Halmond carefully strode their finger along the tip of a spear that a person held up to their face. “That’s quite the sharp spear you have there. And though I understand the caution, I would ask for it to be removed from my face.”

Rinas nodded his head towards the man holding up the spear. They drew it back from their face causing them to smile.

“Thank you. Now then, since you all know of who exactly I serve, you should know that my master Lucias has taken an interest in you and would like to offer his help.”

Everyone looked at each other skeptically after hearing Halmond’s words as if they found this hard to believe.

“I know, I know. How sudden and strange to be offered assistance so suddenly. Know that this is an offer made genuinely.”

Rinas began to scratch his chin. “And what help exactly is he offering to us?”

“That my dear, is the exact question you should be asking. What help exactly would my most wonderful master have to offer thee?” They thrust their hands into the air and took on an elegant pose. “Why of course, my master Lucias wishes to free you all from this most wretched place.”

“How exactly is he going to do that?” Abigail said loudly.

“By having me speak directly with the banespawn. You see, those creatures outside this tower trying to get in so they can ravage you all, are more than willing to cooperate towards him and I. I need only speak with them personally. I guarantee that they will let you all leave unmolested.”

If the banespawn were willing to cooperate with Lucias, then he questioned the kind of person who could achieve such a thing. It made him even more skeptical and worried for them to take on such an offer.

“You there.” The familiar began to point towards Kiran. “You appear the most skeptical out of everyone here. Why would that be?”

He merely shrugged.

“If what you say is true,” Rinas said, “then what price would we have to pay for his assistance?”

“The price is simple. Accept my master’s offer to meet with him and you shall be given your freedom.”

The offer was tempting, but Lady Meredith had warned him about Lucias although without giving him much reason for it.

“May we discuss this amongst ourselves before we make a decision?”

“Oh yes, please. Take all the time you need. I shall await here with all of these spears pointed at me.”

Before they all ran off to speak amongst themselves, Rinas had everyone wielding a spear lower them and not act as antagonistic towards Halmond who kept to their naked human form. He continually smiled observing and looking at each and every one of them.

From a distance away, Kiran and many others huddled together to figure out what to decide from this sudden encounter as the banespawn kept pounding at the metal door.

“What do you all think?” Rinas said with his arms crossed.

“I don’t know about all of you,” Abigail said, “but he seems untrustworthy to me.”

“I get the impression that he knows more about us than he leads on as well,” Zorge muttered in reply. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s been spying on us and reporting back to this master of his.”

Every one of them continued to relay their skepticism towards the one who appeared at quite the opportune time with an offer of assistance which they were in dire need of. While everyone said their thoughts on the matter, eventually, Rinas appeared eager to hear Kiran’s thoughts.

“What do you know about Lucias if anything?”

“I don’t know that much really,” Kiran said. “Lady Meredith told me that they’re quite dangerous and to be avoided at all costs. Yet I cannot say definitively that her opinion on them is accurate.”

“We may not have any other choice than to accept their help. We may be able to escape the city, but the banespawn may very well follow us relentlessly. If he can broker a peace, then that will be immensely helpful towards us all.”

No one appeared eager to complain so they all walked back towards the familiar eyeing them all from afar.

They neared him as plenty of armed men and women continued to surround him in some capacity just in case he got up to no good. Rinas walked past the surrounding group to stand next to them. “If what you say is true, then we accept your offer.”

With an outstretched hand, both Halmond and Rinas sternly shook on it. “You’re making a wise decision on your part. Fear not, for my master shall reward you for having faith in him. Now then, I will speak directly with the banespawn on your behalf and ensure that they allow you all to leave peacefully.”

Lar made a strange noise with her mouth getting his attention as she stood by him. “It’s kind of strange, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“That he just swoops on in here and can make the banespawn do what he wants. It’s a little strange at least to me.”

“I find it strange as well but if he can get the banespawn off our backs, then what else is to be done?”

Halmond turned back into an eagle and began flying up into the air to leave the tower the same way he had come to them originally.

