A kick in my boot jolted me out of my drunken slumber, but I considered it even because Gouttières face when he was introduced to Helen, nose to the barrel, was priceless. Coming to my senses I slowly uncocked Helen. “Don't ever do that again...second in command.” I slowly picked myself up, damn that was a good rum, also strong, I felt like beef jerky, and not particularly quality one “We need to go.” “I gathered that wealth of information when you kicked me. You ass.” I mumbled dragging my legs to the horse watering hole and plunging my head inside. It felt so good that I was considering repeating it when it came out from the air “I don't think I like your tone.” There was a bit of steel in the voice now, and I knew what I'll see before I turned. He was standing in by now the iconized dueling stance, made even more imposing by his low holsters. All of that is horseshit, all of the “gunslingers” were dead before 30 because of a wish to retain that image. He was roughly my age, so between 33 and 35 and still alive, which meant he was really good or he was basically killing children to achieve notoriety. Hands up, I admit I kinda hated people who carried low-hanging revolvers to announce to the world “I'm a bad motherfucker” So that coupled with a hangover, might've shortened my fuse a bit. Drinking was not a great way to replenish your Aether, I think I barely replenished 10% from yesterday, but sometimes you treat yourself. I squeezed my right hand, I was not a thousand-year monster to paralyze someone with ease, but still, it achieved effect. Same micromovements of locked muscles, and the same panic in the eyes. I slowly approached him, pausing for a moment to raise my left leg enough to draw my dagger “I told you yesterday, survivor, not a hero, not a gunslinger and not giving a fuck what someone who will be dead in ten seconds thinks. See in a duel, I might actually lose. That's kind of a deal breaker for me. At least don't worry you'll have the company of your own kind.” Panic in his eyes turned into pleading, but I ignored it instead touching for the correct place to stab so it goes through both sides slicing the veins and arteries perfectly in one stab, soul forged weapons can be finicky like that, and I admit my dagger was kinda B quality, but still expensive like shit, not the top shelf though. I carefully inserted it and pushed it through in one smooth fast movement. Luckily I succeeded, I had about a 30% success rate when I used it as it was supposed to be used, and not stabbing like a madman in defense or offense. Gouttière first started shaking like being struck by lightning, but I held onto him and dagger firm, soon shakes stopped and his eyes began to lose color, I held on until they were white, and then removed dagger. Instead, gush of blood there were a few drops leaking out, and a few on the blade that quickly vanished. Leaving the dagger in pristine condition, I pushed the corpse to the ground. “Dumbass.” and returned to plunge my head into the water again. When I emerged I heard several people behind me, but my tiny bath made me feel like a thousand bucks. So I turned to face the music. Falx was there directly opposite me looking at his very dead second in command, basically since I yesterday refused his “generous” offer to be his left-hand man to Gouttières right-hand man, there lay his entire command staff including a fifth of the military. More importantly, the only person he even remotely trusted. I again felt that rage radiating from him as I wrapped myself in a force bubble. Left of me were Santino and Anne her hand and chin resting on his shoulder, there was something in their posture that conveyed intimacy. That was the first time my genius ass caught up to the nature of their relationship, that is it might be slightly more than just business. I mean I understand from one perspective, their entire being, feeding, and procreation depended on raw, unfiltered sex appeal. I'd put a hand in burning oil that she fed on more than one straight female that never thought about sex with women before. She was all that Succubi and Incubi wished they were, absolute powerhouse, incredibly beautiful, and...for them particularly important, not in Hell or Abyss. Well, those were places where she would end when a bastard like me dusts her but with her resume, she will be one of the aforementioned fold very soon.

