frantic and pleading. Displaying that most indispensable canine trait: the greatest strength and most exploitable weakness. Loyal to the very end. Loyal even past the end. Loyal even after being used and taken for granted and discarded.
The wolf running head first into the shield and being repulsed. His growls and whines and whimpers becoming louder echoes of Wilde's paralyzed screams as each hack of the hatchet cleaved off chunks of his upper legs. A couple overhand hits to remove each limb and the man's lifesblood starting to pour out. The spirit weapon appearing in his open, impotent, paralyzed hand before rolling off and disappearing, once again. Rune of Mending causing the stumps to cover over with flesh and scar tissue. The agony in the man's expression fading. Eyes closing in exhaustion. Repeating the process on his shoulders and hacking off both arms.
“please...” A whisper, an empty puff of air spewed out to an uncaring universe.
“You piece of shit.” Wiping the bloody axe head on his exposed undershirt. “Do you realize how much you've fucked up my plans? Do you? Couldn't you have waited another cycle or two to try this? Nope, you couldn't. You all had to do this today, you worthless shit.”
“please don't i'm sorry”
Tempted almost beyond temptation to take the axe to his forehead and simply be done with the matter. Pulling myself back. No, you don't get off that easy. Vesper, still scrabbling against the shield, beside himself, nearly inconsolable, staring at me in horror and judgment, and at his former master in profound grief.
“Why're are you so upset? He doesn't like you. He doesn't want you. He threw you away.”
The wolf pulling in on himself and hanging his head. Going nearly completely inert.
“i'm sorry i'm so sorry”
“Garbage. You worthless garbage.”
Dropping the hatchet entirely in order to remove the temptation and to force myself to do anything else. There, my pack. Feels pretty empty. Opening the top and looking in. Feeling a bit dizzy and looking away. Preparing my stomach for the view and looking in again. The ordinary space distorted, the inside much larger than should normally be possible, maybe twelve to sixteen cubic feet of space, rectangular, inside the foot and a half tall pack. Reaching my hand in trying to reach the bottom. Reaching, reaching. Pulling my hand back. Could fit completely inside there if the opening was big enough. Maybe get trapped entirely doing that.
Turning the pack upside down and letting the contents fall out of the pocket dimension. Clothing, cookware, unlit torches, a quiver filled with arrows, an entire bedroll, rope and a packed up tent. Goodness, all of that fit easily and didn't seem to weigh anything. My attention going back to my near comatose, legless, armless project. How much more can be removed? After a quick assessment, shaking my head. No, not possible, any more may prematurely kill him before his suffering has even begun.
“Hey, Nico, you there?”
His eyelids fluttering, but no response. All that must have taken a lot out of him. Getting the rope and wrapping it around and around. Okay, let's get you up. Dang, he's heavy. How are you still so heavy with no arms or legs? Using the shield to help pick him up. Okay, tie the rope securely around me. A full rucksack, just like in basic. Heave ho. A human torso shaped rucksack strapped to my back. Just take it one step at a time, slow and steady, the destination is only six or seven miles away. Turning and moving away from the direction of town with Vesper following about ten paces behind, giving me that guilty, hopeless, pleading look.
Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. What exactly happened earlier? That wave of energy and euphoria, and their reactions, that must have been Symbol activating. The crash afterward and spirit point loss basically confirms it. But how, exactly, it activated, no idea. Maybe Owens trying to drain my mana set it off. A flash, a vision in my head, a memory, momentarily derailing me. Darkness, a familiar, animal smell, and glinting teeth. What was that? A groan emanating from my baggage making me turn me head.
“Nico, I'm really disappointed in you. I liked you. I thought I liked you, at least, the person you presented yourself as. I thought we got on pretty well and we shared some similar interests. I thought that maybe we knew each other well enough, that we trusted each other enough, to maybe deal with my situation when it came to it like responsible adults. That's what I'd hoped for, in the back of my head.”
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No response. He's probably still passed out.
