Keeping the fire contained wasn’t too difficult, but we both wanted to make certain that it burned everything below us to a crisp while not letting it escape, which meant we stayed put the entire time.

Raesh’s Surge was useful for making sure the flames stayed directed away from us as well as for fanning them in the right direction, but I didn’t appreciate watching her do it as much as I might have under different circumstances. It reminded me of my conversation with Ehud, where he had explained to me how they utilized their powers, when we had spoken briefly of our pasts. In my mind’s eye, I could see him as a child, hiding in the overly warm vents and listening to the school teachings, just wanting to learn, even as a child having a keen ear for hearing things of use.

And then I would think about that child being horrifically tortured, and it somewhat ruined my mood.

Raesh clearly didn’t feel particularly chatty either, and even if we had, it wouldn’t have been particularly feasible to carry on a conversation over the shrieking and wailing of the Riftlings burning alive.

I’d never actually heard one in pain before, much less dying. It was unpleasant to say the least.

Teris was on my shoulder now; he had flown there from some dark crevice in the dungeon before we had set the whole thing aflame, though not until everyone but Raesh had departed.

Raesh had eyed the bird very suspiciously and asked why he had been down there to begin with, but neither of us had answered and she had let it go. It probably wasn’t terribly difficult for her to connect the dots of how I had known how to reveal the trap door mechanism.

While burning books wasn’t something either of us could stomach, we did destroy Keric’s lab while we were there, neither of us foolish enough to think that Chantry grounds would be properly searched. The organs we left, just in case some level of indictment was needed aside from Keric’s own words. He hadn’t been particularly withdrawn, but it remained to be seen if he would be so open to the peacekeepers who questioned him.

Or if he would even be questioned at all. After all, the crime we were accusing him of had already been pinned on Raesh on the word of the High Inquisitor himself. It was entirely possible Jesne would show up to have him logged into the prisons and immediately be turned away, even if Ialdi was on our side now.

Or she would run into Dahl, considering he had been going to talk to Ialdi at the beginning of this.

While I hoped that wasn’t the case, the irony would have been profound.

It was a legitimate concern, however, as was the idea of Dahl coming back just in time to find us setting fire to his basement– although I was fairly certain that in that circumstance, I would just chop of his head and be done with it at this point– so the amount of time it took for the screams to finally stop and the wooden stairs to fully collapse was starting to make us all a bit antsy.

Finally, however, the work was done.

“So, what now, we just walk out of here? You with a bird on your shoulder?”

I shrugged. “Unless you have another suggestion in mind?”

Raesh sighed. “I just don’t really want to end up back down here inside one of the cells in a minute or two.”

“Then don’t let them put you in one.” I rested my hand on the hilt of my blade to accent my point. “I don’t plan on it.”

“You’ve gotten a lot more violent in the last day or so; I’m a fan,” Raesh noted wryly before she began the ascent back up into the dark corner of the library.

“Can’t imagine why that would be,” I noted, my tone dry as a desert.

“Never said it was unreasonable.”

I snorted softly and didn’t argue with her. “Want me to go first?”

“No, thanks, I’ll keep my shot to the exit as straight as possible.”

I chuckled slightly and stayed behind her as we exited the narrow bookshelf path out into the main library. Just as when we had entered, no one bothered to look at us or even give us more than a sideways glance as we exited.

“They’re really not big on security, huh?” Raesh muttered as she pushed her way into the main auditorium area.

“I think the idea is that if you make it into the library and you shouldn’t be there, the security has already failed,” I responded in a similar undertone.

The auditorium was actually quite full of people, and when I looked up, I noticed a priest at the front. He was speaking, clearly in the middle of giving some kind of sermon on the principles of Palados or some such nonsense, though he was also glaring at the pair of us quite heavily for intruding. Fortunately, though a few people turned back to see who had opened the door, no one had stared or looked for long, quickly returning their gazes to the front of the room and the man who stood there.

I waved at him jauntily in response to his stare, and then we headed for the doors in the back that would lead towards the main exit.

The room was lit now, and it looked precisely the same as the first time I had entered, even down to the girls all in white gossiping in the receptionist booth.

