Eventually, Hector and Matches came back. By then, Snow and I had stopped crying, though our eyes were probably still red.
Neither of them commented on it.
“Come on, the path’s safe.” Hector said, before casually tossing me a pair of discs, “You can find some use for these, right?”
“Yeah.” I said, “Thank you.”
[Wrath of a Liar (C, lv. 1)]
{
+ 25% Mythological Efficiency
}
[Prophesied End (B, lv. 1]]
{
+ 50% Symbolic Association
}
Actually, they were useless to me, but I wasn’t going to turn down free stuff. There were systems for turning gear into shards to craft higher ranked gear or better suited gear, though most likely I’d just sell them in the ingame marketplace. They weren’t worthless, but they weren’t terribly valuable either.
Snow flew us through the empty dungeon in silence. It didn’t seem to have a coherent theme, except that in every room the ceiling was glass that had what looked like molten lava above it, tinting the rooms in excessive red light.
“Where is she?” Matches asked when we reached the exit.
I pointed to Sanctuary, “See that dome? She made it, and she’s somewhere inside of it. I’d need to talk to people to get more precise directions, but it’s a start.”
“Got it.” Snow said, “How will we get inside?”
“It should only keep enemies and outlaws out.” I said, “It’s mostly for keeping safe from Shadowbeasts, Sunderers, and Wraiths.”
“When we get there, fly slowly anyways, Snow.” Hector said, “Just in case it decides we can’t enter.”
When we arrived in the safe zone, I quickly messaged K.
---
Ashlyn Thresher: Someone wants to meet with you.
Ashlyn: It’s pretty urgent.
Ashlyn: Where can I find you?
K Mandatory: Should I be calling in backup?
K: The clock tower should work, right?
K: I’ll be there in five minutes.
Ashlyn: It should be peaceful.
Ashlyn: But if it isn’t, I wouldn’t bring Mimic.
Ashlyn: It’s Matches, or Hope, whichever you called her.
Ashlyn: She wants to see you again.
Ashlyn: She didn’t know you survived.
K: Of course she didn’t.
---
When we landed by the clock tower, K was already there. Matches ran towards her. Hector followed, walking calmly. I ran after Matches. If this did go wrong, I wanted to be there. I hoped it wouldn’t, but if it did, I wanted to have a chance to intervene.
By the time I arrived, K and Matches were exchanging a rapid sequence of noises that didn’t map to any language I recognized. As I arrived, K waved at me and continued her rapid-fire chain of chatter with Matches.
When Hector arrived, K paused.
“Business first.” K said, “We can catch up properly afterwards.”
“I don’t have any business with you.” Hector said, “I just wanted Matches to know you were alive.
“Nothing?” K asked.
“Well, nothing that involves you and can’t wait until the war’s over.” Hector said, “Matches wouldn’t want you on the battlefield.”
“If you say so.” K said, before turning back to Matches.
“Matches, I’ve got some other business to attend to.” Hector said, “Be prepared to depart in forty-five minutes. If we take too long, more people will die.”
“Got it.” Matches said, “Go away.”
Hector nodded, and turned to me, “Shall we walk and talk?”
“Certainly.” I said.
“I want your assistance with the rebellion, Ashlyn.” Hector said, “and I want peace with you afterwards.”
“Is there a reason you’re telling me this?” I asked.
“I want to do this properly.” Hector said, “Actual terms that Eris would have no issue with.”
“Like what?” I asked.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“We have some surplus weaponry and armor we would be willing to give to K for your assistance. In addition, once peace is in effect, we will allow Eris free passage into and out of Paradise. Lastly, should they be willing, we allow up to a hundred thousand of her people to immigrate to our Paradise as citizens. Does that sound fair to you, Ashlyn?”
“Yes.” I said, “In any case, we have an enemy in common.”
“Indeed.” Hector said, “On which note, I would like to lead into another topic.”
“Yes?” I asked.
“Our alliance is temporary.” Hector said, “I have no interest in sustaining a professional relationship with you. I will ensure your survival until you have outlived your utility, and then I will not care to save you again.”
“I assumed that would be the case.” I said.
“Yes, but I wish to make it explicit. I have saved your life at least three times since this ploy began. The next time you are in mortal peril, I will not be able to save you.” Hector said, “More than that, I will not want to.”
“I understand.” I said, “Why do you need to tell me this?”
“Because I want to be sure you understand.” Hector said, “Paradise was an outside context problem, but you are direly lacking in self preservation. If you keep taking risks like this, you will almost certainly perish.”
“I know that.” I said.
“Right.” Hector said, “I’m glad we’re on the same page, or as close as we can get. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some resources to procure.”
With that, we parted ways.
I messaged Mimic. She would be able to do the errand I needed safely, if she was willing. I wanted to get my contract with Eris out of the way as soon as possible.
---
Ashlyn Thresher: Hey, Mimic, I need to ask for a favor.
