Chapter 25: Pariah

Zack

Both Zack and Maya strode confidently toward the plateau that held Toren atop of it. They decided to take the bridge that led up to the plateau which was slightly longer than using the pulleys they had developed to hoist citizens up and down. The bridge was primarily used for trading and wheeling forth carriages and sometimes citizens would cross through. Maya suggested this path may be better. Both the mask of a former Atlus assassin and the princess of Ash were bound to draw stares, there was no avoiding it. The route with fewer interactions the better.

“Are you certain Yami knows the landlord of the inn here, Zack?” Asked Maya slightly anxious as they approached the bridge's subtle incline “We could get in a lot of trouble staying here,”

“I’m positive Maya,” Well, as positive as I could be with Yami not taking a single conversation seriously “I met the landlord of Crail a week ago, He’s friends with the landlord here because they need to do trades every now and then.”

“And Yami told you this?” Asked Maya

“Yeah, He knows both of them apparently, Quincy seemed like a decent guy so, things should be fine,” he said as his armor clanked lightly with his stride.

“Who’s Quincy?” Quered Maya as she raised an eyebrow.

“Crail’s Inn’s Landlord” Answered Zack

“Ohh” She replied, said in a way that made it sound like she should have known that somehow. “I must admit I’m not very traveled…perhaps I should know more of these subjects.” She admitted slightly embarrassed.

“Neither am I…or well…I am but, only through the lens of an assassin. That time is virtually worthless,” Zack said in an emotionless tone.

“I suppose I could say the same,” She said in a defeated tone before turning to Zack “But we're going to change that,” Maya said as confidence ran through her. Zack kept his eyes forward but nodded.

“Yeah…we are,” he agreed.

“HEY! WHO GOES THERE!?” Maya and Zack were interrupted by a spearman who they had spotted as they took the bridge up. Both of them slowed to a stop. The spearman was painfully average in his build and height. He resembled the most abundant of commoners. The guard looked over Zack first, he seemed to have a confused look on his face as he looked across his valuable armor. He then looked up to his mask covering the left of his face.

“You an Atlus assassin?” he asked as he became slightly more edgy. The tension grew as the guard gripped his spear tighter.

“He has been assigned to my guard,” Maya said as she stepped forward in front of Zack. She stood at about the same height as the guardsman. He stepped back and corrected himself.

“You uhh you a royal sumthin?” he asked. Maybe she’s not as famous as she thought she was. Thought Zack as Maya handled the encounter.

“Indeed, I am. This happens to be a small stop on my journey. I have been assigned an Atlus assassin so it is seen that I am provided safe travel.” She said standing as straight as she could with her hands clasped behind her back. I didn't think she could speak any more fancy than she did before. She sounds like she’s putting on an accent. The guard gave her a look, then turned back to Zack and gave him a dirty look.

“Hmm alright, but I’ll have ta do a quick weapon check on ya first.” he states “Can’t have any weapons going inta town.”

“Is that necessary sir? I do need this assassin for my protection. Stripping him of his weapons would put me in danger” She protested

“Sorry Your Highness, it's the law of the village I’m fraid, had a bit of trouble pass through the village not long back,” Maya turns to Zack and draws her lips to a line, As if to say “I tried”.

“Right!” Says the guard as he turns to Zack. “Turn around so I can check your blade,” Zack turns around slowly. His armor slinks and clanks as he turns. The guard checks over his squared blade, then removes it from the scabbard it's held in and places it on the side of the bridge. “Wos this you got on your back?” He says in a curious and crude tone.

“Wait! Do not tou-” Maya was too late. The guard recoiled in pain as he touched The Frozen Blade. He was thrown onto his back as he recoiled and screamed in pain. His hand, visibility struck from frostbite. Zack turned back around and rushed down to his knees to help the man.

“Are you okay?” asked Zack. The man began to regain his composure but still breathed heavily from the pain he was enduring. As he tried to help the man up. A small group of guards jogged and approached the scene.

“What’s going on here?” Asked the leading guard as they surrounded the group.

“Sir, there has been a misunderstanding!” Pleaded Maya

“Fucking assassin…he tried to kill me!” screamed the spearman as he spoke in between breaths. The group of guards turned towards Zack and aimed their spears at him. Zack quickly reached for his sword instinctively but only found The Frozen Blade. He went to grab the blade mistakenly but pulled his hand away as soon as he felt the cold burning sensation, gasping as he returned his hand to a guarded position. Bad idea, if that sword is as powerful as Maya’s magic. I could end up freezing over this whole village. Zack readied himself to cast lighting magic from his hand. The sparks ran across his palm. The guards paced around him slowly as they began to surround him and ready their spears so he could not escape.

