The big lurcher looks at its severed hand for a second before a white object buries itself into its throat. It stumbles back a few steps and grabs at its throat before falling over dead. Sanora sighs, one hand still outstretched.
“I like this spell.” She looks at her hand when her Bawarag-senses kick in. She makes a quick turn on the spot and stabs the lurcher behind her clean through the head. With a flick of her hand, she sends another bone spear into the head of the next lurcher coming at her, while cleaving another in half with her sword. After some reluctance, all of the leftover monsters now storm at her angrily. She tightens the grip around her sword and summons another bone spear as they come barging in at her.
Two more she kills with the bone spear and uses the gap to break out of the encirclement. The creatures storm at her one after another, right into Sanora’s blade. They run into their deaths without any sense of self preservation. One swing is so strong that Sanora bisects two of them with one attack. The uncoordinated and sloppy monsters are dead not three minutes later, and Sanora’s sword is covered in blood. The carnage isn’t what she is happy about though. With every cast of the bone spear, she could feel something. Not only does her magic power increase with every use, but the spell itself is changing. The projectiles are getting sharper, pointier, deadlier. She swings her sword through the air, the blood splattering off before she sheathes it again and looks to the bush where Jared is waiting.
“Did you see that?” She asks with a huge grin.
No response.
“Jared?” She walks over to their hiding spot only to find it empty. Confused she looks around but the only trace she finds are deep footprints leading away from the scene.
She looks at the tracks and her shoulders drop.
“Oh...”
“So, the nest is in the northern woods you say?” A big, bulky man asks Jared as he leads a group of adventurers out of the city.
“Yes, and they even have a nestking.” Jared nods.
“They do? That’s a ten gold reward then.” The big man grins through his beard and hits Jared on the back. “Good job, and I thought all you’re good for is sticking your rod into pretty girls.”
“Hey they don’t call me the plain-“
“Oh, please save your stories for the girls and just show us that nest. Say, what were you doing out there anyways? You going out is pretty unusual.”
“I was out with some chick, not important right now.” Jared says a bit annoyed, his gaze fixed to the ground.
“Mhm, brown waist length hair, black chainmail over tunic, about half a head shorter than you with a pretty face?”
Jared looks up at the bulky man with wide eyes.
“Yeah exactly. You see us in town?”
“Nope. But there is a girl looking just like that coming from the direction you are leading us in. And she looks pretty pissed.”
Jared’s gaze snaps ahead at Sanora who is walking towards the city and the big man wasn’t lying, she looks beyond pissed.
“S-Sanora! I was just about to head back to you. I-“
Sanora walks straight past them, not sparing him a single look. The adventurers look back and forth between Sanora and Jared a few times.
“You just left her there? Damn, that’s low even for you, Jared.” The big man shakes his head. “Come on boys, let’s check out the site. Even if Jared probably lied about it, I still want to make sure.” The big man beckons the others to follow him but stops Jared.
“You stay here, I think we’ll be fine without you.”
Jared just stands there alone, rooted in place with a blank expression as Sanora walks back into the city and the men walk towards the forest.
Sanora makes her way through the city, flashing the brooch she got whenever the guards try to stop her at the gates. She ignores all the stalls and the people around her as she silently walks through the city until she is finally back in her room.
She tosses her sword and her mail aside and falls onto the bed. She just lies there and looks at the ceiling. Her lips start to quiver, and her eyes grow wet. He had just left her there. Left her to die without even a warning or trying to help. Why would he do that? Why would he be so nice to her just to leave her like that?
She wipes the tears from her face and sniffles. It is just barely past midday, but she has not a spark of motivation left to do anything.
For the next hour she lies on the bed, tears silently run down her cheeks unit there is a knock at the door. A bit reluctant Sanora pulls herself out of bed and walks over to answer. She is surprised to Liddy of all people standing in front of the door with a tray of food in hands.
“Lady Vadia has sent me to- gods you look horrible, did something happen?” The young maid is taken aback when she sees Sanora. Eyes still red, cheeks wet, and her face dropped.
“Hey Liddy.” Sanora talks with a weak voice. “Some things when I was out today.” She sniffles.