It was far more than just beauty, it was me having to remind myself every second while she was within 50 feet of what she is, those potions couldn't come fast enough because it was psychologically taxing. And in certain situations, like now, such loss of concentration could kill me. Yet Santino was aware of what she was if he really was in some kind of consensual relationship with her. It was like a fly falling in love with a Venus Trap. Still...I did witness her show an unusual amount of care for two of her companions. “What is the meaning of this?” Falx's voice returned me back to the present, unwittingly proving how damn dangerous she was. “Your dead second in command for today's caper.” Falx raised his eyes and conected with mine. They were burning red. Two pieces of round coal with two black round dots where the pupils are. He wasn't Human, not 100% in any case, but sussing out what he is will need to wait. “And pray, how did he die?” “He called me out for a duel, he fancied himself somewhat of the gunslinger, you know?” “He was the fastest draw I ever saw, a third-rank revolver wielder like you couldn't hope to measure up to him. So you took a dump on your honor and used Arts like a coward he said you are.” I smiled sweetly almost matching Anne at some 20% output, I saw the ivory of her teeth from the corner of my eye. This was a veritable feast for her, so many heightened emotions, she could nibble here and there from the periphery, and if this prolonged she might not even need a lunch today.

But this was Falx, the only emotion I ever registered from him were various levels of rage. She had a few more seconds to nibble before this boil burst “And I did not contradict him, I said exactly what I am, survivor. Why should I risk a duel I could lose when I could just paralyze him and slit his throat at my leisure.” Beast in front of me snarled, and I noticed both the upper and lower fangs being elongated, while his nails completely turned to claws and his skin was the color of raw meat. This was his real form, I would bet on it, amount of self-control that likely took to look human every day when dealing with the rest of us was likely mind-boggling, Falx was strong, once it begins I was not sure I will win alone and neither of “founders” appeared too keen to involve themself, Anne probably just enjoying the show, and Santino likely going down the list to fill up the gaps and calculating how long getting new recruits will take.

Again there was no warning two heavy blades slammed against my barrier, actually doing significant damage to it from the front. The barrier that yesterday withstand the fire breaths of two Nessian Hellhounds at once, and these were just blades. Heavy, sure, but not enchanted in any way I could feel, the power of his handling did this damage on its own. I curled my forefinger and middle finger on both hands tying the both in whips of Aether that as soon it caught I hardened. basically, both of us had the two...machetes? I'm usually good when it comes to recognizing blades but these two eluded me, I know some of you scream “Falkxes you idiot!” But no you bast...Kind people. The closest it came to was one type of Nevada War Falxe I saw, but the blade was too wide at the top. Almost like Forward leaning machete, the blade alone might pass for a large Kukri one person I rode with used, but in that case, the handle didn't fit since this was a rather traditional machete handle. In the end, I had to assume it was some private amalgam of several blades. Yet, I admit, that time for reflection came later, now I was slightly preoccupied. He pulled the blades back with such power that for a moment I considered wrapping one more whip on each when two remaining blades slammed me into the barrier from behind, reminding me why I held off on that plan in the first place. Blades were deflected, but not even a second later as I flung two more whips after them with a ring finger and a pinkie I felt the barrier collapsing, Man was a monster in more ways than one, even three. I had no time to look back so my whips went basically blind, and by miracle, all hooked and hardened. I was fortunate I was dropping my head into the horse pool like crazy before so some of the wetness could be explained by that, but now in private, nope. Every last drop on my face and cords of hair was sweat, I felt it salt/briny taste on my lips, and in my eyes, dropped from the strings of my hair. I slowly curled my thumbs letting more Aether around the tight, rope-pulling contest we had, and started making a spider web, giving my part more structural integrity, so while I felt there was no way I could win in sheer power, once I placed the support in place there was no way he was getting those blades back either.

Once I finished I took a first deep breath from the start, since I felt we were at an impasse here. Time to regroup and think. What I saw next chilled me to the core, because rather than stopping to think he gazed at me with those-burning red eyes and grinned. “A spider trapped in his own net.”...then he lunged forward toward me. My world spun for a second because all this time I thought I was dictating the pace of this battle. Then realizing I was wrong. My Aether supplies were low. Power pulling on those blades did not lessen I gave all I had to hold them. And now Falx was bearing down on me, in his transformation even more massive, some 7 feet to my 6'1” and 182 pounds against what looked like 400 pounds of muscle bearing down on me as the train. It would appear I and Santino were right, he was right about me being cocky upon our first meeting, and I was right when I thought there is more to Falx last night. Unfortunately, I thought the transformation was it, but no. The brain behind it was the secret, I was dancing in the palm of his hand since I caught the first blade. True, I was holding all the strings but they were fixating me as much as I was them. Falx might in the term of Arts be One-Trick Pony, but his Aether reserves were absurd, once he lunged toward me pressure if anything increased, not went down he was upon me slightly above second, but enough to see that his legitimate claws were coated with another thin layer of Aether making them more dangerous than his knives. The only thing on my side was that I was still faster with my smaller frame. But judging by his pace not faster by much.

