Chapter 138 A Bystander.
Indecision is the pain of all mortal kind.
Amaret, The Great Sinner.
For a long moment, no one moves. No one except the dying woman on the ground. Her desperate gurgles remind me of a few disturbing deaths I have already witnessed during my lifetime. Her red hair spreads like a wildflower around her head, mixing with her blood. The dark crimson life liquid sips through the floorboards underneath.
“Yrgahhhhh!!” Gar breaks the frozen grotesque picture and charges at the hooded figure, waving his mace angrily.
Panic overwhelms the inn. People rush to get out, yelling and shouting. Chairs topple over, wooden utensils and food clutter on the floor. I notice a young man falling under the stampede only to be pulled up by one of his friends. Even the blacksmith gets up and drags my wrist forcefully. “Come on, lass! Don’t get dragged into this!”
I push his hand away and let him get dragged with the crowd as they push each other toward the exit, leaving the wooden doors wide open behind them. Jerro said I can’t leave the tavern no matter what happens. To not reveal my identity. I can't help, and I can't leave. Should I just stay and watch?! I have to do something, anything! No. Apathy. These people have nothing to do with me. I am not going to risk the lives of the ones I care about for people I've just met. Not to mention my own life.
The inn empties out soon enough. The innkeeper and a group of terrified prostitutes or barmaids peek from a hall deeper within the inn, what I can assume is the kitchen. A few men stay behind instead of running, drawing daggers and lifting chairs.
I stay seated with my hand in my rose pouch, ready to cast a spell if need be. I watch the fight unfold, my blood boiling. I am itching to join, to act. Inaction is unbefitting of me, but maybe it's a lesson I have to learn. I have a feeling I won't do a very good job at inaction normally...
The shady figure dances around Gar the bouncer with ease, silken dark robes flutter with each jerking movement. The glinting blades leave multiple shallow cuts on the big man.
I always have to react to things, to fight. Being a bystander just feels wrong.
For someone so big, Gar is quite fast. Each of his mace swings strike faster than my eyes can follow.
I'm a queen, you can't ignore me!
The shady figure jumps out of reach and pounces back into a dagger’s range as soon as the mace passes above the hooded head. I can tell the assassin is trying to stab Gar in a vital spot, but Gar shifts just in time, and the assassin barely gets to leave another scratch on his muscular, exposed arm.
Ugh! Stop this!
A brown bearded middle aged man, wearing a white tainted apron and a short sleeved black tunic—one of the three men who stayed behind—charges at the figure's back. He swings a wooden chair with both hands like a club.
I can't afford my bloodline acting up here if I want to live. Focus!
The hooded figure bends under the chair without even looking back. The assassin stabs the man's belly—eyes still fixed on Gar.
What a fool, clearly not a fighter.
With sick sound of flesh parting by metal, guts and gore pours out of the man's round abdomen. Yet, he still manages to smash the chair on the assassin's hooded head.
A brave fool. Who's pawn is he?
The robed attacker gets thrown to the ground with a muffled feminine scream, shifting and landing on her back.
Enough!
The man stumbles and falls to his knees, hands covering his abdomen in a futile attempt to keep his inner organs from falling out from beneath his apron.
"Andur!!!" The Innkeeper screams from the doorway leading further into the inn. She runs forward and stops at the edge of the fight.
"Father!" "You monster!" The remaining pair of younger men charge at the downed assassin, screaming in outrage.
Oh, he's her puppy, so sweet!
At the same time, Gar reaches forward and swings toward the hooded head on the ground, aiming to smash it against the wooden floor.
Snakes, this is horrible! I should end this fight!
My shaking fists hold my skirt tightly and crush some rose petals in my pouch.
Kolag would've hated me for just sitting and looking right now.
The hooded woman rolls sideways from the mace, turning from laying on her back to her front. The mace misses her head by mere centimeters, cracking the floorboards instead. She gets up gracefully and easily avoids another clumsy swing by Gar with dancer-like movements. She throws a dagger toward one of the charging younger men. His brown eyes open wide at the flying weapon.
My heart bursts out of my chest and my blood boils. No! Jerro said not to! Last time I tried to save people Lezere died! Who will die this time? Berthold? Ryon? Sharla? Myself? Kolag would've gotten me killed if he was here...
Gar stumbles and falls to one knee, seemingly with no injury. Poison… That’s why he fell… The small cuts on his arms… Her dagger is coated in some poison… Good to know.