“Oh, you poor thing, did someone do something to you? Do you want to talk about it?” Liddy asks with a mix of worry and anger.
“It’s a bit of a story… do you wanna come in?” Sanora takes a step to the side. Liddy looks past her into the room and hesitates. But after she takes another look at Sanora she nods.
“Sure ok, let’s talk a bit.” She says with a smile and walks in before Sanora closes the door.
Liddy sets the tray down onto the table while Sanora plops onto the bed again, her head still hanging low.
“So, who did you so dirty?” Liddy asks and pulls a chair next to the bed before sitting down.
“So, I went out today because I wanted to train a bit, and then there was this man that I met in town…”
Sanora tells Liddy the story of how she first met Jared and how they went out to the woods together. Her fists clench as she talks about him, the tears fall again when she tells Liddy how he just wasn’t there anymore. Her jaw tightens when she thinks about how he was leading his friends there without a care in the world. All the while Liddy looks heartbroken. She really feels for poor Sanora getting used like that. Anger bubbles up inside of her. Anger at the person who would even do such a thing to a tender girl like Sanora.
“I-I just don’t understand.” Sanora says between sobs. “Why did he just leave me there with the monsters? I thought I could trust him.”
“I’m sorry.” Liddy just shakes her head with an anguished face. “Some people are just like that you know? It’s a harsh truth but you can’t trust everyone. There’ll always be people with bad intents. Even if they seem nice, sometimes especially those. Although this case is really crossing a border.” Liddy’s jaw clenches.
“What about you?” Sanora asks with upturned eyes. “Can I- can I trust you?”
Liddy blinks at her.
“I mean yes, of course you can but that’s just the thing. Everyone can tell you that you can trust them just like that but that doesn’t mean it’s the truth. What’s important isn’t what people tell you but what you think. If you think you can’t trust me then you can’t, if you think you can, then you can. simple as that.
“So, people are lying about this?”
“Sadly yes. I’m not super good with people and all, but I think the ones who tell you to trust yourself rather than them are the most trustworthy ones.”
“Like you just did?” Sanora raises an eyebrow.
“Ah no, that’s not what I mean. I mean it is what I mean, but I don’t mean you’re supposed to trust my word just like that.” She scratches her head, a strained expression on her face. “What I mean is, that you can only really and truly trust yourself. You make these calls, and no one else. Especially when strangers stop you on the road you need to be more careful, especially with that pretty face of yours, got it?”
“I think.” Sanora says with a chuckle. “Thanks, Liddy.”
“If you aren’t sure, always keep in mind what people might gain from you, want from you. But let’s just be happy you came back unscathed. On that accord, you really killed a dozen lurchers by yourself?”
“And a big one.” Sanora nods.
“Good gods, you are actually strong enough for a full Narcium mail, aren’t you?” Liddy leans a bit forward with a glint in her eyes. “How did you get so strong?”
“Ah that is thanks to my old teacher. He could be a real demon let me tell you.” Sanora says with a chuckle as she starts to tell Liddy all about Bawarag and the drills he used to put Sanora through. She often has to watch her mouth and not let it slip that she is actually from Rivers Rest. She is after all still Sanora of Ginaeris right now, even if she hardly acts like it.
So, after today Liddy can probably puzzle together that Sanora is not really the steely noble from overseas that she pretends to be.
“So, he just kept throwing pinecones at you for a whole saint?” Liddy asks with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
“Relentlessly so.” Sanora laughs. “At first, I was honestly questioning his sanity, but after a week I understood. That stuff really drills your instincts.”
“For some reason I have doubts about that.”
“Well, you’re free to try anytime.” Sanora shrugs with a self-assured grin.
“I might just do that, but don’t be mad at me when a random coin hits your head.”
“Good luck, you’ll need it.” Sanora snickers. Liddy just rolls her eyes at the girl. It took a while, but she finally managed to get her smiling again. The whole ordeal really hit Sanora where it hurts. Liddy figures that she was likely a sheltered child, being so naïve now. There will be much disappointment in life from now on, but everyone has to learn those lessons one day or another.
“Huh, time sure flew by.” Sanora wonders while looking at the afternoon sun but furrows her eyebrows. “Wait, aren’t I keeping you from working?” She turns to Liddy, but the maid just waves her off.