I waited until I was sure he was aiming for the jugular, then I launched back and up with my left leg, aiming to land on the basin with my right leg, but his reaction speed was way above his movement speed, should've expected that Minotaurs are similar. As soon as he noticed me evading, his arm flew forward as propelled by a piston, making me twist mid-air, and still, he caught me on the left side of my chest, fortunately, double threaded silken insides of the jacket, specifically made for the blade defense, took a lot of punch leaving the only half inch deep and about two inches long cut on the left side of my pectoral muscle. However, the pain and distraction loosened my control, making him able to twirl one of his blades 360 degrees only my near-involuntary reaction, twitch to the right saving me from a more serious wound. Like this, I had another half-inch-long scratch under my left eye. But I finally finished the longest landing in my life. Standing on the top of the watering basin. In this intense Arts fight, I had no idea how much I had left in me. I just kicked a splash of water in Falx's face pushing myself to freeze it when it lands. It succeeded. While frozen it didn't do much damage, by skin discoloration I'd equate it to the equivalent of a sunburn. However, same as me, shock and pain finally relinquished some of his control of the blades. I imagined chains, since magic 101, things are easier to manipulate if you perceive them as everyday objects, and with all my strength pulled down. The natural heat of his skin didn't melt but evaporated ice. But my last gambit kinda worked, all four blades were shoved into the ground. Unfortunately only one hit Falx nailing his left hand to the ground. Another unfortunate was that my vision was getting hazy, and all my wounds were superficial. This was the first time I experienced it, but by talk, this meant I was for the first time experiencing a genuine absolute lack of power. And if stories were true if I even fart some Aether my nose was hitting the ground as I was drifting into sweet unconsciousness. That will become much less sweet as this brute sink his claws and teeth into me Just by a glance I doubted he knew how to talk anymore. He, or more It, at this point, looked up and I saw the blade stuck in his hand wiggle, I stumbled off the basin and hit the pommel back with my boot. I was answered by the vicelike grip on my ankle that quite literally pulled my legs from under me, and while slamming my head against packed dirt was no picnic and definitely erased few memories, considering less than an inch above was the stone edge of the basin that would likely do me in permanently, this was as a goose feather pillow.

I huffed what was most likely my last breaths, he dragged me down by the unyielding hold on my right ankle and then I felt him bite on the left one. It felt like a beartrap closed in on it and the loud disgusting sound of my ankle being popped out by nothing but a remotely human jaw. Confused I looked up and saw the handle of my dagger right where I left the damn thing, on the wall next to the basin, I never slipped it back, in my hungover yearning for another dip in cold water. It seemed slightly unfair I die for that, but if we resurrected Frech Gunslinger, I think he would testify, as fairness goes, I was getting exactly what I deserved. My pants were torn but the rough hide of my boots held the teeth out. The next growl was mine, showing there is a bit of beast in all of us, as I grabbed Helen and blind fired, without even removing her from the holster. I saw the chunk of the elbow fly off and my right leg was free I wind it down just to bear it down with all the force I could muster, which was not impressive currently, on the face of the thing that was Falx, heel first, considering it still had a grip on my dislocated left ankle. It was the most pain I ever felt, Santino later told me I snapped my Achilles tendon then. Vomit slowly collected at the back of my throat, but again, sheer spite prevailed. Instead of puking, I hacked acid liquid into one eye, and I could see. Surprisingly, large concentrations of acid or some other chemical in it made it whine and release my left leg. With my elbows, I moved back for about a few feet. Now fully seated, back against the basin I drew Helen loose, and not a second too early. A glint of light on my left reflexively made me shoot, as I said, Helen mises only if I miss, one of Falx's blades crack, and instinctively raising my hand what remained of the blade and handle struck me under the left elbow, but the bullet sapped a lot of energy out of it, leaving me just with a ripped shirt and a nasty bruise with a few pieces of pebble-sized steel lodged on the surface. How the bastard still had Aether I had no idea. I noticed two more handles vibrating, one in the ground and one that kept his hand pinned to the ground, and by extension me away from him. My left boot seemed to try to crush my foot but what little rationale I had left told me it was in reverse. The mangled ankle was so swollen that someone will likely have to cut the boot apart just to take it off, some internal bleeding was likely involved, but survival first.

