Warm Moon / 11 / 1218 A.F.
Been walking for four days. Haven’t had a good shower in a while. I’d bathe in the river, but I don’t want to risk getting sick. I have enough headaches as is. Haven’t had any brigands or run-ins with mirages, but I wasn’t expecting to. The Serenissima guilds usually have the land by the river on pretty good lockdown. Haven’t had any issues feeding myself either. Venizon’s always good eating. Just wish I brought some salt with me. I’d season it with some Whittlegrass if the kid wasn’t here. Had to end up using some of the brandy The Captain gave me as an impromptu marinade. Can’t tell if I did it right, but it was sweet.
David on the other hand has gotten paler and frailer each day. He’s only been eating grass and any berries and fruits he can forage. No matter how many times I offer him meat, he refuses. Whatever. If he dies, he dies and I get a nice sum of cash.
I got only three more sticks of blues. I smell like rotten pork. David smells like burnt grass. Fortunately, I can see the gates of Serenissima just over the tree line. If I listen closely, I swear I can hear horses and caravan wagons clopping against the mud. “Come on, kid. We’re almost there. Don’t starve yet.” I pick up the pace and begin running towards Serenissima.
“I’m trying my hardest…” David lags significantly behind me, but I can still hear him pant and whine, so he can’t be that far away.
A few more minutes of running later and we make it to the city gates. There’s a small entourage of guards standing in front of a raised drawbridge. Their armor looks bulky and their lances and warhammers look impressive, but I tower over most of them. They still manage to look outstanding despite that. Just beyond the river was Serenissima… Two-hundred foot tall walls. Cannons, ballistas, and even a few giant empty buckets that would be filled with hot oil in the event of a siege. The good ol’ Athesian banner proudly lines the city walls and waves in the wind. Almost brings a tear to my eye just looking at it. Next to me is a small caravan of merchants. Two wagons long and full of tired, but well-kempt people.
One of the guards is overlooking some documents. “Hmm. Very well. Everything is in order.” he hands the documents back to the merchants, turns to me, and recoils. “Aaah… now that is the stench of Athesian sweat!” he raises his hand to me. “HERE HERE!”
“YEAH YEAH!” My hand crashes against his gauntlet and we grip each other’s hands tight. We clamp down on each other's fingers for the next minute. He’s not yielding, but I don’t feel any pain.
“I see my nose is not mistaken!” he lets go and waves his hand. “May I see your documents?”
“Absolutely.” I reach into my satchel and present him with my Hunter’s License.
“Ohohoho. Royal Academy.” he looks up at me and I can see a smile flash through his helmet. “You certainly look the part. What brings you to Serenissima?”
“Just looking for work.”
“Well a hunter of your caliber will find plenty of that here.” he hands me back my license and I put it back in my satchel.
David catches up to me. He bends over and puts his hands on his knees and catches his breath. “Oh Matriarch…”
“And who’s this?” the guard points at David and offers a light chuckle.
“My slave.” I pat David’s shoulder.
“What!?”
The guards burst out in laughter. “Alright, alright. You’re free to go. Just make sure you buy a leash for that thing. Don’t want him wandering off.”
“Of course.” I grab David by the scruff of his collar.
“Lower the drawbridge!” The guards yell.
The drawbridge descends and crashes into the ground with a resounding BABOOM.
David and I walk into Serenissima and hear the drawbridge rise behind us.
I haven’t been here in a while, but I’m glad to see it hasn’t changed much. It’s a hydraulic city to end all other hydraulic cities. City blocks are separated by streams. Boats and streams are this city’s carriages and roads. Aqueducts, dams, and watermills as far as the eye can see. Aqueducts inside aqueducts. Houses built upon dams. Watermills the size of windmills are strewn throughout the city and the skyline. At any given point, one is no more than an arms’ length away from a handful of fresh water. The city is able to afford such a masterpiece of hydraulics thanks to plenty of guild work, breakthroughs in steam power, and selling water from the dam it operates upstream. The low guild taxes the city government imposes also encourage a glut of hunters, mercenaries, and merchants to flow into the city. While Serenissima is already an economic and hydraulic powerhouse, it is also a veritable fortress. It once withstood a months-long siege from the Southern Raiders, Lombards, and mirages all at once. The walls and armaments defended the city’s skies and rivers from the mirages while the city’s wealth eventually paid off the Raiders and some of the less-honorable Lombards to slaughter each other. The city could declare itself independent if it ever wanted to… and yet they choose not to. I do not understand why they don’t. I will have to investigate this.
The city could not be more different from Dead End. The streets are clean. The criminals and assassins are replaced with professionals and legitimate merchants. There is an actual variety of shops, inns, and taverns to visit. I don’t feel like I need to have my crossbow at the ready, but it never hurts to be careful. David and I are easily the most ragged, smelly bastards within the city walls. I’m used to that. David is not. He’s cowering behind me and won’t let go of my hand. Probably for the best.
“Why would you call me a slave?” David asks. “Was that just a joke or do you truly intend to enslave me?”
“That was just a ploy to get in the city. You gotta learn to relax. It’ll keep your face from breaking out too much in a year or two.” I slide through some merchants. “If I wanted to enslave you, I woulda done so already.”
“I see…” David sighs. “Can we get some food? I’m absolutely starving…”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m looking for that. What do you eat again?”
“I would appreciate a good salad and an egg sandwich… I could eat three whole loaves of bread.”