“You never thought of me like that, though. I was just some side chick you were fucking on the regular. Nothing more than that.” Briefly stopping and shifting the load. “Which would have been fine, if that's where it all ended. I'm used to it by now, the people who I think are my friends saying one thing to my face and then turning around and betraying me over and over. But simply betraying me wasn't enough for you - you had to go along with them today to really try and stick a finger in my eye. I want you to know that you brought this on yourself. When you get back to town in a couple days, or a couple cycles - however long they take to lay their eggs and eat you - I want you to tell everyone what happened. Tell them they're next. I have so many horrible things in store for everyone in your House. But mostly for you. Them, they'll get a break. After a bit they'll learn their lesson and then they'll get a break. You? I'll never let it go. Never. Not after today.”
“Lucy,” Wilde taking a few labored breaths - he had been awake - his voice coming out stronger than it had before the walk, “I know I screwed up. I know I-” the man choking, “I messed up. I really messed up. I know you hate me now, but I want to make it right. So, if you could just let me go, I'd-”
“I'm not letting you go.”
Predictable. So utterly predictable. That's what they all say. Ninety percent of cases. Oh, I'm so sorry, I'll be a good boy from now on so please let me go. Please believe me. So pathetic. What was ever even attractive about this guy in the first place?
“I didn't want,” his words really coming out choked now, “I think that I'm, I think I've been losing my mind. Ever since Koln sometimes I feel like I'm a passenger in my own body. Since that day we fought it's been getting worse, and I never wanted, and I really...”
Having to stop. Unable to hold back my laughter.
“Oh, Nico, that's new, so I guess I should thank you for that. I've heard so many excuses over the years that they all sorta run together, but that's definitely a new one. Lemme guess, he's the one that should be tortured to death instead of you, right? Maybe I'll get around to him, too, but right now I'm not accepting an insanity defense.”
“Where are you taking me?” he wheezes.
“You still don't know? Oh, you can't see where we're headed, but you should've been able to figure it out by now. Don't worry, you'll know real soon.”
The man's body going tense but nothing else being said.
Maybe a mile from my destination encountering another group of two people that, by all rights, shouldn't have been anywhere near such a dangerous place. The two finishing up dispatching one of the many oversized arachnids littering the area, along with all the walking dead. The man wearing heavy armor under a nondescript brown cloak, his Wyrmsblood insignia and colors absent today, and the girl, brunette, her nose and cheeks lightly speckled with freckles, clutching a tall, solid walking stick with both hands at the sight of me. Her mouth opening and closing. Focusing on me and then on the wolf, still shadowing my progress about ten paces behind. Visibly coming to a decision and marching over to intercept my path.
Trying to think of a way to diffuse the situation, but then the burden on my back deciding to try his luck.
“Help! She's crazy! It's Macarthy. She's gonna kill me. Help! Help me!”
The girl's only reaction to his outburst a slight shake of her head. The guy with her, however, hustling over. Undoubtedly ready to make a nuisance of himself.
“Kate, good to see you're out and about. I've been worried about you. You got my letter, right?”
The guy brandishing his weapon in my direction. “What do you think you're doing?” Disappointing. No time for a private conversation. Snuffed out before it even started.
“This doesn't concern you. Stay out of my way.”
“The hell it doesn't. You can't-”
The Rune Trap taking effect to temporarily put the guy in time out. Wolfe shifting from foot to foot, now clutching her stick defensively in front of her. A leaf wavering in the breeze.
“You, you, let- let him go.” The words stuttering and halting at the start, but the girl managing to get them out.
“Kate...”
You can't beat me. You have no chance. You could've been killed ten times already in the last thirty seconds, and your boyfriend, too, if that had been my desire. You know nothing, ignorant, stupid girl. You can't even hold that stick steady and yet here you are, thinking you can force me to back down. You said you're afraid of me, huh? You're acting like it, but you've never experienced what fear truly is.
A cold, wet nose pressing into my hand, pulling me back from the brink. Swallowing my mounting rage.