Those last moments were etched into my mind as they lasted for minutes and not, according to both Santino and Jannet, two persons so removed from one another they might as well be on different planets, 4-second tops. I almost calmly shot Falx through the left eye, while patting my pants. They say the incredible feeling of relief went over my face, and I don't doubt it is. The sudden jolt of pain stopped Falx from freeing himself for a few seconds, but he actually grinned at me as soon as he could think again like I punched him and not placed one of the most powerful handgun bullets through his eye, both blades began to raise up and the ruined eye reconstituted itself with incredible speed. Then he conveyed something close to confusion as I grinned back...and flicked against his face what I retrieved from my pocket... The only surviving vial of Holy Water. It crushed against his forehead and, same as with Hellhounds, while not lethal, it was pleasant as someone pouring sulfuric acid on your face. Facial bones went exposed as flesh fell off in one fell swoop, with the consistency of melted wax, I think I again hit the not yet reconstituted left eye which liquified and just run through the nasal cavity as a nearly clear slurry down his teeth. Those memories came later though, some might well be imagined. Because while he shook his head blind as the bat (which was a misnomer I hoped it will get fixed in a few centuries) and gurgled since some must fly down his throat, I did the only thing I knew...well hoped, after all, I still had no idea what he was, will stop him. I opened the side hatch and ejected two spent cartridges and replaced them with two silver bullets I removed yesterday. It was the tight fit, especially from the rubbing salt in the wound part I was going for. I might be the only sapient being who will prioritize spite over survival. Due to double destruction, the left eye was not yet back. But the right one was almost clear as rain and the blades started to shake again, I really hoped he was able to see shit eating grin on my face. As he still lipless roared something at me. My answer was “In nomine Patris and so forth. Kiss your infernal daddy's ass plug.” Two shots rang with impressive speed one after another. This time there was no roaring, clawing, and such theatrics. Two bullet holes were one above the other between Falx's eyes and the corpse betrayed its mixed heritage by flesh nearly instantly liquifying, but bones stayed intact, enlarged fangs and all.

I was sitting my back to the watering basin with Helen in my lap when others approached. Fantastic Trio on the left, and Hammond Twins on the right, Elunara as always was a good way back, but this time at least she stood up and looked from away. Ronald being true to himself fished out a flask from the pocket and offered it to me “Just a notice, it's no healing potion.” I snorted, blood accidentally shooting out of my nose “Pardon me, ladies.” I wiped the blood away with the back of my sleeve and winked at Dwarf “Like I would expect anything other from you.” I opened the flask and just a tiny sip almost knocked me over “What in the name of cosmic horrors is this?” He grinned “Flökú, very few non-Dwarves had the honor and pleasure to enjoy it, it comes from fermented liquid harvested from Bkunah fish, a pretty rare species that lives only in deep cavern lakes.” he dismissively waves These new generations prefer to add some herbs to it, to “improve taste”, but my family makes it as ancestors intended. 3 parts Bkumah fish liquid, 2 parts Patchi mushrooms 4 parts alcohol, and 1 part pure water. No artificial flavoring and such nonsense.” “Aren't Patchi mushrooms poisonous?” “Don't worry a toxin in Bkunah liquid neutralizes it, kinda the acid and the base relationship.” Barely anything I heard calmed me down, but on the other side, I felt significantly less pain, then again I also did not feel the tip of my tongue and the tip of my forefinger and thumb at all. Santino cleared his throat to return things back on track “I assume today's job is out of the question, considering you both killed half of your team and placed yourself out of commission.”