“Got it.” I spend the next hour looking for something that an herbivore can eat. Eventually I manage to find some things, purchase them, and spend the next half hour looking for good lodging. During my quest, I see some kids play fighting with wooden swords by a fountain. They look younger than David, but far more active. Despite their small size, their form is impressive. They all look like they know what they’re doing and any one of them could easily take David in a fight. Eventually one of the kids whacks the other one in the stomach with the sword and sends them keeling over.
“Owie… dang it! How do I keep losing?” A short boy with red hair looks up at a taller boy with black hair standing beside him.
The black hair child rests his sword on his shoulder and offers his hand to his friend. “Because hunters never lose, and I’m going to be the strongest hunter in Athos!” the kid smiles bright and laughs.
“Again with the hunter stuff?” The red hair kid pulls himself up and picks up his sword. “You know mages are cooler. Girls like mages more too!”
“Nuh uh!” The kid laughs and swings his sword at his friend and they start going at it again.
I feel my stomach flip and my heart twist in on itself. I wince, look away, and continue searching for lodging. I eventually find an inn with a room with two beds, a good shower, and a sturdy lock. I negotiate with the innkeeper, get a room key, and begin escorting David up one of the inn’s many staircases. “Why are you so butthurt over being called a slave anyway?”
“Are you jesting? Slavery is one of the greatest injustices in the world.” David yawns and clutches his stomach.
“What are you talking about? Slavery’s great. It keeps prices low, gives people jobs, housing, and skills, and lets you do something with your war prisoners instead of just killing them.”
“Astrid… your sense of humor is absolutely macabre.”
“I’m not joking. If you don’t want to be a slave, don’t lose a war and don’t submit to a master. It’s that simple. If you’re weak, you’re going to live under someone’s rule regardless.”
“Astrid… stop…” David groans as we reach the fifth floor and begin trekking down a hallway. It’s rather plush. Nice carpeting imported from the U.P.s, Lombard candles stink up the air, and walls forged from the finest wood the Western Athesian forests can produce. The smell of the walls reminds me of my youth.
“It’s why Lombards make such good slaves.” I laugh. “They’re so honor-crazy and ready to serve anyone. All it takes is some smooth words or a good punch or two and they’ll submit to you.” I open the door to our room, push David inside, and close the door behind us.
“ASTRID!” David yells at the top of his lungs. His voice cracks three times. “YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE FIEND! HOW CAN YOU BE SO HEARTLESS!? WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKE-”
The door has three separate locks. Each one looks sturdier than the last. Windows are reinforced and have thick curtains. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see a small hatch under the bed. Looks like it slides open and can hold a good amount of booty. I grab David, push him to the side, pin him to the wall, and stare him right in his eyes. My hand clutches down on his mouth until he shuts up. He looks like a little doe staring down a drawn bow.
“Kid, are you listening to me?”
“Mmhm…” David squirms for a little bit before calming down and nodding.
“Good. Listen close.” I bring him up to the door. “Here’s how you lock these.” I lock all the locks. “Understand?”
David nods and begins to sweat incessantly.
“When I leave, you lock these doors and you don’t open them for anyone but me. Got it?”
David nods.
“If anyone breaks in, you do everything you can. Scream, kick, bite them, call my name. Everything.” I reach into my satchel, pull out a small, sheathed hunting knife, and shove it into David’s hands. Well, it’s small for me. The blade’s barely as long as my hand, but it’s almost twice as long as David’s hand. “If things go south, don’t be afraid to stab them. Understand? Can you do that?”
David pauses, hugs the knife to his chest, and nods.
“Good.” I let go of David, take the trunk off my back, slide it under my bed, and place David’s food on his bed. Three egg sandwiches, a big bowl of salad, and a collection of berries. “Is this enough for you?”
“Y-yes.” David nods, approaches the bed, and begins digging into one of the sandwiches.
“Good. I’m going to go out and do some errands.” I head to the door, open it, and look back at David. “Lock the door.”
“Yes, ma’am.” David says with a mouthful of egg and bread.
I close the door behind me, hear David lock the door, and head back into the city streets.
One supply run later...
I feel like a new woman. Armor’s fixed. Got two new lances. Crossbow’s adjusted. Quiver’s full of fresh, sharp bolts. Showered. Got two full cartons and some chewable sticks. There was a deal of two boxes of Serenissima Blend. It’s supposed to stop you from coughing up gunk. I’m ready to take on anything.
I finally get back to the room and knock on the door. “Yo, Kid. It’s me. Open up.”
No response.
“Kid?” I knock louder. “Kid? It’s Astrid. Open the door.”
Still no response.
“Kid!” I crash my shoulder against the door. “Open the door right now!”
I hear some rapid footsteps behind the door, hear the locks unlock, and see the door open up. David looks disheveled, but relaxed and clean. Smells clean too. He’s rubbing his eye and is in the middle of a deep yawn. “Sorry! Sorry! I was napping…”
“Don’t scare me like that.” I walk past David and close the door behind me. “Did you at least get some good sleep?”
“Indeed.” David smiles and stretches his arms. “The beds are fluffier than the one’s back at the Monastery.”
“Really now?” I cross my arms. “The hell are they making you sleep on?”
“Hay and stone.” David claps his hands together. “Poverty is necessary to help others. It helps create empathy and frees up resources for the less fortunate.”
“I see. Then give me your blankets. I’m cold.”
“Yes, ma’am.” David goes to his bed, folds up his blanket, and hands it to me. “Do you need anything else?”
“It was a joke, kid.” I chuck the blanket back on his bed. “Learn how to read tone.”