"No! Rowl! No!" The Innkeeper screams as one of the two young men collapses with a hilt jutting out of his chest. "Get away from her Yerik! Don't fight her! Stay away!"
I take a step forward unconsciously, pulling petals from my pouch. I need to help them!
The last young man backs off, a dagger aimed at the hooded woman. I noticed the stains on his gray trousers around his crotch. "Mother?" he asks in a high pitched voice.
I force myself to stand still, petals back in the pouch. No! I'm not repeating that mistake! Berthold nearly died already. It doesn't matter how bad I feel about this, I have people I care about, I can't afford to care about strangers!
Gar lies down on the ground, clearly struggling to move. He reaches for his mace desperately, a hand stretched out, blood trickling his muscular arm. He's panting heavily, his exposed hands are covered by a red purplish rash.
My fingertips brush the metallic surface of my potion flasks. I can easily stop this. I can heal them!
The hooded woman kicks Gar to lay on his back. She straddles his abdomen and stabs his chest again and again in a mad frenzy. The man roars like a wounded beast, his voice rasps as his lungs get punctured. Blood splatters, painting the gambeson and the ground in an angry crimson.
Help them! No. Apathy. I. don't. care. My life is more important. The lives of my friends are more important. Whatever that Shaf is, she managed to locate me in this inn despite Jerro's attempt to obscure my location. I can only assume Jerro used the prostitute as a decoy... There's no other explanation for killing the poor woman. That... Or this assassin is way too dumb.
Snakes!!! I should help!
No.
The assassin cackles madly and slits Gar's throat, she then digs out one of the man's teeth carefully and inserts it into a small pouch in her belt.
The young man, a teenage boy, stands with a dagger in his shaky hand. His brother struggles to breathe, coughing blood. A blade stuck between his ribs. The older bearded man is on his knees near Gar, attempting to collect his guts from the ground with bloodied hands. His apron keeps getting in his way and mixing with his blood covered organs.
The innkeeper stares wide eyed, her hands covering her mouth.
The hooded figure ignores everyone. She picks an axe from near the fireplace and makes her way toward the dead prostitute.
The redheaded prostitute stopped gurgling by now, her green eyes take a crystalline lifeless tint.
The assassin grasps the red tainted flocks, and steps on the hair, stretching out the corpse's damaged neck. She brings the axe down violently. She lifts the detached head and looks at the lifeless face. The hooded woman nods to herself and puts the grotesque item in a gray hemp sack. She leaves through the door, throwing glittering silver coins in the innkeeper’s direction. The shrieks of horror from one of the maids are way too late.
My heart pounds violently in my chest.
I should kill her!!! Apathy. What’s done is done… I wonder how Jerro managed to fool them into thinking she was me... Nothing else makes sense...
Anyone with a grudge against her? Possible... Or maybe the assassin is taking the head and claiming it’s me, she looks similar enough, at least for a head… She has green eyes though, and if they have my detailed description they’ll know that it’s not me… No. Nothing else but Jerro fooling them makes sense...
I should heal them. I can heal them. I have enough healing potions to save their lives. But it'll expose myself... I shouldn't... They're going to die! They're strangers. Apathy. Healing potions don't help with poison anyway. And what if the coating was removed on Gar? I doubt it was thick enough, and it might not even be a fatal toxin.
I still shouldn't help. Apathy.
NO! FUCK THAT!
I'm just repeating the same dumb mistake. Saving the women back then got Lezere killed... Now it's worse. I know that if I expose myself I might die and someone I care about will most likely die too...
FUCK THAT!
It'll just expose me for no reason. It'll make sitting here and not participating pointless.
FUCK. THAT!
The Innkeeper kneels near the man with his guts out, her hand on his cheek. He's now on the ground, holding onto her wrist. "Andur! Why?! Don't leave me! Don't you dare! We're going to get the Lord Sir Kolag and get you a magic potion! Stay with me! You too Rowl. Stay with me, you hear?! Enya! Run to the palace! Find Lord Kolag or Tasiya! Get us potions! Run, lassie! Seria make some bandages, now!"
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
A terrified looking blond barmaid nods and jolts toward the inn's doors.
A raven haired dazed one awakes at the innkeeper's voice. She collects a bunch of clothes in her arms and rushes to help with tears in her eyes.