There was a polite cough from the right side. Kind of a delicate version of Santino's own throat-clearing Jaxson spoke for the first time “Metaphorically he killed his entire team. I don't know or care about that French friend of this thing here...” he pushes fanged skull with his leg “...he might've been the greatest gunfighter in history, and Hákon might do him dirty, but he also confessed right away, with what I find to be a very sincere and reasonable explanation of it. Morality itself aside.

However, what we ALL saw was this fight. I would lose, soundly, I think after the second volley of Blades in the back. Jannet?” I personally thought he'd be done after the first volley but the kid sounded confident, and if a fight with Falx thought me anything is that looks can be deceiving, more than I thought. Jannet looked at the skeleton that now had a sort of gunmetal grey sheen “I don't know, I thought 50-50% yesterday when he bullied us into acceptance, I couldn't begin to gauge the depth of his reservoir. Now more 40-60 in his favor, he hid his intelligence better than his power.” She drew a large bag and threw it to Santino “200 gold to a cent. We don't really spend money much. We are out.” She looked at me “And that is thanks to you, you are drained and I detect at least 6 dangerous wounds that have to be looked at, I'd be happy to do it as the thanks, as he said himself my brother would die on the mission, and I was not a shoo-in either. I'll look them for you.” “By the way,...” the brother added. “...if his performance this morning does indicate his average and you still insist on some test, I'll pay off his debt, and he's welcome to lead us.”

A melodious voice with a heavy Irish accent speaks for the first time for some, and young Jaxson who steals a brief glance, and goes red as late Manfred at the height of his raving was obviously one of them. “I agree with the boy, gunslingers morality aside he is a worthy addition to any team, risking losing him on the principle alone is wasteful. I'll contribute 50% toward his freeing, although I will honor my previously agreed contract, after that I'll join the Twins and the Human.” Ronald puffed on his pipe and grinned “This might be one of the most polite mutinies I saw because polish it any way you like that is exactly what this is. Pluck out all the flowery language and what you left is: “Hey whatever you planning is too dangerous for us, so here is your deposit. All the best!... Oh yeah, and if you don't hire your last prospect on the spot, you know, the one who murdered and/or fought to the death all the others beside us we're buying him out and making him our boss.” Jannet tilts her head “Yeah, when you put it that way it does sound cue/mutiny adjacent doesn't it? But once he is healed our prized horse can decide on his own for which team is running.” And now I was the horse, if she did not have that charming way about her I'd felt insulted, I opened the chamber removing all empty cartridges, and then, after clumsily opening my deerskin pouch and rifling through it placing one fire, one shock and one Raw Aether bullet in the empty chambers before closing Helen and reholstering her. I was not sure I will run with only mundane bullets in her ever again. The purring voice came from above, Anne was looking at me with more amusement than worry. “Well, someone better get on the healing him, it might not look that bad to you but he is actually some 15-20 minutes to dying.” All heads snapped back to her except Santinos, who was on one knee next to a skeleton and added in his raspy voice “When Falx brought him down, his head missed basin but the back of it still heavily slammed to the ground. Since he's a macho little soldier he doesn't want to say it but he's likely going blind every 15-20 seconds for about a few seconds. That's because our sight centers are at the back of the head, and he earned himself brain swelling which now pressing against the skull, some internal bleeding might also play a part. I can't know by guessing.” He was right but same as shaky vision, I took bouts of blackness as a side effect of an “empty magic tank”.