“Maybe you should learn how to tell a joke.” David mumbles.
“You know what? Fair.” I stretch my shoulder. “Do you need any food? I’m going out to a tavern. Gotta gather some intel.”
“Yes please!” David unfolds the blanket and makes his bed.
“Why are you so eager? You don’t seem like the tavern type.”
“I am not. I cannot stand the stench of alcohol or smoke, but I still want to go to another one.”
“Why? I can just pick stuff up for you and you can keep napping.”
“I have never been outside the Monastery before…” David tucks his blanket under the pillow. “I want to see as much as I can before I go back.”
I feel something weird in my chest. “Alright then.” I gently chop the top of David’s head. “You still got that knife?”
“Indeed.” David pats his robe.
“Let’s go then. Stay close to me.” I take the room key from David’s bed, leave, lock the door behind me, and head outside. It’s dusk now. The once crowded streets have calmed down considerably. Merchants have closed up their street shops. The street dancers have put on coats and are smoking on the corners. I can even see some gondola drivers taking some naps in their boats. The city guards are rolling up the drawbridges and changing shifts for the night. Young men and women leave their abodes and head into the taverns, dancing dens, and gambling lounges. What little brats. They look like they should still be in school and they’re just spending their parents money like it's nothing. I almost wish one would start something with me just so I could punch one of their perfect smiles in. Little bastards.
After some time roaming around, I finally managed to find a good tavern. Not too full. Got some good music playing. Even has a nice selection for herbivores. It’s even got a great name: The Warm Bosom. Perfect. I drag David in and feel the warmth of the tavern wash over me. Nice and warm atmosphere. Everyone’s singing along to the singer on stage. He’s dressed in a bright blue suit and playing a violin as well. It’s somber, but sweet. My heart skips a beat and my vision blurs a bit.
“Astrid?” David tugs at my arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I blink and wipe my brow. “See any good seats?”
“There are some by the bar.” David points.
“Let’s go.” I lead David to the counter and secure some seats. The rest of the people at the counter are either sleeping, admiring the singer on stage, or enjoying their drinks in peace. There’s this guy sitting next to me with some plain trousers and a robe obscuring his face devouring a plate of chicken and potatoes. What I can see of his face looks unshaven. Kinda like a street mutt, but a cute street mutt. Can’t see above his nose. Maybe he doesn’t have eyes. He ain’t hurting anyone, so it’s none of my business. A bartender stands up from under the counter, yawns, and scratches her cheek. “What can I do you two for?”
“Ooooh.” I lay my eyes on the bartender. She’s a buxom wench with tired eyes, a bitchy grin, and a top that’s stretched to its limits. She’s a bit of a shortie, but she’s got good, strong shoulders. Looks like she could carry a hog back to a village with relative ease. “Kid,” I pat David on the shoulder. “Is this the bartender you have a crush on?”
“What!?” David nearly springs out of his stool.
“I knew it.” I grin and gaze back at the bartender. “Ma’am. My little slave here has been head over heels for you. He’s written poetry and songs to praise your beauty and immense bust. What say you?”
“Astrid! Silence!” David clamps onto the counter and looks back at the bartender. “Ma’am! I did no such thi-”
“Awwwww.” Bartender cooes and rubs David’s head. “You’re a little cutie. Come back in about ten years.”
David bows his head and doesn’t protest the head rubs.
Bartender giggles and pulls away from David. “What about you, miss?'' She looks towards me. “You want head rubs too? Or did you want a certain other rubbing?”
“Does she mean shoulders?” David asks.
“I need intel.” I rest my arms on the counter. “Know anything about the Mediterranean?”
“Oh, yeah. My brother’s out with a repair crew right now.” she adjusts her top only to have part of it fall down again.
“Shoot…” I grumble. “The gondola’s still down?”
“Yes indeedy.” Bartender pulls a stick of blues out of her bust and chomps a piece off. “It’s not getting any better either. Weather’s been getting all out of whack around the Mediterranean lately. Mist storms are getting way more common, a tornado’s destroyed all of last month’s repair progress, and all sorts of new mirages keep crawling out.
“Damnit.” I rub my temple. “Is it getting any better?”
“Nope.” Bartender blows an indigo bubble and pops it. “Hell, we even had to call down some of the army to help deal with the mirages.”
“Do you have any good news?”
“Lots of scholars and biologists have been staying in town to study the new mirages. Keeps business healthy.” she shrugs.
“I see… can you recommend a carriage out of town? We need to get to The Range.”
“I most certainly can.” She pulls out a small piece of paper from her cleavage and hands it to me. “Here’s a list of all the best carriages with some coupons. Use Thunderbolt Delivery if you want to get there fast. Use Sentinel Transport if you want to get there safe.”
“Dearly noted.” I look down at the listings and prices. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see David sneaking some glances. “Heh. My slave wants to know if you’re hiding anything else in there.”
“Astrid…” David groans, rotates himself away from us, and looks towards the singer.
“That information costs 30 gold.” Bartender giggles.
“Tough bargain. Maybe on the way back.”
“Your loss.”
The guy next to me finishes his meal and leans back in his chair with a content smile.
“Was that good eatin’?” Bartender asks.
“Best meal I’ve had in a while… Thank you again, ma’am. I appreciate the work.”
“Anytime, anytime.”