“Put your hands up assassin and come quietly.” Zack gritted his teeth. Frustrated with how south the situation had gone. He quickly turned to Maya, who stood outside the circle of guards he had been surrounded by. She gave him a nod with a serious look on her face. Zack understood what she was trying to convey and dispelled the lighting magic that accrued in his hand, then threw up his arms. The soldiers quickly surrounded him, subdued his arms behind his back, and held his wrists together. Zack was slowly pushed into the village. Commoners came out of their homes and began gossiping about what was going on.

Two hours had passed. Zack sat in the small jail cell he had been thrown into. Thankfully he kept his armor but his weapons were stripped off aside from The Frozen Blade which all the guards were too afraid to touch and decided to avoid instead. Zack looked to be the only prisoner held in the cells. All he could hear were the echoes of the occasional water droplet that hit the stone floor. Zack sat silently, waiting. He knew fighting his way out would be a bad move. Maya gave him a signal to go along with their orders. He was unsure if she had a plan but he trusted she would figure a way to release him lawfully. It was as she said, a misunderstanding. Zack wished he could lie down to relax but his armor prevented that from being a comfortable method of relaxing. He could have removed it for that sake, but nor did he want to be without the protection of his armor however. In the case that Maya was unable to resolve the situation. Zack began to idly think about Yami and the group at Sanctuary. He worried that he wasn't grateful enough to Yami than maybe he should have been. Yami had saved his life, not once but twice. Despite Yami being a bit eccentric for Zack. He still respected the man, especially for what he had built for the people he brought into Sanctuary. Should I have stayed at Sanctuary…and fought for their cause? Zack asked himself. He still wasn't sure. Zack knew he still wanted to kill The Dark Slayer and find his own happiness, but he was still unsure how to achieve the latter directly. Could he have achieved happiness working with Yami? Zack breathed in deeply and exhaled, removing the debating thoughts he had in his head. He knew he would come to a satisfying conclusion eventually. As Maya told him, it was just one of the things that would come in time. Still, what about Maya? He thought as he shifted about in an ancy way. They shared responsibility for each other's goals now. He had no knowledge of Gheptiza outside of the known fact he wielded a Devil Relic. Whether it was stronger than The Dark Slayer’s relic, he did not know. Zack scoffed at his own thought, giving a small chuckle. I've really cut my own work out for me. He laughed in his head. Still, even if he was hunting down some of the strongest men on Elden and could face death any moment, it didn't deter him. It gave him a worthwhile purpose to pursue, not just for himself, but to aid someone else. Now that he was finally released from the Atlus army, those goals he sought became closer to a reality. Zack’s thoughts were interrupted by a slight murmuring of voices. He could hear them stream down from the ground floor and down to the staircase that led into the cells. Zack became alerted and rised to the cell bars and pressed his face against them. His cell restricted him from viewing anything other than more cells. He had been placed within the deepest section of the prison and though it was a small prison he still could not view anything worthwhile. Zack stepped back from the bars as he heard steps echo down into the chamber. Front the right side of the bars emerged a spear man with a ring of keys in his hand. He undid the lock on the gate and opened it for Zack, giving him a nod to let him out, without saying a word to Zack. Zack followed behind the man tightly and was taken back up the stairs into the guard's quarters. The room was mostly comprised of wood and had several desks littered around with stored papers resembling maps on the walls and cabinets. Quite a few guards mingled in the room, mostly pointing and talking about Zack as he entered the room. In front of him stood Maya and another woman. She was tall and slender with short brown hair and an apron covering her dress. The woman approached Zack in a bossy mood.

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“So you're Zack then? I was expecting Yami’s folk to come by soon but I wasn’t expecting them to cause so much trouble!” The woman looked over at Zack. Taking in his armor, as well as the mask attached to his face. “You fit the look of Sanctuary folk, I’ll give you that” The woman then shook her head and began to walk off. “Follow me,” She requested. Maya quickly joined Zack as they followed behind the woman. Maya leaned up and whispered to Zack.

“Sorry how long that took”

Asked Zack as the three of them stepped out of the guard's house. The villagers all stood just shy outside of their doorways and windows to vulture the three.

“What happened while I was down there?”

“I had to convince Rena we weren’t threats. It took a while because the whole village became so shaken up by what happened.” Explained Maya. Zack could feel the villager's eyes follow him. The subtle whispers that came from their mouths speaking rumors of the blade he wielded. Zack, Maya, and Rena all stood tall and faced forward, however.

“Rena?” Zack said trying to recall the name “Oh! The landlady?”

“Yes. It took a while but I explained who we were and that we are allied with Yami.” The three reached a large wooden inn built upon a raised platform. Rena looked back to the two of them and jerked her head to indicate the door.