He took one thin, near-tar black Mexican cigarillo and lit it up with a flick of his fingers keeping smoke in, in what had to be an uncomfortably long time before exhaling it and wrapping his head in bluish smoke. Since he was still kneeling next to the skeleton, I was the only one able to see his eyes. The usual inner light was even more pronounced in the shade of the hat and the sun rising from behind him. He moves closer in one shift of the body, I hated that I admired the grace of his movement. But he made cougars and wolves seem positively clumsy. Now hanging on the back of his heels, we looked each other in the eyes without blinking, he took another drag and place the rest under the heel of his right boot, extinguishing it. “I'm trying to quit, but after over 30 years...it's still a work in progress.” This was the first part of the info he shared with me in a conversational manner so far “The boy is right, killing that behemoth yesterday, getting rid of both Gouttière and Falx in one on one, no matter how you did it. Now, insisting on you do the job, even with a brand new crew, would be just us insisting on the procedure for the sake of it. You've proven that even if your power might not be exactly at our level, combined with your remaining... qualities. You can hang at that level...easily. While you are fixed chew on it, if you want the job is yours.” He stood up and joined Anne, Ronald winked at me with his wide grin still puffing on a pipe. Santino added, “So, unfortunately, we have tents large enough, only for the two, you have to choose one healer.” I'm still not 100% sure why I did it, maybe to see their stunned faces as I pointed. I got my wish alright. I think Ronald even dropped his beloved pipe. There was first absolutely unhidden sign of shock on Santino's face. Yet I think I most enjoyed my healer's face, it was a surprise, sure, but I glinted a bit of rage when her eyes sparkled. Anne was staring down my finger as if it was a barrel of a gun. I dropped my hand down and turned to others “I think it's only fair, she diagnosed it, it's not like I doubt in abilities of any of you. Jannete bowed her head but I could've sworn I saw a bit of her smile. Elunara also bowed albeit a bit more formally with the palm over her heart.”

Ronald and Jaxon tried to be as gentle as they could but carrying me to the tent was always gonna be painful and it delivered on that part splendidly. I was not aware of how messed up my head was until they picked me up. The left leg and the head changed places as the source of agony and colorful language all three of us used. A beautiful meeting of cultures, as I was very proficiently swearing in English, Ronald placed his best foot forward from what Dwarven I understood, and while I didn't understand Elven at all, by the color of Jannets face Jaxson made his ancestors proud. Fortunately, in a dubious way, the largest tent belonged to Anne. Once they placed me on a very soft and pleasantly scented...well it was a sleeping surface but I had no idea the name of it. The time I had to study it turned out just it was, at least 70% pillows. While I was admiring my surroundings I heard movement, and there was the moment of truth. I turned toward the entrance just in time to see her secure 4th...and last latch. Not particularly reassuring. Her back was toward me until now, and when she turned I saw the familiar sight. Her true face. Armchair “Monstrologists” who have never seen one that is not dead, or close enough that there is little difference claim they are monstrous once the “mask slips” They don't know the difference between the stake and toothpick. If they were dragged in the box across half of the country tied in chains, custom designed to sap their strength, most of the way box being dragged behind by a horse. Without any sustenance through the journey. I have my doubts they would look their “Sunday Best” No. Neither Lamias nor Vampires lose not a second of their appeal. Lamias as Anne concretely, changes little on the outside, most visible being her eyes. Color of the molten gold with two slits for the pupils, not really feline, nor snakelike, if pressed to answer, I'd likened them to two inverted tears. The second is fingernails. Some Lamias paint their nails as a flight of fancy, but the truth is their natural color is dark red, permanent nail polish. Once fully “unsheathed” they are up to 3 inches in length with a point roughly the shape of a Rondel dagger but have sides much sharper, I saw both razors and scalpels that are regularly maintained that are blunter. The important point here is that they are nearly indestructible by natural means. I saw a fired bullet both blocked and cut in two while in flight by them without any appreciable damage. Also, I saw several duel blades made of Silver, Obsidian, and Crystal with equal results. Raw Aether projectiles or blades are the only things that can damage them with consistency regardless of the underlying conduit. The last thing is the hardest to notice without practice. Their lips get fuller and red like treated with bright red lipstick. Actually completely indistinguishable. The irony is that feature makes them even more attractive, especially when employed solo because that is the rough equivalent of vampiric fangs. Both redness and fullness are products of reaching forward and opening vessels they use to suck our life energy. Class dismissed, David if I catch you napping again I'm feeding you to my pet Lion Scorpion, and no they have no Lion features, references to the large cat are only because of their comparable size.