The girl sitting next to the robed guy has had just a few too many beers. Her face is glowing red. She’s swirling around in her seat. Can’t maintain eye contact on anything for longer than a second. “Hehehe… wha!” she tries to dance along with the song for a little before falling out of the seat like an absolute fool. On her way down, her arm reaches out to try and grab anything that will break her fall. Her right hand clutches over the man’s hood, pulls it straight off, and drags it down onto her limp body. She still manages to faceplant. Couldn’t slow her descent at all. Just made a jackass out of herself and ruined a good robe as well.
“WHOA!!!” Bartender screams and recoils back to the wall behind her. Her arms begin groping the counter and wall for something. Something sharp. Something blunt. Something that can hurt. I look back at the man and see two horns growing out of his head. His sclera is pitch black and I can see just a little bit of a fang jut out through his lips on closer inspection. “CORRUPTED!!!”
The man pulls his hood back on, stands on his chair, and begins dashing towards the exit by hopping on tables with all the grace of a ballerina and the swiftness of a hawk. By the time he makes it halfway through the tavern, the music finally stops and dozens upon dozens of eyes stare at him for a moment that feels like eternity. Some people flee to the walls. Some others begin yelling like feral apes. Others grab their weapons and begin chasing the man. That sure seems like it’ll be a fun chase.
“So, kid. What do you wanna eat?” I look up at the menu board. “You need to try their beef tongue at least once.”
No response.
“Kid?” I turn to David and see him running towards the exit brandishing the knife along with a newly formed angry mob. His face looks different. He’s snarling like a rabid toy dog. It’d be hilarious if it wasn’t so depressing. “I swear this kid’s bad luck…” I look up at Bartender. “Save a seat for me, alright?”
She says nothing and nods rapidly.
I get up, stretch my neck, and begin running out the door. Had to shove some slow runners onto the floor, but they’ll be fine. If they didn’t want to be run over, they should’ve ran faster. I kick the tavern entrance open and check my surroundings. It’s now night. Bright lanterns illuminate the city streets. If it wasn’t for the angry mob sprinting east, it’d be a perfect street for a moonlight walk. I can’t see David through the crowd, but I can see the Corrupted Man hopping up a long staircase towards Main Street. It’s beyond steep and has some low aqueduct arches hanging over it… I’ll be fine. Just gotta remember to duck.
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I sprint off towards the crowd and manage to catch up in due time. Passed by some people I’d never expect to see in a mob. Grandmothers, portly merchants, even children younger than David. I feel my stomach do a small flip and pass them by with relative ease. Up the staircase. Up up up up. Pass by a pregnant woman, a man missing an arm, and a young woman who absolutely reeks of alcohol. I feel like I’d light the whole block on fire if I lit a match in her general vicinity. I duck under some aqueduct arches and finally meet the bulk of the mob. Time to get swinging. I just go crazy. Just charge in with my left arm and shoulder check anyone who gets in my way. Some people fall down some stairs. Some people get knocked off their feet and into some small fountains. Don’t I feel like such a hero? Tackling children and grandparents to chase after some Corrupted. Just another chapter in the Horrible Tales of Astrid.
Brute forced my way to the head of the herd and finally reached the top of the staircase onto Main Street. I can see the whole city from up here. It’s a four-way crossroads that leads to all corners of the city. All roads, aqueducts, and waterways lead here. Looking down at the city from this high up makes the whole thing look like a rats’ maze of waterworks and cement. I look right. Nothing to note. I look down the left road and see some people chasing down the Corrupted Man.
Damn. Damnit damnit damnit. They’re all really fast and I’ve just started coughing up a lung. Hunched over, clutching my chest, feeling my face heat up. Knew I shouldn’t have bought the cheap stuff… After a minute of coughing, my head cools down and my chest finally settles down. I can still just barely see the mob towards the bottom of the city streets. They’re right by the city walls and a river flowing out of the city.
Some stragglers from the mob pass by me as I regain my breath. There’s gotta be a way to catch up… My eyes gaze above me and focus on one of the many nearby aqueducts. I can hear water flowing from it rather rapidly. Better than nothing. I climb up the aqueduct, see it flow down to an area nearby the mob, sit down on it, and begin sliding down it. As I slide down, I can’t help but steal some drinks of water, yell, and throw my hands up. I know it’s not appropriate given the situation, but man this is fun. Water’s cold and is staining my pants, but it's fresh and tastes completely clean. At least, I think it tastes clean. It’s been a few years since I’ve drank clear water.
Within only a minute of slipping and sliding, I’ve almost caught up to the mob. They’ve slowed down considerably. They’re no longer racing through the streets like starving beasts. They’ve separated and look like they’re searching for something. Meanwhile, I’m this close to being dumped out onto some roof garden by the city walls. I look over the left side of the aqueduct for the Corrupted Man and David. Can’t find either. The city lights are dim and the Corrupted Man isn’t advanced enough to spew mist yet, so that’s not helping me locate him.
As I keep looking, the aqueduct ends and I slide onto someone’s roof garden. I land face first into a plot of dirt and veggies. Sure I got a mouthful of dirt and a carrot leaf up my nose, but I’ve had worse… Hell, my nose feels clearer now. I get up, wipe the dirt off me, head over to the corner of the roof, and begin scanning down the nearby streets. Still no sign of David, but I can see someone leaning against a wall in an alleyway by the river full of small rafts and wooden boxes. Can’t make out any definite features, but they’re clutching their side and look like they’re in pain. I might be able to help them out, so I find a ladder leading down to the city streets from the roof, slide down it, and enter the city streets once more. Looks like there’s only two mob members nearby. They’re looking inside shops and getting the other locals all roused up. I wait till I’m out of their line of sight then slip into the alleyway. It’s a bit tight, especially for me, but I manage to slip between the cracks and end up in the small plot between the buildings and river. I look around, but there’s no man. Only boxes and rafts. Where did he-
boom
I feel a boot crash against the side of my helmet and send me to the ground. I manage to catch myself, roll, get to my knees, and look up at my assailant. It’s the Corrupted Man. Bleeding from the hip and breathing heavily, but still looks as lithe as a mountain cat. He’s bouncing on his toes and jumps at me for another kick.
