The following day Misa arrives back at the rebels' hideout to join Amalas for his mission. Much to her dismay none take notice of her new clothes. Hilbert explains his plan.
It's a fairly simple mission, we're running low on medical supplies. We will break into the hospital building near the second wall of Satharak, retrieve some supplies, and then we get back out. We especially need dried herbs and a special salve that is used to treat infections.
Through the cover of darkness Misa, Amalas, Andrius and Hilbert make their way to the hospital. It's a huge building, and it's still partly operational at night. They climb onto the roof and then enter a room through a trapdoor.
On the stairways they hear someone approaching. They take cover behind a wall. When the person draws near Hilbert just straight up decapitates the guy, and he cannot scream. Kind of harsh considering it's just a guard doing his job.
Let's split up. Hilbert and I will collect the healing salve, which should be stockpiled near the disease treatment rooms, and you and Andrius can collect the herbs which should be stored in the basement, as it is a more general purpose resource.
They sneak down the stairways and reach the lower floors. It's only one more floor down to the basement when Misa notices something.
They have a church here?
Yes they do, it's common for hospitals to have churches, many people breathe their last breath here after all.
Can we check it out?
I'd rather not but fine, if you must.
They walk into the small chapel and there are several shrines and altars, including of course, an altar to the god of death. Misa walks over and slits her wrist to make a blood sacrifice.
What the hell are you doing Misa? Why are you cutting yourself?
I'm making a blood sacrifice.
You shouldn't do that! You shouldn't praise the god of death, he's evil. You're insane, why would you do such a thing! Andrius nervously takes a health potion from his pouch and starts drinking it down in large gulps.
Misa doesn't know what to say. 1Mere moments ago they witnessed a man getting decapitated and he didn't say anything but this blood sacrifice is somehow an issue? It is best not to explain, she thinks, he wouldn't understand.
Please don't tell anyone, they're already suspicious of me, she pleads as she puts up her best cute facial expression she can think of, mimicking that of Venenia.
But it doesn't work for Misa.
I have to! I can't just ignore this. Andrius is a little frightened by what he saw.
Look, I'll buy some health potions for you, Misa says, attempting to bribe him. I have no bad intentions, the god of death has been very helpful to me in the past, and so I repay the favour.
Andrius reluctantly agrees and swears to not tell anyone.
They continue to the lower floors, fill their bags with the supplies and make their way back. It all goes flawlessly. Andrius and Misa don't speak for the rest of the mission.
Back at the rebel hideout they have a small celebration for the successful mission, and they share a handsome payout. That went really smoothly Misa, I think we can make a good team!
Andrius breaks his promise and tells Hilbert in secrecy about Misa's worshipping to the god of death.
They decide to discuss the matter with their leader.
Hilbert opens the conversation. Bad news Bhorn, that new demon Amalas introduced to us, she's a follower of death. Andrius witnessed her making a blood sacrifice to one of the altars during our operation at the hospital.
So? She successfully completed the mission right? I wouldn't care if she drowned kittens in her spare time, as long as she helps out our cause. Our primary goal is to get rid of the corrupt power systems in place in Satharak, Hilbert. We've worked with priests and mercenaries who have questionable pasts. We can't trouble ourselves over the personal decisions of our allies, we have to be result focused. As long as she doesn't pose a risk to us, then I don't care what she or anyone else does. Hilbert thinks differently. He already has a dislike for demons, through several bad experiences in his past, and one that worships death certainly doesn't make her any more likeable. But Bhorn is their leader and he is in no position to force overrule his decision. He returns to Amalas and Misa, who are drinking in the cafe area.
They decide to pass the time by spending time with one of the priestesses in the hideout. Misa is introduced to a priestess named Minerva. She's a follower of light, and she works as a healer. She's a human girl, about 16 years old, wearing pure white robes with yellow decoration, and a small tiara on her brown, straight long hair. She's a beauty, or so the guys seem to say. Often.
The rebels mainly send her on relief missions when things go sour, and because of that many of them thank their life to her. She's popular and well respected, but Misa has never associated with her, Misa generally keeps to herself. Although Minerva is without doubt one of the better people in this place, she really seems to like being the center of attention, and especially the younger men have no issue giving her that attention.
I recently obtained this scale from a market. Minerva shows a yellow, decorated scale to the group.