“This feels far too easy,” Raesh muttered as we started walking briskly for the door.

“It sure does,” I agreed tightly, yet nothing happened as the monks opened the doors for us and allowed us to leave.

The sun felt blinding, even still after the light from inside, and I saw Raesh start to sag a little, the lack of rest whatsoever the night previous starting to get to her.

And then we looked out at the courtyard and at the bottom of the steps.

“Ah,” I said mildly.

“There it is,” Raesh agreed, quickly straightening, tone grim. “Are we fighting our way through this too?”

I looked at the two dozen troops standing in rank and file at the bottom of the steps, led by a furious-looking General Chirone, and I thought about it. “Let’s find out,” I said instead of answering and took the lead, jogging down the oversized steps to the Cathedral with a briskness that I did not feel.

“General!” I greeted. “How wonderful to see you. I assume you’ve heard that we’ve been officially freed?”

“The Highlord would like to see you. He’s called an assembly with all of Major Guild Lords, as well as the High Inquisitor and the Keeper, who I’m sure would be very interested to learn that we found you exiting the Cathedral of all places, dressed like a dead man and in the company of a Surgebinder.”

“We decided to play dress up. How’d you know to wait for us here?”

“Well, when we saw a certain Knight exit the building an hour or so ago with one of your injured felons, I made an educated guess.”

I smothered the rage I felt at the way he referred to Will and allowed a smirk to cross my lips instead. “But you have no jurisdiction inside of the Cathedral. Did you enjoy your hour or so of waiting?”

Chirone scowled. “The Highlord is not a patient man–”

“And yet he is going to have to wait a bit longer, potentially quite a while depending on your answer to the next question.”

“You have no–”

All the blood suddenly rushed from his face as I crossed the two steps between us extremely rapidly and put a knife to his throat before anyone could react.

The soldiers all shuffled, reaching for their own weapons, and, behind me, Raesh did the same.

“No one needs to get overly excited,” I said, not yelling, but plenty loud enough to be heard. “I just have a question. Of course, if you keep trying to go for your weapon, I’ll have to find someone else to ask.” I pressed the blade against his neck a bit more firmly.

Chirone dropped both hands by his sides and stopped trying to draw his pistol. “What is your question, Chazeer?”

I blinked at him for just a moment. “You honestly don’t know my name, do you?” I said blankly and then shook myself slightly. “Did you stop Hector from taking that felon of mine to where he was going?”

Chirone blinked at me several times. “That’s your question?”

“Yes.”

“No. He was also wanted at the Assembly, but he said if I tried to stop him I would have to explain why I was missing an eye. I didn’t think it was worth the trouble.”

I smiled and took a step back, releasing the General. “Good man,” I said quietly.

“Yes, threatening to put out a man’s eye is wonderfully laudable behavior for a knight,” Chirone said, clearly very annoyed. “I see where he gets it.”

I tilted my head at him slightly. “Yet you seem less enraged than normal?”

“I ran into someone else this morning.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Crusader left the building a little bit after Wolfe did, long enough for me to have a few troops. Told an interesting story.”

“Did she now.”

“If it turns out half the things she said were true….” He shuffled slightly. “I might owe you a half apology.”

I blinked at him. And then I blinked at him again. “Wait, really? You believe her?”

“She’s got a way about her,” Chirone said gruffly, shifting on his feet. “Are you going to go support your Guildmaster friend or not?”

“Soon as I look like myself again,” I said and started immediately jogging off.

“They’ve already been waiting for–”

“Then they can wait a bit longer!” I yelled over my shoulder.

Raesh was right behind me. “You’re a bit insane, you know that?”

“What gave it away?”

“Mostly the moodswings.”

I chuckled. “What, you never had a reputation to maintain?”

“Of being a crazy person?”

My smile fell, and I turned to look at her. “Of being invincible.”

“Why do you let me see past it?”

“We met in prison; it was already kind of broken.” I shrugged.

“And then you showed me something that would lead a girl to believe you are, in fact, invincible.”

I chuckled. “Immortality and invincibility aren’t the same thing. One just makes you old and tired. It’s the other one that people want in their heroes, and it’s that one that has never existed.”