Despite a very annoying ring in my ears and feeling like I want to vomit, I manage to slide out of the way, get to my feet, and create some distance between me and him. When the Man’s boot collided with the ground, cracks shot out through the plot’s concrete and a small crater was now where I stood. The space is too small to use my lance effectively and I don’t want to kill him, so I raise my hands and slowly approach him. “Listen… Calm down. I don’t want to fight you.”
The man says nothing. He just glares at me with those black, glowing eyes, and shoots out a roundhouse kick. I try to grab it, but I’m too slow and just get a good kick to the ribs. Dude manages to crack my armor in one hit. That’s definitely going to bruise. “Oh come on! I just got this fixed!” I stumble backwards and clutch my side.
The Man on the other hand doesn’t let up. He continues throwing out kick after kick after kick. I can parry some and get grazed by others, but even then calling it a ‘parry’ is pretty generous. It’s more like I’m just throwing up my arms to try and save my vitals. It works, but if it weren’t for my metal hand, I’m sure my left hand would be shattered by now. Hell, even my metal hand’s starting to get dented and cracked in certain spots. “Dude! Stop! I need that!” I see him try to kick my head, but I just meet that with a heavy punch to his ankle. He stumbles backward, whimpers, and catches his breath.
My body moves on its own and winds up a punch to his temple. He ducks under it, pivots around, and kicks me in the stomach with his good leg. I’m sent flying backwards to the wall. My cuirass is all busted up and I can hear the wall crack behind me. Kick like that might’ve just killed David instantly… I pull off my helmet and clutch my stomach. “Sir… calm… down… let’s talk this out… I want to help you…”
The man shakes his head and approaches me. “That’s what they all said…” he begins a dash and raises his leg once more.
I throw my helmet at him-
bonk
and it actually manages to hit him in the head. He’s thrown off his balance, closes his eyes, grits his teeth, and holds his hand to his horn. I lunge at him, tighten my left fist to the point of feeling it crumple under its own force, and punch him right in the cheek. Feels good. Real good. Perfect, tight impact. Fantastic sound. His body crumples backwards onto the ground and I continue approaching him. His legs flail and he tries to roll out of the way, but I sit on his lap, and dig my forearm into his neck. I draw my mouth close to his ear and wait for him to stop struggling. “Calm. Down. Please. I’m not your enemy. I have nothing against corrupted.”
Either through surrender or lack of oxygen, the Man calms down and lies silent on the ground. I ease up my grip to let him speak. He clears his throat and whispers. “Why are you helping me?”
“I’m a Mistwalker… I’m going to be like you sooner or later.”
“Oh… I see…” the Man rubs the back of my head. “Come with me to the Mediterranean then. My family can help you when the time comes.”
“I can’t.” I shake my head. “I got to make a delivery right now… plus that place creeps the hell out of me.”
“Understandable…” the man grunts. “Do you have anything to patch me up?”
“Of course.” I get off of him, sling his arm over my shoulder, and lie him against a wall behind some boxes. I take out some blues from my satchel and present it to him. “Hm?”
“Please and thank you…” The Man closes his eyes and opens his mouth.
I slide the stick in, light it up, and resume digging through my satchel. I know I have my kit here somewhere. “What happened here?” I point to his bleeding hip.
“Oh, that…” the Man grunts and exhales a delicious indigo cloud. “Some kid threw a knife and got lucky.”
“Did the kid look pale, blonde, and vaguely feminine?”
“No… why ask?”
“Just curious.” I finally find my kit, pull it out, and open it. Some needles, a small knife, thread, tweezers, waterproof bandages, scissors, and a small, old towel. The tweezers are a bit dirty, but it’ll be fine. Probably should’ve cleaned this a while ago, but it’ll do. I give the wound a quick wash and wipe off the blood with the towel.
“Need something to chew on?” I thread the needle and get a good look at the wound. Not too deep, but still gross.
“No.” The Man shakes his head. “Just hurry up. They’ll be here any minute.”
“Right.” I pierce his skin and get sewing. “Here goes.”
The Man grunts and breathes in through his teeth, but manages to stay still.
“You’re doing great. Are you in pain?”
“No… Pain’s been dulled ever since the horns came in.” The Man keeps his eyes closed and takes a deep breath. “I just don’t like needles.”
That actually manages a laugh out of me.
“About that…” the Man winces. “How the hell do you punch so hard? I’ve taken mace swings less painful.”
I take off my hand, wiggle it a little, pop it back on, and resume suturing.
“Aaah that’s rather impressive… Sorry I banged it up.”
“I’m used to it.” I tighten his wound and begin wiping off the excess blood. “Anything else I need to patch up?”
“No… I should be good. Thank you, miss.”
“No worries.” I unwrap the bandage and wrap it over his torso. “Call me Astrid.”
“Astrid… that’s a fine name. I’m Michael.”