I get up and reach for my potions. If I expose myself then Gar died for nothing. That prostitute too.
SNAKE THAT! I should've helped! Snakes!!! I just keep ruining lives... I don't have to identify myself to give her a snaking healing potion! The palace distributes them for the needy sometimes...
"Here." I kneel near the plump woman and hand her a pair of my healing potions. "I happen to have that. Push his intestines in before you apply it. They're probably poisoned too. I'm not sure if the potion will help with the poison." It won't... Snakes, I'd really rather not cast spells and expose myself... I hope the poison isn't fatal... The assassin did finish Gar off... I hope the coating was depleted on Gar, it's the amount of poison that matters.
"Thank you! Whoever you are. Thank you! Seria. Help me with Andur!" she orders the barmaids who already dropped the cloth in the pooling blood.
I need to get away from here. I caused this. It's all because of me. I approach the third barmaid who's crying and hugging herself in the corner. "Mind showing me to a room?"
She nods with a sniff, wiping the tears off her face. “You still want to stay? I can get you your money back and…”
I fold my hands. “No. It’s fine. And yes I very much want to stay.”
She fidgets and moves a hand in her wavy brown hair. “But we don’t have our security and those murderers might… Aren’t you scared?”
I shrug. “A lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same spot. Do you really want to drive your only customer away?”
“No. Lokamesh’ peace… Oh gods…" she hands me a small bronze object. "Here’s your key, first room on the right. I hope you can sleep after tonight. May the thirteen watch over you…”
The gods watch over me?! Noxi ordered Kolag to kill me! “I’ll pass on the gods’ gaze, but thank you.” I've seen too many people die… I forgot what it's like to be helpless about it... And I really forgot what it’s like for people who aren’t used to this… I can't judge her for being blind to the gods, most of the world is blind about those snake suckers. I'm so tired. I wish I could just sleep. But sleeping now would be suicide, and all those people would have died for nothing.
So now people die for me without even knowing. How am I different from any other mage? Or the gods for that matter.
Am I Kolag now? Since when do I care about strangers? I only want the people I care about to survive, I couldn't care less for strangers.
Those healing potions say otherwise. What kind of monster am I? How can I let Jerro dictate my choices like this? Are these even my own choices?
I don't care. I'll do what I have to to make sure me and the ones I care for survive. Nothing else matters. And my conscience should get out of the way when it comes to survival.
Kolag will be so proud of me.
Fuck that. Apathy.
I find my small room and crash on the bed, exhausted. It had been a long day.
I allow myself a few minutes of respite before I get up. I can't sleep. Not when there are assassins out there to kill me.
I pace back and forth around the room, jumping at the smallest creak outside my room, the weakest flutter of wings outside the window. Even the rustling wind keeps me awake. My heartbeats resound in my ears. My wild thoughts won't give me a moment of peace. I am a monster, the voice in my head says, but even a monster like me wants to live.
A beautiful melody is carried across the wind. Someone out there is playing a flute. This is so calming. Soothing music is just what I need.
My heartbeat slows. My muscles relax. I lean on the window sill and enjoy the tune.
So beautiful...
*
I wake up with a callused hand on my mouth and a dagger pressed against my throat.
*~*~*
Interlude 138.1
Berthold.
Berthold follows Kolag as the armored man leads a small group of Peacekeeper knights toward the inn. Jerro, and Ryon are tagging along. "Is Inara alright?" Kolag asks nervously.
"She is fine. We have to intercept the female Shaf who left the inn five minutes ago. There!" The prophet points his cane toward an alleyway, in the opposite direction from the inn. "Be careful. She knows you're coming, and she knows what you're going to do before you do it. But we have to get rid of her right here, right now."
Kolag sprints into the muddy alleyway, and Berthold follows suit. Berthold's eyes see in the darkness thanks to the patronage of the Lady of Twilights. Berthold spots a hooded figure attempting to climb on a random house.
This is a Priestess of Tiyadi. Just like the ones who cursed his mother and sister. A friend to the assassin who took him hostage earlier. Berthold doesn't like killing people, but for the Cult of Tiyadi, there'll be no mercy.
Berthold draws his bow and focuses on his ability to spot weakness. The blessing of the Lady of Twilight is quite useful for a sniper. Not only does this sight point at a weakness in his target, but it also shows him where to aim his arrow in order to hit it. It even adjusts for the wind and distance. It makes archery simple, and Berthold likes it simple.