“This basically is work. Lady Vadia did assign me to you personally for today. So, this is all withing my earned coin.” She gives Sanora a thumbs up. “I honestly can’t imagine a better way to earn money than this.” She adds with an impish smile which makes Sanora laugh.
“I’m glad to hear. But I still don’t want to keep you. Thank you, Liddy. For listening to me and the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.” She says with a smile and Liddy is about to answer but just then Sanora’s stomach loudly notifies them of its displeasure with a loud rumble. “Ah, and thanks for bringing me around some food, I should get to that it seems.”
“You do that.” Liddy laughs and gets up before putting the chair back to its righteous spot. “You need anything let someone of the staff know and I’ll be with you in few minutes anytime.”
“I will, thanks.” Sanora smiles at her, and with a short bow Liddy is off again. Silence takes the room… or it almost does as another rumble fills the room instead, and Sanora gets to finally eat the food Liddy brought her.
The rest of the day goes or rather boringly. Sanora is lying on the bed, playing around with a bone blade in her hand. Casting the spell so often has increased her control over it by a lot. Even after picking it out of the air she can almost get it back to floating now. Just a little more and she could possibly make the bone fly around at her will.
Her attention is drawn to the door when Vadia comes in looking completely spent.
“Hey.” She says weakly as she drags herself to the bed and lets herself fall in face first.
“Hey, you okay?”
“No.” Vadia grumbles into the sheets. “I’ve been buried with work-“ she turns to look at Sanora with half lidded eyes. “- my fingers are sore, my back is killing me, my legs are stiff and my eyes tired.” She sighs.
“Is there that much to do for you? I thought your father was, you know, the ruler.” Sanora tilts her head.
“He is of course, but he can’t do everything alone, especially all the planning concerning us two. I’ve been drilled to take over since I was a child. Naturally he gives me as much work as possible since there is never a lack thereof.” Vadia explains tiredly. “So sadly yes, there is that much to do.” She sinks her face back into the blanket.
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Sanora looks at her with a thoughtful gaze. She still remembers her backaches from her time back home. Her face lights up.
“Hey, Vadia, I think I might have something that you’ll like.” She says with a wide smile.
“Hm?” She turns to look at Sanora with a raised eyebrow, but the girl just gives her a grin.
“Oh, by the gods!” Vadia moans. “Where did you learn this?” Vadia moans again as Sanora presses her thumbs into her back.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Sanora grins from ear to ear. “I still remember how much I was howling when Amni did this for the first time.”
“A friend from back home?” Vadia says a bit absent mindedly, no noticing the brief pause of Sanora’s fingers.
“Yeah, one of my best.” She nods.
“Well, I already like her if she taught you this.” Vadia snickers. “Maybe we’ll meet some day.”
“I would like that too. You two would get along great, I think. And I can’t wait to see the face she’ll make when I tell her my girlfriend is a princess.” Sanora chuckles
“Those are always priceless trust me.” Vadia laughs along and rolls her shoulders. “I think that’ll do for today. I really need to catch some sleep now, but I’ll gladly take another one tomorrow.” Vadia turns around with a smirk.
“Of course, I’m glad you like it.” Sanora gives her a bring smile.
Vadia lies down on the bed with her arm open and an expectant look. Sanora happily crawls into her arm and cuddles up to her, Vadia welcoming her with a kiss.
“Goodnight.” She yawns and pulls Sanora a bit closer. But there are still a lot of things weighing on Sanora’s mind. She hasn’t told Vadia about Jared yet, but she feels with all the work she has on her plate adding to her worries wouldn’t do any good. She lies in Vadia’s arm, letting the day and Liddy’s words pass through her mind again. In retrospect it was a bit stupid. She only met Jared today, of course she shouldn’t have trusted him just like that. Bawarag even told her about this sort of thing once, albeit only in passing. Now that she thinks it over again, she was really lucky to have run into Bawarag of all people. Had he not been there, things would have gone a whole lot differently. She shudders at the images her mind cooks up. It makes her all the happier to have so many nice people in her life like Amni or Genny and of course Vadia.