It's really fun, it can tell whether or not you're a good person, Minerva says excitedly. If it moves to this side, your good actions outweigh your bad ones, if it moves to the other side, your bad actions outweigh your good ones.
Hilbert expresses his skepticism. A scale that can recognise your moral values? Sounds like a swindle. You can't measure something as complex as moral alignment like that. How much did it cost?
15 silver pieces, it really works though! Minerva says enthusiastically. Here, look. She places down the scale on the table. It's perfectly balanced. She takes a needle and pricks her finger, then smears a single drop of blood on one of the plates of the scale.
The scale starts to glow with a bright yellow aura and the good side hits the bottom.
Wow, amazing, Amalas says. I guess it really does work. Andrius is impressed too. Misa thinks it's nonsense but she doesn't say anything.
It's just an enchanted scale that looks cool, Hilbert says.
Why don't you try it then? Minerva says.
Minerva wipes off the blood and then takes a sample from Hilbert. The scale again sinks on the good side and radiates a white aura.
Wow I guess that means you're a really good person!
Me next! Amalas says.
Minerva repeats the process for him, and the scale moves slightly to the good side, glowing in a white aura.
This is stupid. Now they're going to ask me to do it too.
Misa you go next! Amalas says.
Minerva takes a drop of blood from Misa and places it on the scale. The scale sinks to the bad side and gives off a dark red aura.
Oh! Not good Misa! I guess you're evil. We can't be friends, Minerva says.
Hilbert and Amalas laugh. Misa doesn't like it though. She doesn't say it, but she knows it's nonsense because Hilbert straight up killed a regular guard on the last mission. You can't morally justify that. He wasn't a lethal threat. But if she makes that argument then she basically admits that she doesn't morally agree with the way they do things around here, and she is not in a position to do that.
It's just a stupid toy, Misa says, annoyed. If scales existed that could measure your moral alignment, they'd be in every church and court now wouldn't they?
It's never been wrong though Minerva says, getting a bit defensive. She's too stupid to form an actual argument, or to question the inner workings of the scale.
Don't worry Misa, you can do lots of good things to recover, Amalas says, trying to cheer her up.
Yeah Misa, if you work on yourself maybe you too can become a good person, Hilbert says, mainly to annoy her.
I already do plenty of good things. And even if it didn't, why would it sink to the very bottom? That's like maximum badness, wouldn't that be reserved for like torturers and executioners or something?
They think for a while. It is kind of odd. Then Minerva says, you're just unhappy because the scale exposed that you are a bad person is what I think.
AAAH Why is she so fucking dumb. I want to stab her! Misa thinks to herself. She grabs the scale and throws it against the wall, breaking it in several pieces.
It's just a stupid toy you idiot! Fuck your dumb scale. She storms off angrily.
That's my scale you dog! Apologise and buy me a new one!
Misa turns around, Don't call me a dog, you dumb slut!
What did you call me! Minerva pulls Misa's hair and Misa pulls her hair in return.
Amalas and Hilbert try to control the situation by separating them but they keep throwing insults at each other whilst clawing each other. Andrius watches the cat fight and takes a sip of his health potion.
Let go of me, you dumb airhead!
Go back to hell, filthy demon!
Both of them are covered in scratches with plucks of hair removed.
Come on you two, stop fighting already, Misa will get you a new scale.
They finally manage to separate the two and take Misa to the other side of the room where she, with extreme reluctance, gives up 15 silver pieces that they give to Minerva.
After Misa has cooled down they have dinner and discuss their next mission.
Bhorn addresses them. We have a more dangerous job for you. One of our high ranking members has recently been captured, during an assassination attempt of a religious official. We suspect he will be put to death soon, so we need to free him as soon as possible. We don't know for sure because he didn't get a trial, speed is essential.
You have to break into the prisons of Satharak, and then free him. The prisons are quite obviously, heavily guarded. But there is a large underground complex connected to the prisons, via a slaughtering house and meat processing plant.
This operation is a lot more difficult, but since your crew has the most reliance on stealth, we thought it would be best. So another prison break huh? If we're going to do this often they are going to increase the security of that facility or they're going to send captured rebels to different prisons. Isn't this becoming too risky? Hilbert asks.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
You are right that they might start to increase security, but we suspect that they won't associate him with us. He had been working undercover for the church of Aqua for a long time precisely for that reason. That way the assassination would've been seen as merely an internal struggle, rather than an act by the freedom fighters. I'm well aware of our need to keep a low profile.