But now. Now his sight gives him multiple dark spots to aim at, sprouting like dark vines. Berthold had never seen anything like this. He dismisses the odd sight, picks the most obvious spot, and loosens an arrow.
The figure lets go of the wall and drops to the ground, entering another spot in his sight. Are these potential locations where she'll be?
The hooded woman draws a dagger from her belt.
"Attack her together!" Jerro yells to the peacekeepers.
"Simor, Yalvin, stay back!" Kolag orders his Peacekeepers as he draws his massive sword. Berthold approves. If this woman is half as dangerous as Jerro claims, the normal knights stand no chance.
Berthold looses another arrow, and the woman sidesteps it before he lets the string go like she knows where he'll shoot. Kolag charges into the alleyway, and there's no sign of Ryon.
The woman avoids Kolag's swing and slaps his armored wrist, causing him to lose his balance entirely. She bypasses the tall knight gracefully and kicks behind his knee almost like a distracted afterthought. The knight topples over in a heap of loud metal. Berthold had never seen him go down that fast.
Another arrow leaves Berthold's bow and the woman simply plucks it from the air. Berthold focuses on all the imaginary dark vines in the air. Is he supposed to shoot five arrows at once? How will hit her?
Ryon drops from above, a dagger in hand. The Shaf avoids his stab, and knees Ryon in the groin. The short half elf stumbles and disappears into the darkness. Berthold can track him for a few seconds as an odd dark shadow on the wall thanks to his sight before he looses track of him.
The assassin kicks Kolag's helmet with a metallic cling over and over, enough time for Berthold to release another arrow. She sidesteps the arrow, then runs toward Berthold, dagger drawn.
She leaves the alleyway, passing by Jerro who leans on the wall near the alleyway's entrance. The woman is clearly unaware of his presence.
The head of Jerro's cane pulls the cultist's ankle back and the woman topples forward with a shrill scream. Jerro steps on her back, and Berthold gets a clear shot at her, all the purplish black marks in front of his eyes converge into a single one. "NO! PLEASE! DON..." she screams.
His arrow whistles and enters the woman's upper back, directly into her heart, right under Jerro's boot. The life leaves her in an instant.
One moment a hooded woman struggling violently, the next, an unmoving corpse.
Berthold winces, he hates killing people, especially when they know their death is coming as she clearly did. He can't help but think of that woman's likes and dislikes, did she have people who cared for her? Did she care for anyone? Did she have children? Family? Lover? What were her aspirations?
The sack tied to her belt opens, and the head of a red headed woman rolls out. Someone she murdered. Clearly not Inara.
No.
There'll be no mercy for the Cult of Death!
"No. No mercy for the Cult of Death. Send the followers of that disgusting Death God back to him. Let the bony Silverite reap his own souls for once."
Berthold hears the voice of the Lady of Twilights in his head and smiles. Sharla be damned for how she broke his heart. But if the Lady of Twilights is an enemy of Tiyadi like she's an enemy of Tonisha, he picked the right patron to worship indeed.
"One down. One more to go," Jerro states calmly. Why is he helping Inara against the cult who follows his own twisted god? Berthold will never know, but there'll come a day when Berthold will put an arrow into that man's eye, unfortunately, not today...
*~*~*
Interlude 138.2
Ardwin the Piper.
Ardwin wipes the sweat off his brow. Putting the young queen to sleep had been near impossible. It took a lot out of him.
"Send in the bandits. We have been fooled. The Queen's not there, or is she? Never mind she was always in the palace, we have to go there, now! Or not. If she's in the inn, get your bandits to kill her, but you're on your own," says Shaf Agrimor, panic in his voice. "Whoever they have can interfere with my connection to the Great Lord. They just killed Manira. We'll set up an ambush for them."
Ardwin's blood runs cold. Manira is a Shaf. If she died, what chance does a lowly piper like him have? He can't remember seeing a Shaf at a loss like that, much less one of them dying to unnatural causes. "Our target is there. I'm sure of it. She's been resisting my flute. No one mundane can do that." Ardwin says that, but he can't truly lie to himself. There have been instances when people have resisted his music in the past, especially when he isn't focused enough on his music, and he can't exactly focus right now.
"No, it's a trick. We've walked into an ambush and we have to counter ambush them."
"At least leave someone with me," Ardwin demands. He's not staying alone when Shafs die like flies.