‘Vadia… wait how long have I known Vadia? Barely a week... No, even before that she really came onto me, didn’t she? But what reason did she have to trust me, a stranger, like that? To bring me here to the ruler, into the same house without even knowing anything about me?’
Sanora grows uneasy. The more she thinks about it the less sense it makes to her. Why did Vadia trust her blindly? She doesn’t seem like a careless person, and neither like someone easily overwhelmed by her own emotions. And there is nothing Sanora has that Vadia could want either. So why…
“Vadia?”
“Mhhh?”
“Can I ask you something even it might be really dumb to ask?”
“No such thing as stupid questions, Sanni.” Vadia is only half awake, her eyes already closed.
“Can I… trust you?”
Vadia’s breath catches for a moment before she opens one eye to look at Sanora.
“Ok that is a bit of a silly question. ‘Course you can trust me, promise.” Vadia smiles at her warmly.
“I… see. Thanks.” Sanora smiles back before she snuggles up to Vadia again.
Soon later Vadia has drifted off, her breathing slow and steady. The sun just barely disappeared behind the horizon, but she is already fast asleep. Sanora carefully gets up, tiptoes through the room and gathers mail and sword before she heads out and slowly closes the door behind her.
“Still working huh?” Sanora says before even turning around to look at Liddy who is kindling the candles on the walls. After her extensive use of magic her sense for flesh has also gotten a good bit sharper. She could sense Liddy through the door before she even opened it.
The maid wanted to say something first but was cut off by Sanora who hadn’t even seen her. She blinks a few times.
“Uh yes, just finishing up for today.” She nods.
“Well then I won’t hold you.” Sanora says and is about to walk on.
“Heading out? It’s a bit late for a walk.”
“Yeah, need to clear my mind. I’ll see you in the baths tomorrow.” Sanora smiles at the girl and heads out without waiting for a reply, leaving behind a confused, and slightly concerned Liddy.
The first stars are already dotting the still golden skies. There aren’t a lot of clouds either so tonight will offer a great view of the starscape again. Sanora looks up as she walks, still pondering about Vadia, trying to make sense of her. Vadia has many qualities and quirks, but never has she come off as naïve or anything of the likes. Liddy’s words still stick to her as well. Is she right? Are people who tell you not to trust them the trustworthy ones? Is Vadia leading her on? But for all Sanora knows she might just be really telling the truth. But as much as she would like to believe that it doesn’t feel right. But then again on the same basis maybe Liddy is the one she can’t trust. But the maid at least told her to make her own calls rather than Vadia who just said what she wanted to hear.
“Aargh this is all just way to complicated.” She ruffs through her hair. Being so lost in thought she hasn’t even noticed how far she walked by now. She is walking down a road in the lowest ring she hasn’t seen before. The houses look shabby, the roadside is littered with all sorts of trash and there are no streetlights either, although the dark is no problem for her eyes.
The few people who are out on the streets look much similar. Dirty, torn clothes, unkempt hair, some looking sick, others aren’t even wearing shoes. But something that all of them share is the looks they give Sanora. Sinister and greedy, mustering her up and down, wagering their chances. They send a cold shiver down her spine and Sanora promptly decides to turn back.
She walks down the road, a hand already resting on the hilt of her sword, her mind already preparing to gather magic and fling the first spell as she can feel some figures following her in the dark.
She grips her sword, getting ready to unsheathe it as one of the figures starts to pick up the pace. A commotion resounds from ahead, people shout and sounds of battle echo through the streets. It is a group of guards by the sound of it, and it seems to be enough to quickly deter the figures following Sanora as they scatter into the many alleys. She breathes a sigh of relief. The shouting and clashing is coming from straight ahead and Sanora can now see two guards who are pushing a shabby looking man, with bound hands, out of an alleyway. Shortly after a third guard follows, supporting a young woman who is wearing a clouded look and a smile on her face and can barely walk.
“Let me go I didn’t do anything!” The detained man wriggles and struggles against the guards.
“Oh sure, she drugged herself and conveniently fell into your arms and you were just bringing her to the guardhouse, right?” one of the men mocks.
“You’ll have plenty of time telling that to your cellmates. You know how long you sit for redback extract?” The guard hisses and roughly gives the man another push. Sanora’s ears perk up.