Damn, good work then Bhorn, you thought of everything. Hilbert replies happily.
Well it's not all good, like I said he failed the assassination attempt, which is a major setback. This religious leader has been known to crackdown hard on contraband in the new docks, making our work there a lot more difficult. They already intercepted multiple weapon supplies. That's why we needed him to be removed. But don't worry about it, I already have a different team on it now.
Let's hope it goes right this time then, Amalas says.
Yes indeed, we all know how important control of the docks is for moving people and things around, Hilbert says.
Precisely. But don't worry about it, I want you guys to focus on freeing our accomplice. It would be good if you stock up beforehand. We will pay for your supplies and any medical expenses that might occur.
Misa makes her way to a potion seller not far from the rebels hide out. It too has an entrance via the rooftops, and is cleverly hidden away. Probably because they meddle with banned wares. The store owner is a young beautiful woman, scantily dressed.
They have all sorts of potions. The one she needs however seems to be missing.
Do you sell any sanguine potions?
Sanguine potions? The woman changes her shape into that of a rather ugly looking, lizard-like humanoid. I don't make any of those. We don't sell sanguine potions, those are mostly a demon thing. I'm sure they'd disapprove of it here.. Tell you what, if you can bring me some blood of the innocent, and you pay me 5 silverpieces, I'll enchant it for you.
This is an unfortunate setback. I need those potions, I'm worthless without it.
The potion salesgirl hands her some empty vials.
Misa leaves the hideout and sits at the roofs staring down to the streets for a while thinking about what to do.
If I don't use any potions I'll just be a liability. I could just try buying regular strength potions.. but I still would be very weak. Sanguine potions are far better than anything else, they make me move faster, stronger, I even think faster. Nothing really comes close to it.
Where would I even find an innocent person to take blood from? Most people in Satharak are pretty corrupt and horrible to begin with. The only innocent ones are kids, because they haven't had the opportunity to become corrupt yet.
The only pure and innocent person I know is Venenia. She would give me some of her blood if I asked, but I need a lot to make these potions.
This is dire. I can't go back to bandit town either, it would take too long.
Misa decides to go to the hospital again. She walks through one of the sick wards where there's a lot of patients sleeping in a large hall. It's poorly furnished, many of them are laying on the floor on nothing but towels.
These people are sick, they're going to die anyway. It's okay if I kill one of them, in some ways it's even more humane, because they won't have to suffer as much.
She walks over to a child, who looks to be no older than 10 years old and she places the blanket above his mouth, and carefully tilts his head upwards. Then she swiftly stabs him between the back of the neck and his skull, instantly destroying his brain. He doesn't even scream or open his eyes, so it was most likely a painless death.
Then she cuts the artery in his neck which sprays blood out of it rapidly, making it easily to fill up the vials.
This is pretty bad. I just took the life of a child to make potions. I really shouldn't tell anyone about this. They'd hate me.
Misa doesn't feel very bad about it though, she rationalised it away as being merciful. But deep down she knows that it's possible this kid would've recovered, maybe he wasn't even very sick at all to begin with.
Misa then wants to carry his body to the death altar on the lower floors, to place him there as a sacrifice and as a sign of respect for the dead, but after like 10 meters she gives up because it's too heavy.
Later she arrives back at the potion seller.
You made it, did you find any blood?
Yeah I did, here it is. And here's your gold.
That's pretty fast, where did you get it?
I bought it from a butcher.
Oh that makes sense, they get lots of waste blood. The salesgirl enchants the potions in the backroom. Here you go Misa. Pleasure doing business.
The group rests for a while before making way to the slaughter house at night. It's lightly guarded and empty. The entire place stinks of rotting flesh. Hygiene does not seem to be a priority around here. There's small chunks of meat and dried blood all over the floor.
They enter a large hall with hanging flesh hooks everywhere. Piles of clean bones are stacked to the sides. No animal carcasses, just human bones with all of the flesh removed. Even the eyes. Nothing is left to waste.
Hilbert explains in a low tone of voice, the city has massive food supply problems, so nothing is left to waste. Whenever someone dies their meat is stripped off and processed to be sold. Except for the nobles of course. The eyes and brains get processed into sausages. Larger cuts of meat like the thighs are sold as pig meat. Every little bit helps. Most people aren't even aware of this. They don't want to know either.