She was now crouching right of me her fingernails barely touching my skin and slowly traveling from my gut to above my heart. Even if she barely touched it the white line was seen as even her subtlety couldn't help her weapons of war to peel off my top layer of skin, still, the fact she tried was... commendable. Then Anne placed a palm on the back of my head and in my Aether-starved state I could feel its flow. So far unrecognized by me, the pressure inside my skull equalized with the outside, and both of my ears popped as if I was underwater for a long time. I glanced at her “Santino was right, but just some vessels popped, nothing major. I reconnected them and diverted blood to your bladder so don't be alarmed if you pee blood for the next day or two, it will clear up.” “Thanks” Her golden eyes met mine “No need. I just did not want to talk with the stuttering mess. I know you expected this, so let's just finish it. “Yup.” It seemed some kind of a burden fell from her shoulders too and her eyes again went black but nail daggers stayed out. Matters of trust “Do you know how many questions I have?” “Four.” There was a tiny sign of her usual coquettish self “So manly, still not a Heartbeat out of sync.” I grinned back “No reason. I have no intention to lie.” She raised an eyebrow “So you tell me you will honestly answer all four of my questions? No tricks.” “No. I will honestly answer three of the questions. No tricks.” She paused In the corner of my eye I noticed her nails were back to normal, but I did neither concentrate nor comment on that. “Excluding?” “Killing your...sisters...clan. You are so solitary I have no idea how you call yourself in the plural.” “Kin” Her voice was carefully neutral, that alone told me enough, she wasn't happy but she was willing to postpone it. Then she surprised me “I'll substitute question then. Tell me if you had a reason and it wasn't some thrill-seeking hunter/ monster killer thing.” She actually WANTED to give me a pass, but sheer memory kinda jolted me, second passed before I realized she is looking to my right hand where I squeezed Helen's handle. I felt Helen kinda tolerated it because even if she came later, she knew what happened and was willing to overlook me nearly damaging her. I slowly let go of the handle. And raised my hands “I'm sorry, it just...” Three of her fingers covered my lips “I got my answer, maybe even a bit more. We will talk about it, once we are comfortable with each other. I sorta got my answers for all others questions too.” After the outburst, I doubted she had too many dots left to connect. “You sure?” She took another pillow, a smaller one, and gently removed the big soft one Ronald and Jax placed under my head pushing this one under my neck. “Trust. All answers and questions were essentially the same. My first question would be why you chose me to heal you considering the chip on my shoulder was real. Your answer would be “Because this would be a perfect time to kill me.” You are already severely concussed, and it is getting worse. Some might suspect but definite proof would be impossible. Ronald really likes you, he missed someone to just drink and shoot the shit, Santino and I are not those types. Neither is our newest Elven addition, you will do him a lot of good. But he'd stand by my side if it came to that. All other questions are either the same shit just repackaged and you even answered part of 4th question albeit unwillingly.” “I did?” She first applied Aether to the flesh wounds I nearly forgot about ”Yes, you not only are not one of the thrill-seeking monster killers, you knew well who they are, and likely searched for them for a while. Also, something tells me they got exactly what they deserved.” She did not wait for an answer because she would not get one. Still, her stance surprised me somewhat. I needed to revise the “1000-year-old monster” moniker. She was older by a lot. “O.K. I handled small stuff. Three items left, your brain, your ankle, and your tendon. Two of those will really hurt. I'm gonna put you under, while it would fill me up, it would be just needless suffering on your part. How do you say? Bad way of earning trust? Besides it will give me time to think about the killing you part.” While her face was completely emotionless she turned and looked me in the eyes “What? Again not even skipped heartbeat?” I smiled "You already decided you won't kill me.” She raised one eyebrow. “Really?” I shrugged “Not your fault if you weren't fixing small stuff it likely wouldn't happen.” “It?” I shrugged “Lapsus Linguae. When we talked about offing me you said “You will do him a lot of good” when referring to Ronald, and not “You would do him a lot of good.” Already then you decided you won't kill me.” For the first time, she chuckled the same way as the night when we first met, every chuckle after that was poisoned by my barb. “Santino is right you know, you are cocky little shit.” I snorted “I wasn't called little in a while so thanks.” She placed two fingers on my forehead “Ready?” I blinked in confirmation and darkness came for me.