‘Redback extract?’
The woman who is still held up straight by the third guard strokes his face, speaking with a gibberish voice, and the words feel like an icicle into Sanora’s soul.
“My, aren’t you handsome, how about us two hm? I’m all yours~”
One of the guards notices Sanora, who has stopped to look at the scene.
“Go on citizen, nothing to see here.” He makes a shooing gesture with his free hand.
“This redback extract, what exactly do you mean by that?” She swallows, shifting around on her feet uneasy. The guard frowns at her and is about to tell her off, but the second one stops him.
“You are lady Sanora, right? I saw you at the gates Yesterday.”
Sanora nods.
“Ah! apologies my Lady.” The first guard says, and Sanora just nods at him.
“It is no trouble. So, could you tell me about that extract?” She asks, hoping that it is just an unfortunate naming coincidence.
“Of course. It is a highly potent drug made from the venom of an insect, the redback centipede. People around darker circles use it to make women docile and wanting, making it hard to prove guilt the next day, unless we catch a rat like this red handed.”
“I see.” Sanora says quietly, her throat feeling like a steel wire is tightening around it. “Thank you.” She gives the men a court nod and walks off again. Her fists are clenched, her jaw tight and her gaze fixed to the floor as she walks through the streets of the slums.
‘Vadia wouldn’t have, she said she loves me, why would she lie?’
Two feet appear on her path. She looks up, right into the face of a fat, sleazy man sneering at her. It makes her stomach churn, that disgusting perverse sneer with nothing but malice behind it.
“Hello there pretty-“he can’t even finish before Sanora’s fist lands in his oversized stomach. He coughs and sinks to the floor, holding his stomach as he barfs. Sanora just walks past him without another word and makes her way back to the castle.
She feels bitter throughout the next few days. Doubt has taken root in her, doubt about Vadia, about their first time and everything after. Sanora was uncertain whether to really think that Vadia drugged her back then or not. She likes her, but she can’t deny that all the evidence points to this being the case. How Sanora felt back then, why she never felt like it again, the fact that Vadia is well versed in alchemy. It is all causing her a giant headache and even taking a walk isn’t helping. She has tuned out the people around her long ago and was sitting on a bench absent mindedly.
“Excuse me, young lady?”
Sanora snaps out of her thoughts and looks up at the tall man. He is a broad guy clad in full iron plate, a big axe slung over his back made from steel with a slightly white hue. He is sporting goatee and moustache, short and well kempt. His light brown, almost red hair is combed back neatly as well.
“Ah yes, do you need anything?”
“If I am not mistaken you are Sanora of Ginaeris, right?”
“In the flesh.”
The man grins through his beard.
“Wonderful! I was hoping to catch a quick word with you ever since you exterminated a whole lurcher nest.” He takes out a small pouch. “Because this would be yours then.”
Sanora takes the pouch, the contents making a very satisfying metallic rustle.
“This is for me? Just like that?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Just like that isn’t really the case. Like said, you cleared a whole lurcher nest, including a nestking, all by yourself. The guild has a reward of ten gold for those nests out at all times. You aren’t a member of the guild I’ve been told, but I think it is only right that you receive this.”
“You went through the trouble of finding me just to bring me this?” Sanora narrows her eyes.
“Well to be honest, it’s also a sort of apology for what Jared put you through.” The man sighs. “He’s always been a troublemaker and a bit of a good for nothing. But I didn’t think he’d just abandon someone out there.” He shakes his head.
“Well, thanks I guess.” Sanora pockets the small pouch.
“Ah forgive me, manners. Name’s Brenn. I’m something of an unofficial runner for the Adventurers guild branch in Deepvalley.”
“I see. Well, it was nice meeting you, Brenn.” Sanora nods at him, gets up and walks straight past him without another word.
“So, where you going? Busy?” Brenn asks, walking beside her.
“Not really, why?” Sanora gives him a sideways glance.
“Well to be honest again there is still something I’d like to ask you. You made quite a mess of those lurchers and to be frank we could use someone like you. It’s not often Deepvalley sees such a prodigy.”
“You want me to become an Adventurer?” Sanora stops to look at the tall man.