“Fine name.” I tighten the bandage around him and put the suture kit away. “Clean name. Where ya from?”
“There you are…” David’s voice whimpers through the plot.
“Who’s that?” Michael tilts his head and looks behind me.
“My cargo…” I sigh, shake my head, stand up, and face David. “Kid, what are you doing?”
David unsheathes his knife and points it at me. “Astrid. Get out of the way! I must purge him from this land!”
I grab the knife with my left hand and yank it from David. Just slid out of his hand like it was nothing. Makes sense though. His stance is all out of sorts and he has a worse grip than my grandma. “Kid, get back to the hotel and eat some salad before you piss yourself.”
“Astrid!” David’s voice cracks and he stomps on the ground. “Why are you helping that filth!? He is polluting the world with mist! Before long, he will just become another mirage! Is that what you want!?”
“He’s not a mirage.” I shake my head and put the knife in my satchel. “He’s a man.”
“But he will turn soon!” David begins crying. “He will devour families and slaughter whole villages!”
“Ohoho… kid.” I walk towards David and press him against a wall. “I’ve killed far more people than he’ll ever manage to. What does that make me?” I grin and see David’s spine quiver under his skin.
“W-what!?” David looks up at me with wet eyes and a snotty nose. “Astrid… no. No! You are not a monster like him! It is not the same!”
“Ooooh I get it. So mutilating, raiding, and slaughtering is okay, but eating people is where you draw the line. Got it.”
“Ast-!” David’s no longer speaking coherently. He’s just spewing tears and nonsense. He leans into me and starts pounding away at my cuirass.
“Kid. Calm down. Just go back to the hotel and let the adults talk. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
David rubs his nose and clears his throat. “EVERYONE! I FOUND THE CORRUP-! MMMF!”
I quickly clamp down on David’s mouth and punch him in the gut. “Dammit…”
“Well… that’s not good…” Michael rubs his head. “Got any plans?”
I hear people start to approach the alleyway. “Crap… I got an idea. How sensitive are those horns?”
“Can’t feel them at all.” Michael stands up still clutching his side. “Rammed a carriage over with a headbutt and still didn’t feel a thing.”
“Cool.” I chuck Michael the knife. “Cut one off, give it to me, and jump into the river.”
“What!?” Michael catches the knife and looks up at me.
“Now! I’ll make up a lie to get them to stop looking for you!”
“I trust you…” Michael grits his teeth, puts the knife to his horn, and cuts it clean in one swipe while breaking the knife in two. He shakes his head, tosses the chunk of the horn to me, and heads to the river. “Don’t make me regret that.”
“I won’t! Now leave! And take this!” I toss Michael a fresh stick of chewable blues.
“Thank you.” Michael catches the stick, smiles, and stuffs it into his pocket. “Good luck.” Michael jumps into the river and begins swimming under the water’s surface out of the city.
People still haven’t flooded into the alleyway. They sound like they’re shuffling through the alleyway though. They can’t see us yet thanks to the boxes and David’s still bitching. “Astrid! How could you le-!”
Only one way to fix this. I just start kicking the crap out of David. Give him a good black eye, rough up his sides, stomp the toes. I gotta rough him up enough to where he can’t speak, but won’t have any permanent or significant injuries.
David erupts into tears again and starts twitching and curling up into a ball on the floor.
Before the mob can enter the plot, I pick David up, carry him like a mother would a baby, and hold the horn in my hand. Put on my best injured face and make sure my breath is shaky… might have to pitch up my voice a little for extra empathy points. I even rip my cuirass off and tear up my shirt a little. Three. Two. One. They’re here.
“Miss!?” One elderly man wielding a torch looks around the area. He’s tense, but has a sturdy stance. Either a blacksmith or a veteran judging by his build. “Ma’am… ma’am are you okay? Where did that fiend go?”
“I-I… I killed him…” I make my lower lip tremble and present the horn to him. “H-he was going to have his way with me… but I managed to slice off his horn just in time…” I close my eyes and shiver while David continues crying incoherently.
“Good goddess…” the man and the growing mob behind him gather around and gaze upon the horn. “What happened to the rest of the body?”
“Horns are the corrupted’s source of power…” I try to force some tears to come out. “T-they draw in mist through their horns… and melt away to nothing without them.”
“Ooooh… Fascinating. I was not aware of that… That’s good info.” the mob nods and begins discussing amongst themselves. “Do you or your son require medical assistance? We can escort you.”
“We’ll be fine… We just need to be left alone right now...” I hug David tight and press his face down into my shoulder. “Some donations would be nice… that fiend gave my son a nasty black eye.”
“Of course… Thank you for your bravery, ma’am. You’ve made Serenissima so much safer.” The mob pools together a modest donation and stuffs it into my satchel. Didn’t get to count it, but we’ll save it for later. I walk out of the alleyway with them and wait for everyone to disband and return to their normal schedules before re-equipping my cuirass and helmet and jogging back to the hotel with David. He’s still sniffling and can’t talk despite his best efforts. Good. Just keep whining for a few more minutes.
Into the hotel, up the stairs, into our room, lock our room, chuck David onto the bed, and take a deep, deep breath. “Well, that happened.” I light up a stick of blues and begin counting the collection of silver coins. “Oooh nice.” I cackle. “This’ll pay for a week’s meals.”
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?” David jumps out of bed and begins yelling again. I liked him a lot better when he was crying.
“Kid, come on…” I put the money back in my satchel and rub my temple. “Shut up and lie down. I’ll get some ice.”