“Kate, do you think I wanted it to turn out this way? Do you really think that was my intent? I tried, Kate, I want you to know. I really tried. They did this to me and I rolled with it. I tried to start over. But that didn't last, no fresh starts allowed for me - Shaker wouldn't let it happen. And then when he opened up his big yap just to screw with me it set everything else in motion. This piece shit right here, I tried to start over with him, too. I knew our relationship was always going to be on the clock, but I still tried. I thought that maybe - maybe - it would be possible. I really tried at that, too, and you know what I got for it? I got a knife in the back. Over and over, again and again. From all sides. So this is what I have to do, Kate. This is the only thing they'll understand, and this is the only thing that'll let me get a moment's peace in the future. I'm not doing it because I want to, I'm doing it because it has to be done. I know you don't like it - I know you definitely don't want me to do it - but don't pretend you're on the high ground by siding with them and stabbing me in the back, too.”
Halfway through my rant losing control and a salty taste entering my mouth on every other word.
“I...” Wolfe wavering, so incredibly unsure of herself, barely clinging to her branch amid the gale force wind.
“DONT LISTEN! This is Macarthy. Do you know what that means, you simpering whelp? This is a jackal - she's trying to trick you. Help me. SAVE ME!”
His insistence, his absolute surety, clearing Wolfe's indecision up. The girl's lip curling in unmistakable disgust. Prying her fingers off her walking stick and removing a glove.
“Lucy, give me your hand.”
Either she tries to break every bone in my body - or something even more horrible - or she doesn't. If she does, that'll be the sign that there's nothing left here for me. That'll be the end of it, and they'll all be dead as a result. Please don't do it, Kate. Please believe me.
Her hand sweatier and warmer than mine from recently being inside a glove. No jolts or jerks or uncontrolled surges of emotion on contact. The girl releasing her grip after a moment and walking around to take stock of the now frantically wiggling and struggling Wilde. Absentmindedly laying a hand on Vesper's head as she walks around.
“If there's a fate worse than death I hope you get it,” she says.
Thank you - thank you for trusting me. And there is. And he will.
“Vesper, stay here. I don't want you coming where I'm going. She'll look after you until I'm back. Kate, thank you.”
***
The path leading up to the Spider Temple deserted. Not a cultist, or an acolyte, or a priest, or single spider patrol in sight. With the sun setting this must be their prayer hour. Climbing up the entire winding path and being greeted at the summit by the oversized visage of the temple looming overhead. A single spindly limbed figure - holding two brooms in four of his arms - cleaning the stone floor of the temple grounds. Cupping my hands to my mouth.
“I bring an offering.”
“please no i'm sorry YOU WRETCHED BEAST please no don't do this I'LL DEVOUR YOUR BONES i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm so sorry”
Cutting the rope and dropping my load on the ground. The spider cultist letting out a series of chitters and dropping its brooms. Well past time to go.
Running back down the path and not bothering to even turn to see if anything had been chasing. Arriving at the bottom unmolested.
“Did you,” Wolfe once again pensive and very unsure, “did you do it?”
“Kate, you made the right decision.”
My reassurance not having the intended effect. Wolfe staring at the ground and Vesper letting out a long, mournful howl. Walker just glaring at me.
“Kate, listen-”
A voice wells up from the surrounding earth and trees and insects all buzzing around cutting me off.
The wolf cub was a most satisfactory gift. A bountiful feast for my children. Enjoy a taste of my power as your reward. Bring me more, and you'll be given even more. Bring me everything, and you'll be given everything.
***
Climbing up the side of the tower, the past several hours of running and climbing and preparation a complete blur. Tapping on the window and moments later a wary looking Ruldolf opening the pane.
“Ms. Macarthy...” The man taking a longish pause to stroke his shortish beard. “What have you been up to this evening?”
“Tomorrow. Be ready for everything.”
“Tomorrow? That's not- that isn't what we discussed. What do you think you're doing?”
“Change of plans, and this is a merely a courtesy. You don't need to do anything up front anymore - I have everything under control - but be ready on your end for what comes next.”
“What? No. I'll have no part of whatever it is you've concocted. Do you understand me? I'm not involved - not at all! - the repercussions for whatever it is will fall on you.”