“You think we can trust him?” Abigail said towards Rinas.

“No, but our options are few,” Rinas said. “Let us first see if they can get the banespawn off of our backs before we make any conclusions.”

* * *

Hours of pounding and roaring from outside came to an end. The banespawn were intent on breaking in to kill, ravage, and destroy any living thing they could get their hands on. Thankfully their pursuit, at least for a time, ceased with the help of their new ally.

His body felt less tense than the hours before. He sheathed his sword that sat on his left hip. While he felt somewhat good about the recent developments, there was no way of really knowing Halmond or Lucias’s true motivations in helping them. It was not unthinkable that a backstabbing maneuver could be at play here. At the same time, they had their backs against the wall forcing them to take decisions that they might otherwise avoid entirely.

Lar rested their head in his lap having taken back on their cat form.

Stolen novel; please report.

He stroked her furry back only to see one of her yellow eyes suddenly open. “Waking up already? You need at least a few more days of sleep judging by the way you look.”

She closed her eye and muttered something under her breath.

“Can you repeat that? I didn’t quite hear you.”

“Did you forget about my sacrifice to you?”

“Of course not,” he said.

She kept her eyes closed as she lay there in his lap. “While I can fight once again, I’m still having to recover sadly.”

“It feels like you’re taking forever.”

“That’s easy for you to say. I’m the one having to actually recover here.”

Lar had sacrificed a lot to revive him when Queen Luvia Aenveld unleashed her cruelty towards him and Della. He felt somewhat bad that even after all of this time that has passed since then, Lar was still affected by that event.

“Aw, she always looks adorable and a little silly when she’s asleep.” Juna came to sit by him and crossed her legs. Lar’s mouth was agape as she managed to fall back asleep.

“How’s Fred doing? Is he doing any better?”

“I hope so. He’s just been having to rest a lot. That medicine that woman has been gracious enough to give him tends to knock him out. At least when he’s sleeping he looks to be at peace and isn’t in as much pain.”

It seemed like everyone around them was hurt in some way. Kiran was recovering. Lar was. So many others were as well including her dog Fred. And not every bit of pain or injury someone among them experienced was entirely the physical kind either.

Silvy chose to come over after standing for a while at the ready. Since everyone else was slowly but surely feeling like their concerns outside the tower had faded away, they too could rest their feet and their minds.

“Heya,” Juna said to her.

Silvy sat down beside her and sat across from Kiran. “I don’t know about you all but I’m beat. I’ve been anticipating a fight for I don’t know how long now and it appears we may not have to fight after all this time.”

“I wasn’t that concerned,” Kiran said.

“You weren’t?”

“That metal door is practically impenetrable. If they could use magic, then I would be concerned.”

“Still, it was, rather, intimidating.”

“You intimidated? No way.”

“Jest all you like,” she said with a smile, “but those things creep me out. The thought of having to fight them strikes more fear in me than the thought of fighting any human or familiar.”

Juna shivered. “They really are creepy. I almost feel bad for them because of it.”

“Speaking of magic,” Silvy said as she eyed him. “You don’t seem entirely incapable of it yourself despite everyone else here being unable to use it.”

“What do you mean?” Kiran said.

“What, did you think I was just going to forget?”

He blinked several times.

“I’m not an idiot Kiran. I saw what you did in the arena just the other day. Did you just decide that you weren’t going to tell anyone else?”

“Um,” Juna said, “what’s she talking about?”

Ah crap. Could you try being a bit quieter about it Silvy? “It’s a long story.”

“I love a nice long story,” Silvy replied. “Now explain yourself.”

“Not happening.”

“What?”

“I said it’s not happening. And do me a favor, keep whatever it is that you think you saw to yourself. Please stay quiet about it as well Juna.”

“But—”

He lifted a hand causing her to frown. “Listen, the moment I’m able to, I’ll explain everything to you both. But for now, remain quiet about it if you can.”

“Well now I’m upset because I don’t know a thing!” Juna began to pout as Silvy chuckled a little.