Raesh hummed softly. “I think it might be wise for me to get out of the city.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Probably. You going to do it? Or are you going to keep following me to my little inn in the outskirts, where I can promise you a bed and a hot meal and a good man running the place, and you can see how this all plays out?”

“And continue to help you when you need it?”

“I did save your life. Besides, you’re bored.” I smiled at her crookedly. “And you like Hector.”

She arched an eyebrow at me. “Excuse you?”

“He’s fun to talk to for people like us. Good men who will deal with our crap are few and far between.”

“Why do you talk like we’re the same kind of person?”

“You remind me of me, just a little.”

“Hector said that too.”

“Maybe we have a point then.”

Raesh snorted softly. “I think you’re just both racist.”

I laughed. “I’m a Westerner!”

“Who’s clearly been in the North too long.”

I continued laughing slightly. “Whatever you say then, Westie.”

Raesh snorted. “That’s not a thing people say.”

“I’m really bad at being racist,” I admitted.

Raesh snickered and then thought for a moment. “I’ll at least take your offer of a warm bed and a hot meal. We’ll see about the rest of it.”

“I think we’ll have to see about a lot of things,” I agreed quietly.

We reached the inn shortly thereafter.

“Leon! You’re back!” Berd exclaimed as we entered the door. “I didn’t let those soldiers up into your room! They were getting real pushy, but it wasn’t any of their business.” He smiled at me broadly. “I’m glad you’re back. Although why are you dressed like…?”

“Kind of a long story. This is Raesh; she’s a friend of mine. I’d like to pay for her room for a week or so.” I reached for my pockets and realized I had nothing there. “Ah… once I get money from my room, that is.”

“Not a problem, not a problem at all,” Berd smiled at me from ear to ear. “I knew, I knew all this nonsense would blow over! You’re the Hero of Ildanach!”

His enthusiasm was mildly contagious, and I found myself smiling back. “Thanks, Berd. Appreciate it. I’m going to head upstairs and get cleaned up.”

“Of course! And welcome, little lady!”

Even Raesh seemed weak to his charms, smiling. “Hello; it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I left the two of them behind to get acquainted as I headed up the stairs, closing the door to my room in relief. I stood there for a moment, just breathing, and then began to furiously rip the burial wraps off of me, gulping in breaths of fresh air once I was free of the constraints. The coat came off shortly afterward, followed by the pistol that was not mine and the uncomfortable sheath at my side, dropped in a pile on the floor as I went into the washroom to clean up.

I was just getting out of the bath when there was a knock on my door. I cursed softly under my breath and grabbed the blade I had taken into the washroom with me. “What do you want?”

“Brought your stuff from the safehouse,” Hector answered, and I exhaled heavily in relief. “Everyone at the Manor is starting to get awfully pissed at you.”

“Then maybe they shouldn’t have expected me to show up at the drop of a hat; I’ve had a long few days,” I rebounded a bit sharply and sighed. “Sorry, Hector; that wasn’t directed at you.”

“Yeah, I know.” He paused for a long moment, and I could feel the direction his mind had turned, knew he was about to offer me some kind of condolences for the team. He’d known them, but not like I had. Furthermore, they hadn’t been his responsibility. They’d been mine.

I didn’t really want to think about that right now though, or I’d be prone to walk into the Manor and execute Dahl on the spot, regardless of consequences. “Thanks for bringing my things. I didn’t want to contemplate having to put those wraps back on.”

“Yeah, they didn’t look comfortable.” He seemed slightly relieved for the out. “Want me to leave them in the hallway or come put them on your bed and leave?”

I considered for a moment. “Come on in.” And then I quickly shut the washroom door.

I waited until Hector’s booted footsteps left my room, locking the door back behind him after picking it to enter.

“I’ll hang out in the lobby until you’re ready to leave.”

“Sounds good. Raesh still down there?”

“I’d imagine so; Berd was offering stew. Jes should be around shortly too.”

I smiled fondly and then blinked, starting the process of getting dressed. “She didn’t get hung up explaining everything to officials?”