“WHY DID YOU HURT ME!? DO YOU ENJOY ASSAULTING CHILDREN!?” David stomps up to me and begins punching my stomach. He’s trying to push me back, but it just looks like he hurt his hand touching me. He looks like a worm trying to whack a horse.
“No, but you’re making me reconsider.” I just let him hit me. It doesn’t hurt and he’ll tucker himself out eventually. “I didn’t want you snitching on Michael. It worked. Thank you.” I shrug and continue witnessing his pathetic assault on my cuirass.
“D-do not call that monster by a name… he does not deserve it…” David’s breath grows uneasy. “You are a monster… an awful, no-good, foulmouthed, bloody, violent, abrasive, inconsiderate monster!”
“Kid. Chill.” I press down on the top of his head. “Stop trying to be cool. You were never going to kill him.”
“Do not question my devotion!” David rests his head against my chest and starts headbutting the cuirass. “I would happily erase a million of those monstrosities for the Matriarch!”
“Really now?” I pull out a spare knife I purchased from the local blacksmith out of my satchel, force it into his hands, and slide the tip of the knife into the crack in my cuirass. “Then start with this monstrosity.”
“W-what…?” David stops headbutting and looks at the knife. His hand is barely wrapped around the handle. His wrist is shaking too.
“Go on. Do it, you coward. You wanna be a hero so badly, start here. Kill the monster. Be the hero.” I clamp my hand down over his hand and steady his grip.
David looks up at me with blank eyes. He looks like a baby deer staring down the barrel of a cannon. His mouth moves to form words, but nothing comes out. He just shakes his head and tries to control his breathing.
“Fine.” I smile. “Let me help you.” I tighten my grip and slowly push the knife into the crack in my armor. Just as the blade starts pressing into my flesh, David starts pulling back. I don’t let him though. I push the tip of the knife into my abdomen. Hot blood leaks out of me, onto the knife, and stains David’s manicured hands. I grit my teeth, but still manage a smile. “Go on. Do it. I did most of the work for you.”
David shakes his head, stops crying, and just falls limp against me. All strength is sapped from his arms, he lets go of the knife, and his head collides with my chest. “I am sorry… I am sorry…”
“That’s right.” I rub the back of his head. “I’m not going to let you become a murderer. You’re too good for that.”
David says nothing and just hugs me. Tight. His tears and snot are staining my armor. He even manages to cut his cheek on a little dent in my shoulder armor.
“Let it all out. It’s fine.” I grab the knife handle, slowly slide it out of me, and place it on the counter. “Wait.” I push David off of me, fall against the wall next to the door, and slide to the ground. “Kid…” I look up at him and press my hand against my temple. “Go down to the lobby and get them to call a doctor… Now.”
“Y-yes, ma’am!” David paces frantically in place for a moment before opening the door and racing off downstairs, leaving me all alone.
What am I doing here...
One hour later
David finally comes back with a doctor. He’s quite heavyset, but he looks like the perfect grandpa. I trust him. I’m lying on the bed with all my armor and shirt off with my ears still ringing on top of some towels so my blood doesn’t stink up the bed. The Doc is suturing me up while grumbling something to himself.
“What’s the damage?” I ask.
“Well.” He tightens my wound, snips the thread, and rubs it down with a clean scrub. “You have a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, the worst abdomen bruising I’ve ever seen, and your hand looks like it was mangled in a forging incident. Seriously. Your stomach looks like a month-old banana. I don’t even know how you’re still breathing.”
“Here. Let me fix my hand then.” I pop off my left hand and wiggle it around. “Aaah. Much better.”
Doc looks on unimpressed.
“Not a fan?”
“Do you know how many times I’ve seen that joke?”
“Fair enough.” I rest the hand beside me. “Know any good smiths that could use a job right now?”
“Indeed.” Doc takes the hand and examines it. “My brother’s a smith, but he’s got a bit of a queue.”
I reach under my pillow and toss him some gold.
Doc cackles. “You know what, something tells me his queue just got a lot shorter.” he slides the gold into his coat and puts my hand down. “I’ll have this back to you by the end of the week. Doc’s honor. For now, you need to lie down and rest. Drink plenty of fluids, eat right, avoid alcohol, and just sleep. We don’t need your bruising or concussion getting any worse. He begins wrapping some bandages around my wound, some particularly heavy bruising, as well as my head.
“What’s the bandage around my head for?”
“To make you feel better.” Doc smiles. “It works for everyone. Kids, old folks, everyone feels better with some extra bandage coverage.”
“I do feel better… but do I really need to lay off the booze? No good meal is complete without a good drink.”
“Ma’am, you can drink paint. I can’t stop you. I’m just trying to get you better. I would appreciate it if you took your health as seriously as I do.”
“Sorry. Understood.”
“That’s what I thought.” Doc smiles and takes my hand. “How are you feeling right now?”
“Head hurts like hell, I wanna vom, and my ears keep ringing… and… um… there was something else, but I can’t remember.”
“Please just sit still and lay off the booze. Hire a courier to pick you up food and run errands if you need to, just please. For the love of the Matriarch, stay put for at least a week.
“Will do. Thank you, Doc.”
“Don’t mention it.” Doc slips my hand into his coat and hands me a parchment with his name and some numbers on it. “Here’s where my clinic is. Please come see me again if you get banged up.” he stands up and dusts his coat off.
“Got it.” I stare up at the ceiling and see the paint start to swirl and rattle.
“You said you fought with a Corrupted, right?” Doc furrows his brow.