Mimic Uvev: If it’s reasonable, I’ll do it.
Ashlyn: You remember the Goblin Market?
Mimic: Yeah. Do you need me to buy something?
Ashlyn: I have a letter I need delivered.
Ashlyn: I’m [here], where can I meet you?
Mimic: [Here] should be good. I’ll be there in three.
---
The pin had been in a small alleyway filled with bushes. It was a bit tight before the bushes had been put in, and their addition made it horribly cramped. There was barely enough space for one person to move through without having to push aside branches. Mimic’s pin had been in the center, where a small table had been installed and the bushes pruned to make room.
When I reached Mimic, she was seated facing away from me, tapping at an unseen screen.
“Hey Ashlyn!” She shouted, without turning to face me.
I walked up to her, and slumped into an empty seat.
Today had been exhausting, and while I wasn’t physically tired, it had been a lot.
“Here.” I pulled out the envelope and tossed it to Mimic.
“You’re really not doing well, are you?” Mimic said, picking up the envelope without looking at it and tucking it in her bag.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You look dead tired.” Mimic said, “K told me about the war, if that’s what’s eating you.”
(Normally, I wouldn’t need to sleep at my current power level. But my injuries were eating away at the same energy that let me forgo sleep. When I needed to heal, I needed to sleep.)
“I am.” I admitted, “But I should be able to rest soon.”
Mimic frowned, “Rest now. I’ll watch you.”
“Wake me in thirty minutes.” I said, “I made a promise.”
“I will.” Mimic said.
---
When I woke, Mimic was arguing with Hector.
“Didn’t you promise?” Hector said, “Besides, she just woke up.”
Mimic groaned dramatically.
“What were you arguing about?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” Hector said.
Mimic paused for a second, and then turned to me, “He’s right, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Gotcha.” I said.
“Ashlyn, I need one more promise for the favor.” Mimic said, “Promise me this isn’t going to hurt the recipient.”
(It was a testament to how tired I was that I was surprised by the question. Mimic might not have spent any more time in the Fae realms than I did, but she did have ties to them through Langwidere. She might have even befriended the Monarch of Endless Harvest personally.)
“It shouldn’t.” I said, “It might result in problems, but I think she’ll be happier after receiving it.”
(I wasn’t lying. It might have been a declaration of war, but it shouldn’t hurt her.)
Mimic sighed, “Then I’ll do it. And yes, I know how to work the envelope, you won’t need to explain.”
“Good.” Hector said, “Ashlyn, it’s time to go.”
I nodded, and rose to my feet. I was feeling much better after even a half-hour of sleep, but I was also growing aware of the risk that this battle would entail. I might actually die today.
“I’m not going to let you die. I still need you, you know?” Hector said, “You’ll be with Snow, doing ranged support.”
“Ranged support?” I asked.
“Well, that and dealing with whatever Angels are being bound, yes.” Hector said, “You, Helen, Snow, and I will be flying around intervening wherever needs support most.”
“Is Helen awake yet?” I asked.
“Not yet.” Hector said, “She will be combat ready before it’s actually time to fight. You’ll have a few hours to nap before that happens.”
“You really understate your visions, don’t you?” I said.
Hector said, “I can barely see the edges of possibility for your Goblin friend down in the Abyss, and I can’t see anything for Mimic. I just mislead about where those limitations are. What I can see, I see flawlessly, but it’s still probabilities and estimates.”
“That’s neat.” I said, “Though I know you could be lying.”
“All Trojans are liars.” Hector joked, “Trust that you’re still useful, Ashlyn.”
“Was Marie not?” I said.
“Alive, she was a liability.” Hector said, “She would’ve been a rallying point, and with her support more people would rise up against our revolt. I didn’t have to kill her directly, but she had to die today.”
“Nice of you to stab her in the back directly, then.” I said sarcastically.
“I’d have her blood on my hands no matter how I did it.” Hector said, “I could afford to do it directly, so I did. You should be glad you didn’t have to.”
“I won’t thank you for it.” I said.
“I didn’t expect you to.” Hector said, “But you should still be grateful.”
That was when we reached Matches and Snow. Matches groaned dramatically when we arrived.
“Ready to go?” Hector asked.
“I’ll be returning soon.” Matches said to K, rising from her seat.
“I’ll look forward to it.” K answered, “Feel free to visit any time, both you and Snow.”
Hector frowned down at me as we got on the sleigh, “You should rest while you can. We should be ready in a few hours.”
“In hours?” I asked, “That long?”
“That’s absurdly quick, Ashlyn.” Hector said, “Do you know how much trouble it is to arrange an actual military conflict? Do you know how much trouble it is to ensure that everyone who can be convinced to stay neutral will? I’ve been laying the groundwork for weeks, to manage to make it this fast! You’re going to be useless for all of that! Go to sleep. It’ll be fine, we have time.”
I sighed, and let myself drift off again.