“I think she’s hoping to sneak in her accusations during the war meeting.”

“Does she know that’s not going to happen?” I said, a mixture of irritated and sympathetic. “They’re not going to listen to her until Aeron stops attacking.”

“You’d think they couldn’t have many troops left.”

“I know, right?”

“At least you won’t be facing them alone this time.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, my mind, unbidden, thinking about the people I most wanted at my side who wouldn’t be there anymore. I took a deep breath. “You should go get some stew while you can. I get the feeling we’re not going to get another break for a while longer yet.”

“You sleep at all in the last week?”

I thought about it for a moment. “Got an hour or two, here or there.” I could feel his disapproving frown through the door. “I’ve been busy!” I defended myself.

“In the prisons?”

“I was making nice with Raesh.”

Hector sighed. “Alright. I’m going to go get some food.”

“See you in a bit, Hector. Thanks again for my stuff.” I ran my fingers over my coat and mask as I said it.

“Of course.”

His footsteps departed down the hallway.

I wondered not for the first time if anyone else was ever here during the day, or if Berd existed primarily off of my funding and directing others to his establishment. It was a silly thought, but I was surprised I never heard any complaints about my activities and having conversations through a door if that wasn’t the case.

Speaking of Berd and funding, I grabbed some coins from their ever so secret location hidden in my always-packed duffle bag and stuffed under my bed to pay the man for the days I’d been gone and both Ava’s and Raesh’s room. I frowned at the thought of the former.

Was she still staying here?

Finally finished dressing in my normal outfit and feeling more like myself, I left the room and headed the opposite direction of the staircase, closer to the end of the hall, and knocked on the door that had been Ava’s. No response. It was getting later on in the day, though, I rationalized. She would be at work.

Shaking my head at my own concern– I had more pressing issues than a girl I had gone on one date with, even if the thought of losing her was causing me unreasonable levels of sorrow–, I turned and strode down the stairs more determinedly, pausing at the bottom as I heard laughter. For a moment, just a moment, I could hear Jair’s mocking tones, Ehud’s calm and dry sense of humor, Jehu’s uproarious laugh mixed with Will’s far quieter and gentler laughter, and Tola’s grouchy complaints said with a smile. And then they were gone, just as they always would be, because I would never hear any of them again save in my own memories.

It was Raesh that I had heard laughing, Jesne giggling along with her, while Hector looked mock-affonted at whatever had caused their mirth. I was glad they were able to take a moment, to detach themselves from everything and just enjoy existing for a time. I stayed over by the staircase a little longer. Most days, I would have been more than willing and able to join them, but I couldn’t right then.

Impending death and confronting awful politics, I could handle just fine.

Will’s crying, the screams of the dead monsters that had potentially once been my friends, and Tola’s dead eyes filled with pain looking up at me as he begged for death– watching the light go out forever in those same eyes– those things would take some time. Not for them to fade, which they would never do, but it would take time to grab them and cram them in one of the locked chests in the back of my mind where they would stop popping up in every dark corner and shadow.

That’s a healthy coping mechanism. Teris commented.

I wasn’t sure where he had flown off to after our exit from the Cathedral; he’d simply vanished, and I hadn’t bothered to care.

Why didn’t you want me to kill Keric?

He knows some interesting things. Also, I’m not sure if you could have.

What?

He has some kind of shadow, not a demon, not like me, but something else. I think he’ll be useful.

To me, or to your master? I asked a bit sharply.

Both. You are not on separate teams.

I am when you start threatening me. I pressed on from that before he could respond. I want to know how to kill Dahl.

I don’t know that killing Dahl won’t be as simple as chopping off his head.

And if it’s not?

You could always try dicing him into little pieces and throwing them in a Rift?

I scoffed softly, but the thought brought a faint, grim smile to my lips. Or feeding him to you.

Being mad at me isn’t going to help anything, you know.

Then maybe you shouldn’t make deals behind my back with the people who murdered my team! I snapped, somewhat surprised at the extent of my own anger with him, and then promptly ended the conversation as best as I could, severing our link.