“Say no more Kiran. I didn’t realize that you were wanting to keep that whole thing quiet.”

“Yeah, well, that’s my fault for not telling you earlier.” She wasn’t the only one to witness him using soul magic that she assumed was just regular magic being performed. Those two other men who fought in the arena with them had also witnessed it. He hadn’t seen either of them since they initially made it back to the arena. As long as they kept their mouths shut, everything would be fine. But if they did, what Yorais hinted at him earlier would suggest trouble would come to him as people found out and dug into it.

For now at least, they all continued to wait on the bottom floor for the return of Halmond. It took them quite some time after the banespawn stopped with their assault. However, eventually the eagle made themselves known once again as they flew down towards them.

The eagle landed gracefully and appeared eager to give them the news as they began to shift back into their human form. “I’ve talked with several of the banespawn’s various clan leaders. They were admittedly, not so eager to hear my requests, but I told them of them no less! I am happy to say that you shan’t be attacked by them.”

“So just like that, we’re free to leave, eh?” Abigail said.

“Yes my lady. Lucias a while ago gave the banespawn the right to occupy this city primarily as a ploy to keep them from ravaging the rest of this territory. He could revoke their right to remain here if he ever so chooses so they are more than willing to heed to his and my words knowing that they cannot afford to earn the wrath of my master.”

Zorge kept one hand in his right dusty long coat pocket.“What makes the banespawn so eager to not simply disobey him?”

“It mostly has to do with our pasts. To make a long story short, my master settled for a peaceful solution some time ago allowing for the banespawn to exist. If they were to disobey my master however, he would kill them all. But so long as they by and large reside here in the city of Eylswaer and don’t harass him or his people, he is willing to tolerate their existence.”

If Lucias was indeed capable of securing peace between monsters, it definitely made it clear that this person who wanted to meet with them was quite powerful themselves. There was no denying that assuming Halmond spoke truthfully and they weren’t merely trying to trick them.

“Now that I have upheld my end,” Halmond continued to say to them all, “we may leave when you’re ready to go visit my master in the city of Valak. It will take several weeks to reach him by foot, but I assure you, that you will find Valak quite pleasant comparatively to most other places in this domain. Lucias has taken great care to foster a thriving community there.”

He sighed and looked down at Lar whose head still rested in his lap. His legs could feel the heat coming off of her head and body. She was quite warm, in fact, he thought she was far warmer than a typical human body. It was apparently normal for familiars to have a higher temperature than a mere mortal like him.

“What do you think Kiran,” Silvy said as she sat across from him. “Do you think we can take him at his word? What’s to say that we all leave this tower and end up attacked as we’re making our way out of the city.”

“From what little I know of Lucias, they’re a formidable individual. But for all we know we’re being played.”

“You’re all overthinking this,” Juna said as she appeared favorable to this arrangement. “I think we can trust them.”

Silvy kept her arms crossed. “What makes you so confident about that?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a shake of her head. “That’s just what my gut keeps telling me.”

After a bit more time passed, Fredrek along with several others with them came out of the tunnels from beneath the tower and went over to Rinas who stood with several other faction leaders.

“Did you find any tunnels that lead out of the city?”

Frederek shook their head. “We found a few tunnels that lead to some paths somewhat near what we figure to be the outskirts, but nothing directly out of here.”

“Well it’s good then that we may have a viable alternative.” After being told about the eagle’s visit and ability to get the banespawn to stop their assault, they appeared at least willing to accept this different method of leaving.

“Those tunnels would’ve been a struggle had we tried to get everyone through them,” Frederek said towards Rinas. Those tunnels are quite a bit tight. “While there is risk in leaving out on the open streets, there is risk in all endeavors.”

“Begin preparations to leave for tomorrow,” Rinas said. We’ll leave knowing full well, that we may be attacked. But we can’t afford to stay here any longer than necessary. We will die if we stay here so we must continue onward.”

Several cheers rang aloud and Kiran couldn’t help but hope that everything went well not just for his sake, but for everyone’s sake.