Eventually they make their way to the basement. Huge, largely deformed humans are chained to the ceiling. They look morbidly obese with their feet and hands cut off and the stumps sealed, their stomachs are massive. Their eyes are also removed and sewn to their mouth is a feeding tube, which forces food into their stomachs to prevent intentional choking. They can't move or communicate, they can only eat and defecate, but they are still conscious. The area reeks of urine and crap.
These are used as livestock Hilbert explains. They are force-fed food scraps filtered from the city's waste and sewers, that not even the slaves would eat, and when they become fat enough they are slaughtered. This generally happens to particularly disliked prisoners, sometimes they live like this for months.
This disgusts Misa so much she starts to throw up. It's okay, when I first saw them I had the same reaction.
Can't we put them out of their misery?
No, we can't do anything. Otherwise they will know that we entered through the slaughterhouse and then they will start guarding it more heavily, making it far more difficult to commit to any future rescue missions.
Andrius starts nervously drinking some health potions. It calms him down.
They continue their path to the basement. There's a long railway with carts, covered in dried blood.
After a short walk they make it to the prison complex basement. A metal set of bars blocks the hallway at this point. There's a door on the side of it, which opens into a narrow passageway. There should be a mechanism here to open the gate, and we can also expect guards here.
They all drink some potions to prepare for the likely imminent fighting that will occur. Hilbert opens a door to a small room. Inside it is a table, two chairs, some sort of lever mechanism and two different closed doors. A man sits there drinking a warm beverage, he drops his mug and hastily, but clumsily, reaches for his sword but it is also too late, Hilbert has charged him and skewers the man on his large scimitar blade. The guard coughs up some blood. Then Hilbert uses his other blade to cut off the man's head in one fell swoop, sending it tumbling down the floor. A look of pure horror is the last thing on the guard's face.
Hilbert walks towards a set of levers in the room. Amalas, go check the gate and yell when it's opened, he says, before pulling one of the levers. Nope, nothing yet, Amalas replies a couple of seconds later, from the distance.
Hilbert pulls another lever. A large metal clunk is heard in the distance. Still nothing, Amalas yells. Hilbert attempts to push the next lever but even to someone of his size it is difficult. As he is occupied with the lever, one of the doors opens and a duo of guards storms in, carrying spears, one of them stabs in Hilberts direction but Misa slashes the spear with her knife breaking it in two before it has a chance to impale Hilbert. Andrius throws a smoke bomb, sensing that the situation has turned sour. The room fills with smoke and vision is limited. Amalas, HELP, he yells. Misa can hardly see anything and she jumps to the floor to hide herself. Hilbert is close to her and battling one of the guards, who has now unsheathed a sword. They hear Amalas scream for help. As the smoke begins to clear both guards have been removed from combat, but Amalas has also been wounded. His chest is bleeding and there is a large cut across it. Hilbert provides him some aid. It's fine, this isn't too serious, he will make it. But he can't fight in this condition. We should leave him here and pick him up on the way back.
They fiddle with the levers till the gate opens and the 3 of them continue their path by entering the prison basement area.
We're going to need to obtain some keys to enter the ward where they keep prisoners up for execution.
Here's the thing. Most of the guards are outside the building, covering the walls and such. After we get the keys, we free him and escape before they do their routine and find out what happened. By the time the next patrol happens we should already have left.
They open a trapdoor and climb up into a large, open, dimly lit hall. We have to climb these balconies to sneak attack the guard post over there. The guard post is at the 4th and second highest floor, overlooking the lower cells and opens on both sides to the pathways of the balconies. On the opposite side of their approach are the prison cells.
Andrius and Hilbert silently climb the balconies. Misa attempts to follow them but she lacks the strength to catch up to them. You can wait on the lower floors, it's only one guard, we should be fine, Hilbert says. Keep your eyes on our escape route and let us know if anything happens. Andrius reaches the 4th floor first. The guard is doing some paperwork and writing on various forms. Andrius approaches from the side and fires his arrow, but the guard hears the sound of his bow unspanning, looks over, and manages to dodge the arrow just in time. He grabs his spear and charges forward to Andrius, whilst Hilbert is still climbing the balconies. What the hell do you think you're doing here son?! The guard yells. Then slashes forward but Andrius manages to dodge his attack, then the guard swings his spear 360 degrees to perform a slashing strike, which hits Andrius thigh and his leg-pouch, cutting it open and his health potions fall out and break on the floor.