"Fine," the Shaf groans. "Nero, guard Ardwin. The rest of you set up an ambush here and here." He points on the map. "No, here, set up an ambush here. No. Here. They'll pass through here for sure."
Ardwin has never seen a Shaf unsure before. The man can see the future, what happened?! Did he lose his powers?!
Nero nods to Ardwin, and the piper brings the flutes to his lips. He has a job to do. The pawns have already entered the inn. Ardwin doesn't understand why the group can't enter, but Shaf Agrimor said they'll die if they enter, and that the Queen is unlikely to be there, they were all fooled by a decoy. Ardwin is to stay just in case.
*~*~*
Interlude 138.3
Jerro.
An ambush in time. A fork within possibilities. A Choice between life and death. A choice between death and death, there is only death.
Jerro stops. "We have to go around. There is an ambush ahead. The Queen will get her throat slit, but she will live and we'll make it in time."
"What do you mean she will get her throat slit?!" the knight demands to know. We can't risk it. Peacekeepers, charge to the inn!"
Jerro sighs. "Hunter, climb to that rooftop and shoot the ambushing assassins. You will see them from above. Rogue, do what you do best." Another fight on the street and one more within the inn. Hopefully, a checkmate to this divination game.
An ambush in time. A fork within possibilities. A Choice between life and death. A choice between death and death. There is only death. An abrupt end to all life. They are all going to die. There's no escape. Not from death. Not from time.
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: connected: 1 gem replenished per minute.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 91
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: connected: 41 neutral gems. Conversion ratio: elemental : neutral-3:1, neutral : elemental-1:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 34 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 17 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 22/26 gems
Water: Affinity 6: connected: 75 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 8 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 17 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: connected: 102/113 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing. Aria’s Sonic Scream. Aria's Increased Voice.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating. Nuriss’ Ignite. Oniga's Soap Creation.
Light: Noxi’s Light. Lako’s Blinding Light. Rika’s energy hand.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet. Ayla’s instant freezem. Ayla's Flowing Shield. Ayla’s Freezing Vapors. Hot Water Conjuration. Boiling Waterjet.
Earth: Alice’s Oil Summoning, Reiko’s Acid Spray. Alf's Copper Bolt
Wood: Arigor’s Lesser Vines. Kolosu’s Vegetable Summoning.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burstm. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield IIm. Imari’s Minor Telekinesism. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pullm. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body. Alino's Orbiter.
Transmutation: Oniga's Laundry.
Spells known:
Light: Wassho’s invisibilityb2 Rika's Electric Channelb1x2
Gravity: Alino’s Weightless Bodyb1x2. Tukado's Pushb1x3. Tukado’s defense IIIb1x4m. Imari’s Lesser Flightb2m.
Life: Brigit’s Lesser Cure Poison. Brigit’s Skin Restoration.
(Little letters by spell sides: m=mastered. a=advanced. b=bound spell, number near the b is how many gems of the mana pool binding the said spell takes.)
Focus capability: 21 patterns.
Social status: The Queen of Red Cedar City. Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries. Sorceress.
Carried Wealth: 37 Golden Peas, 27 Silver Scales.
Personal Items:
Magical necklace. Contains 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
1 potions of Lesser Healing.
5 potions of Pain Tolerance.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keeps the pouches’ content fresh. Each pouch may contain 10g of petals or six potion flasks.
40g Rose petals.
4g Lavender petals.
10g Sowbread petals.
10 empty soul bottles. Glass with a diamond stopper, put in scaled leather wrapping.
The Great White Egret grimoire. Dedicated by the Maven of mysteries to Inara. 31/100. Unlocked.
Present Companions:
Languages:
Toml’a
Sinteo
Myrsha
Felul
Nim
A'arkalu
Injuries and scars:
Curses: unknown extracted parasite, possibly bloodline related. Gone due to an unknown bloodline magic.
Sleep Hex?
-
Kingdom’s treasury: 26,123 Golden Peas. 965 Magic Gems.
Kingdom’s citizen:
Red Cedar City: 3,609 adults. 1,654 children.
Apricot City: 1,877 adults. 504 children.
Total: 7,644 souls.
Kingdom's army: 123 Footmen. 16 Peacekeeper Knights. 500 Blood Spears.
Notables at Court:
Tasiya Keyholder.
Jolla SilverQuill.
Talbot Bookkeeper.
Aisha?