Unlike Teris, I didn’t have the ability to do that fully, but it was the difference between being able to slam the door and lock it or just slam the door. The point was still pretty clear, even if it was less effective at sticking.

Teris took the hint.

I leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath for a moment, and then approached my team, even thinking those words seemed poisoned right now, but I couldn’t show it. Life had to continue, just like it always did.

I sat down at the table.

“How did you manage to just stumble upon an inn with such a great person who makes the best stew I’ve ever eaten?” Raesh demanded of me the moment I touched the seat.

I shrugged, grinning. “It’s good, right? I have a gift with people.”

Raesh snorted but seemed less prone to argue with me as she continued to gobble her food.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jesne asked, leaning back from her own empty bowl. I had to assume this was Raesh’s second or third, considering she had begun before Jes and was eating at a considerably rapid pace.

“The plan is, I go to the Manor. Ennis– that’s Guildmaster Terrance Ennis of the Transportation Guild– he told me they have a contract in the works. If I save them from Aeron for a second time, Rufais signs away a lot of his unilateral power to the Guild Council. Apparently, this new, soon to be bride of his is already calming him down. Maybe he just needed to get laid.”

“Leon,” Jes scolded.

I shrugged. “What?”

Raesh finished her bowl and pushed it aside, looking the most content that I had ever seen her. “And what about Dahl? Is he going to be present for this meeting?”

“Probably.”

“So we bring our accusations before the Guild Council and the–” Jesne started. I started shaking my head the moment she began talking, and she stopped when she saw it growing more insistent out of the corner of her eye, turning on me. “Why not?”

“Because they’re not going to listen with Aeron right there. They can’t afford to piss off the Chantry within their walls while they have an army approaching from outside of it. We take care of one problem at a time.” I took a breath. “Which is why you shouldn’t come fight with us.”

Jesne blinked, looking taken back. “Aren’t you going to need all the hands you can get? I owe you, Leon, and I’m a Crusader of the Chantry. I should be–”

“You should be staying here so that when I go out there and destroy what’s left of Aeron’s army, and the word comes back that they’ve withdrawn and called off aggression, you can be there to make sure Dahl doesn’t weasel his way out of anything. Raesh, I’d like you to help with that.”

“She’s a Surgebinder!” Hector immediately objected. “She’d be invaluable on the field.”

“Yeah, but he knows I’m not going on the field,” Raesh said dryly, looking at me with a smirk on her face. “So he’s giving me another job that I might actually accept.”

“I’m not asking either of you to be my new team or stick with me forever. I am asking you both to see this through with me,” I told them.

Raesh shrugged. “You paying for my stew?”

I nodded.

“Then sure.”

I smiled faintly and looked to Jesne.

“If you think I would be most effective here, then I will stay here. Dahl won’t get away with this,” she promised– to me, to herself, to the world. I don’t think it mattered.

“Good,” I said simply. “That being said, you’re both more than welcome to come with us to the Manor and the meeting. I don’t want you to feel like you need to take my word for what’s about to happen.”

Raesh stretched. “I could go for a walk. And for looking Dahl in the eyes when he sees us all free and clear after burning down his basement and arresting his mad scientist.”

I smiled faintly and turned to Jesne again.

“I want him to know whose side I’m on,” Jes said firmly.

“Alright then.” I stood, turning to Hector for the first time in the conversation. “Thanks for having my back.” I was hardly going to insult him by asking.

“Always,” Hector said with a smile.

I walked over and handed Berd a considerable amount of coin. “For all the rooms and such. Do me a favor– if Ava comes back tonight, would you let her know that….” I paused. What did I want to let her know? I shook my head. “Never mind.”

“Ah… Leon….” Berd started, but I didn’t want to hear his relationship advice or whatever he was about to offer, so I just turned away.

“Thanks for everything, Berd,” I said firmly, and headed out the door with the rest of them.

It wasn’t until we were on the road that I thought about the look on his face. He’d looked stunned, maybe a bit distraught. But why?

I shook myself lightly. No point in thinking about it now. I’d talk to him when we got back. It was time to go talk to all the most powerful people in the city, half of whom wanted me dead. Well, at least I was getting the hang of this by now.