“Through here.” She said curtly. The two entered the inn. It was lively and loud, this ended however once the three of them entered and the large room came to a stop. The three were taken to a back room behind the counter of the inn. Rena closed the door and locked it from behind her. Once locked, she turned and faced the two travelers. Giving them a heavy sigh and shaking her head.

“Honestly, you pull me away from work for this?” Zack stepped up suddenly and offered an apology.

“I’m sorry, it was my fault this all happened.” Rena raised her hand to stop Zack.

“No, that’s quite alright,” she said exhaling deeply. “Your “royal” friend here explained everything to me. It would have been nice if you didn't waltz in with that…weapon on ya back. Did Yami send you to assault Atlus?”

“Uh…no,” Zack said shortly trying to think of a way to explain their quest. Instead, Maya cut in before he could speak.

“Not at all. To keep it short, we are simply travelers now and we were planning to spend the night here.“

“Hmm, I see…Well, you can stay the night, but you will need to leave in the morning.” Zack nodded, if a bit disappointed by the news.

“Understood,” He said

“Good, glad I didn't need to argue about it. The people here were really shaken up by what happened. We've been having trouble with mana-sick animals so us folk are all a bit edgy.”

“Shouldn't the plateau keep you all safe? Most of the animals here are mammals.” Asked Maya.

“They should, but the creatures have been mutating in strange and…dangerous ways. We've seen nothing like it.” Zack and Maya gave each other a look, a confused one as they weren't sure what she meant. “So that’s why I’m asking for you folk to leave. I know your Yami’s comrades but its the best for the people here.”

Zack took the last of his armor off, leaving him in his cloth tunic and trousers. The only thing left to remove was The Frozen Blade that hung inches from his back. He had spent about five minutes trying to remove it, but even with the help of his gauntlet, his hand would instinctively retreat before he could grasp it. Zack’s frustration only increased with each failure to properly grip the sword. I’m channeling no mana in the blade. Yet it's so cold I can’t grasp it. Damnit…how am I going to wield the blade properly once I find him? Zack desperately tried again and again to validate his strength to hold the blade and steel his mind so he would be ready to use it in combat. Eventually, Zack held the blade in his hand but only for a second.

“Fuck!” The blade tumbled to the ground and began to drop light first on the wooden planks it laid on. Zack held his hand and couldn’t feel a thing, his nerves had gone numb but his sense of pain soon returned. Maya’s voice spoke from across the small bedroom.

“I do believe I told you, Zack, you can return the blade to me safely when you are not in need of it’s power.” Zack quickly returned his posture to a tall one.

“I know,” Zack said and breathed in deeply. “But I need to know I can wield the blade. That when it comes to battle, I can endure the pain to use its power.”

“I understand,” Maya said “I know why you need it…just please be careful Zack” Zack waited a moment but turned to Maya and gave her a soft expression, though, he did not break a smile.

“Don't worry, I will.” He replied. Maya smiled at him but then began to shift awkwardly.

“Could you umm…look the other way, Zack,” she asked as he tugged at the top hem of her dress.

“Yes, my lady.” He turned promptly around, for her sake but mostly to hide his blush. Maya gave a small laugh.

“Theirs no need for titles Zack, You may refer to me by name.”

“Sorry, it comes out that way when I speak to royals,” he said with his back turned to Maya as he heard her dress shift. “It’s a hard habit to break.”

“Well in that case I permit you to continue using it, if it is easier. I do find it to be a charming gesture,” she said playfully

“Do you ever get tired of speaking like that?” he said in a snarky manner.

“Like how?” She said slightly cross

“Like…”Royal’y””

“I do beg your pardon. I happen to think it's an eloquent way of talking,” she said pretending to be offended

“And you've lost me. I don't even know what that word means,” he said honestly

“Well maybe you should try reading some more and maybe you will find out”

“Don’t know how to do that either” he again said honestly

“My word,” She said flabbergasted and cross but quickly broke into a small laugh. Zack smiled slightly, it was easier that his back was faced to her.

“You may turn around now,” Said Maya. Zack turned to find her under the pelt used as a sheet. Her slender legs were exposed slightly from the pelt. Zack quickly threw himself onto his own bed a meter from Maya’s to take his mind off her.

“Oh? And here I thought you would join me” She said in a sultry way. Zack didn't look her way and only kept his eyes fixated to the ceiling and drawing his lips to a line.

“Not a very royal sentence,” he said in a deadpan way

“Will drop the royally word already?” She protested to him in a teasing way. They lay in silence for a moment before Maya spoke again. “Does it feel nice Zack…to…talk like this…to talk with some…fun?” Zack lay silently before replying back to her after a few moments. “Yeah…it does,” Maya smiled to herself

“Good, I’m glad,” as the humorous air began to fade. The two were faced with being alone in an intimate setting. The pair quickly said their good nights and turned to face opposite to one another for the night.