My potions! He yells, desperately, as if he just witnessed the death of a beloved puppy. His sadness quickly turns to anger; he retaliates by shoving the guard back, rather than using his knife to make a more potent counter attack. The guard resists most of his shove and prepares to stab Andrius with his spear, but before he gets the chance Hilbert hacks at the man's ankle.
Aaah what the hell is going on! He yells, now shocked by the realisation that there's multiple assailants.
Andrius pushes the man and Hilbert pulls on him till the man's resistance is triumphed by their combined strength and he falls off the balcony onto the stone tiles of the main floor. The cracking sound of his bones breaking is most unpleasant to Misa's ears.
Finish him off Misa! We'll get the keys, Hilbert yells, before walking to the guard post. Misa walks over the guard who lies as a hopeless heap on the ground, bleeding from the back of his head, but still breathing. She stabs him in the side of his head to end further suffering, and the man dies. Hilbert opens the door to the ward. There's many prisoners but he only frees their accomplice. He says if they cause too much damage it brings their entire establishment at risk. It would embarrass the prison's owners, who in return would have to strengthen their facility, and the authorities would crack down harder on the rebel forces. It's better to keep a low profile. You have to keep these things balanced. However the other prisoners don't agree with his mentality and start making a lot of noise in an effort to alarm the other guards. It's in vain however, and they safely escape the complex before any other guards intercept them.
Back at the hideout they celebrate the return of their member, and the entire squad receives praise and some small rewards as gratitude. Hilbert acknowledges how Misa helped him fight the guards and gives her a small gold coloured armband as a reward. Perhaps some demons can be trusted, he tells her.
Overall Hilberts squad is quickly becoming one of the most successful infiltration teams.
They explain that they can't remove Misa's entrapment seal yet because they need some sort of crystal that removes those types of seals and they are frequently stored in the crystal supplies of an underground temple area in Satharak. As well as a priest to perform the removal spell. Which is very convenient, because they also need to free a rebel from there. This spy was part of an undercover operation in one of the religious sects that influence the citizens of Satharak, but in a horrible turn of events he was selected to be sacrificed.
This will be her final mission, after this she doesn't have to help them anymore and they will help her find a way out of the Arcana kingdom. They claim to have smuggled people out of here before, by hiding them on merchant ships that sail to the very edges of the kingdom.
Unlike the previous missions, they suspect that there will be a lot of bloodshed. The temple area is filled with priests and followers who will fight intruders.
Now, it is time to relax though. Quite a famous bard has arrived and to show his support for the freedom fighters, he will perform for them. Good entertainment, and it's free. It heals the soul, Amalas says.
The bard has an entire party of performers with him and they make music and perform some comical sketches.
Misa had Venenia do her hair for the occasion, she wants to look pretty, she's never really had a chance to dress up yet.
The bar area is packed, and people are enjoying themselves.
She's there earlier than Amalas and the rest so she decides to sit down near to some other girls.
They are all dressed up too.
One of the girls not far from her gets picked up and she overhears the conversation.
Oh, you bought me flowers! How nice of you. Then they walk off.
Misa looks at the healers next to her. They're very popular with guys. All of them get flowers from their male party members or their date and then they take a seat to watch the show.
She even sees Minerva sit in the distance with an entire bouquet of flowers. Why do guys like her so much? She's dumb and annoying.
Finally she sees Amalas, Hilbert and Andrius arrive. Andrius is carrying pretty flowers.
Are those for me? Misa asks, almost smiling, for the first time in perhaps years.
No, I'm going to give these to Minerva, I want to thank her, she helped me recover quickly from my wound.
Misa instantly snags the flowers, and throws them on the ground.
Minerva doesn't need any more flowers, she already has a bouquet!
Andrius nervously drinks a health potion.
Why don't you guys buy me any flowers like the other girls! Don't you appreciate me?
Calm down Misa, why are you so angry? Is it your time of the month? Amalas says, thinking it would somehow save the situation. Hilbert slams his palm to his face then shakes his head.
That has nothing to do with it and I am calm! Every girl here gets flowers from guys except me! It's ridiculous!
She storms off, angry, breaking any flowers that come near her path.
We really should've brought her some flowers, Amalas says.
Your comment certainly didn't help either, Hilbert adds.
Well it's too late now. She'll calm down by tomorrow, then we will give her some flowers and apologise before our next mission. Let's just enjoy the show without her.