“Yeah, why ask?” I think I’m about to hurl.
“I’ve never met a person who’s met one and lived. What are they like up close?” he looks down at me through weary eyes.
“They’re nice. Got a bit of a macabre sense of humor, but they’re sweet if you talk to them.”
“Bwahaha…” Doc wipes his nose. “Concussion’s worse than I thought… Hang in there, ma’am. Don’t be afraid to call or buy some herbs if you need them.” he heads for the door and exits our room, leaving David and me all alone.
David has some bandages on him and is sucking on a little green lollipop Doc gave him.
“Hey, kid.” I point to my coat hanging on the wall across from me. “Get me my canteen.”
“No.” David bites a chunk of the lollipop off.
“Attaboy.” I grunt and rub my temple. Feels… loose. At least I think it does? Regardless, I decide against touching it further.
We lie in silence for a few minutes before David speaks up. “Hey um… what do you know about Corrupted?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” I close my eyes. “What does your little cult have against them?”
“Church.” David clears his throat. “They become powerful mirages and spew mist. The Church is trying to decrease the amount of mist. It really is just that simple.”
“Right… the whole thing with your Matriarch and the Boundary and… yeah…”
“Are you okay?”
“Words are hard right now. The world feels like it's spinning even with my eyes closed.”
“Oh…” I hear David chew on the lollipop some more. “Need me to do anything?”
“Just stay put and behave…” I groan and rub my stomach.
“Only if you promise to.”
“I promise.” I lightly poke my abdomen. Yup. That stings. Not doing that again.
“Very well. Now what do you know about Corrupted?”
“Oh, right. We were talking about that… Do you know about the stages of corruption?”
“No.” David sighs. “We were simply taught that anyone with black eyes was beyond salvation and must be purged.”
“Let me just remember stuff… Alright. There’s four, - no - five stages of corruption: Human, Tainted, Caustic, Demented, and Oblivion. At least I think those are the Athesian names… It’s been a while since I went to class, so don’t quote me on that.”
“Fascinating…” David pulls out a small book and a pencil from his robe and begins taking notes. “Please continue.”
“Human is self-explanatory. Tainted is when your canines and nails start to grow and horns start growing out of your head. The horn growth is accompanied by some wicked headaches from what I’ve been told.”
“Makes sense… horns piercing your forehead does not sound fun…”
“Right? Caustic is where the fun begins. Your sclera gets black, red markings run along your blood vessels, and horns finally erupt from your forehead. Your appetite also goes crazy and you start getting generally more aggressive. Word salad starts to occur as the Fell Language starts overwriting your native tongue. Oh, and they start to eat humans. Like, a lot.”
“Wait wait. Slow down. What is sclera?” David tilts his head.
“It’s the white part of your eyes.”
“Oooooooooh… so they do have a name…” he smiles. “Continue. Sorry.”
“The one good part about being Caustic is that mirages no longer attack you, but then humans start attacking you, so it all balances out I guess.”
David says nothing. He just closes his eyes and shutters a little.
“Then we got Demented. Your whole sclera turns black, your human teeth all fall out and get replaced with huge mirage teeth, and you start exhaling large quantities of mist with every breath. Various powerful abilities begin to manifest as well. Everything from spewing fire, to illusions, even to creating more mirages.”
David sighs. “That all sounds disgusting…”
“Right?” I chuckle. “Oh, I forgot. As you get more corrupted, your body and mind get stronger as well. Bone density increases, energy consumption becomes far more efficient, and you just generally become faster and stronger than even the most hardened soldiers and athletes. Even your brain starts to think faster, no one really knows why mist does that though. I’ve heard some rumors of some doctors testing mist on P.O.W.s, but haven’t heard about any results.”
David crushes the lollipop in one bite.
“Your teeth okay?”
“They are fine. Please continue.”
“The last stage is Oblivion. It’s debatable if people who grow this corrupted are even human anymore. They can no longer speak their native tongue and associate exclusively with other mirages. We don’t really know if they can still understand human languages, but no one is brave or strong enough to test if they do. While they still thirst for human flesh at this point, they would much prefer to just corrupt others. It’s like a mating ritual for them.”
David shivers and looks like he’s holding back some vom.
“They’re also incredibly dangerous. As dangerous as some Class As, but more intelligent. They always drop incredible mist deposits though. The few Mistwalkers who have claimed the deposits swear they can still see souls trapped inside the deposits.”
“I see…” David sighs. “Where did you get all this information by the way? I’ve never learned this at the Monastery.”
“I’m a Mistwalker. Had a lot of friends and co-workers get corrupted.”
“Ah… that explains it…” David hugs his notes close to his chest and looks down at the floor. “The Church brands Mistwalkers as heretics. They’d never bother talking to Corrupted or anyone who works in The Boundary.”
“But didn’t you technically work in The Boundary? Why the hell did they send you on that pilgrimage?”
“That is different to us.” David shakes his head. “Mages like me are immune to Mist and corruption, so I pose no risk of turning.”
“Uh… huh… And this Mist magic garbage… is it hereditary or can you just learn it?”
“Both. I think.”
“You think?”
“I could not find any information on the origin of our magic from the Monastery library and all the bishops and abbots just say ‘It is a gift to us from the Matriarch.”
“Intriguing…” I yawn and feel cotton start to fill my head. My eyelids stay shut and my body grows cold and limp. “I’m going to knock out now… Lock the door and behave.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I hear David get out of bed and lock the door. “Hey… Astrid?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”