Braxton fired Zarlessa a warning shot with a look. "York I assume you talked to her too?" Braxton asked, with a nod York confirmed he had.
"Let's have a chat" Braxton motioned to the table furthers from entrance and the four of us took each took a seat. Recounting the events calmed Zarlessa into realizing we were abducted more then she was left behind.
"She told me, my life debt was passed along to this Drukon, Master Jayce. And that I am to treat his commands as if they belonged to her voice." York said with clear despair.
"Jump off the table." I said jokingly, with a confused York preparing to climb onto the table. "Woah woah I was just joking... Would you have.. Like actually done it?"
Embarrassed York explained, "I owe a debt to my matron that no amount of wealth, devotion, or commitment could ever repay. If the debt falls to you then there is nothing I wouldn't do."
"that... seems like a horrible idea" Zarlessa said with absolutely no amount of jest.
"Children please." Braxton interjected, "Look, I have enrolled you into the special forces group officer candidacy school, you need to pass, and do so impressively in order to be under my command. Once you are I can assure you quick promotions and a faster route to the top. You will be leaving in two days to go to Hucksley, a small town nearing the deserts of the south. Once there you must rank in the top ten candidates for me to even have a chance at recruiting you into the Second Brigade. Do you understand?"
Me and Zarlessa shook our heads yes. "York here will be able to transfer as he pleases since he is a member of the Rose Shade so that should be no issue. Any questions?"
Zarlessa leaned onto my shoulder and asked in a misleading kind voice, "Do we have to play fair?"
"Frankly, I dont give a single fuck so long as you make it into the top ten." Braxton said giving no restrictions.
"Then I'm good" She responded resting her head on my shoulder.
"You are just bipolar as fuck aren't you" cocking my head to look down at Zarlessa
without skipping a beat she answered, "don't be jealous the handsome General puts me in a great mood..."
"I'm not jeal-" I began before Braxton clapped his hands together stopping me.
"Focus. You are MY bodyguard and I need your help. Don't forget about healing your friend." As soon as he finished his sentence my memory kicked back in. AGATHA
"Where is she? Show me her now or the deal is off." With ice starting to spread from my hands placed on the table.
"She is in my residence on the second floor of the city, Second brigades best healer is keeping her breathing and alive, no, she isn't awake yet and the medic doesn't need to be bothered into making mistakes by you" Braxton answered while handing me a polished silver pocket watch.
Opening the pocket watch it showed Agatha lying in a extravagant bed with cotton sheets covering her body but not her lower legs, showing the damage done to the legs was more then just the burns from hypothermia. small black veins started spreading from her heel to trying to cover her calf, suddenly a female holding a silver platter with still steaming soup opened a metal door and hurriedly put it down on a wooden end table next to the bed. Touching the leg with both hands light shone from the veins themselves retreating back to her heel before trying to climb her legs again.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"What is happening to her? What is that on her legs?" I asked Braxton.
York was the first to reply, "Ice dragon venom... fuck."
"Is that bad?! What does it mean?" I asked whipping around quickly to York fear evident in my voice
"It's a death sentence. Only a few people alive could even try to fix it." York said hesitantly,
Braxton jumped in the conversation, "I told you we will save her I have the only way"
"Master Jayce this is a lie. On this side of the planet the only person who could is-" stopping mid sentence he looked at Braxton, "no... you can't. That would be treason?!"
Braxton gave me a knowing look and said, "Don't worry about it York." He said the name York with venom. "You two rest up, you leave with the other officers in two days. Spend the time resting but do NOT leave this building. I have other matters to attend to, you mind if I borrow York while your gone?"
"Go for it, honestly the mask thing gives me the creeps" with a shrug I answered as I stood up stowing the pocket watch. While sliding off the chair I woke up Zarlessa and knocking her off my shoulder. Saying our good byes, Zarlessa and I walked up the wood stairs and she showed me the way to our room. Opening one of only three doors of the upstairs area, the room was small maybe five by ten meters, the furniture was a wooden chair pushed into a writing table with candles above it, a bear skin rug, two drawers on either side of the bed and a large bed taking up most of the space with a wooden frame. She had already put our borrowed clothes in a trunk and my staff was leaning onto the headframe of the bed.
"Are you tired Zarlessa?" I asked her,
"Just call me Z, and no not quite yet" as she pulled out ink and a quill from the drawer furthest the door then sat at the table and began to write.
Taking my clothes off I got into the bed and asked, "Do you care about sharing a bed? I always did with... Agatha to keep warm so I don't mind if you don't"
"I would but... I don't have any money." She answered calling back our first interaction, with a light smile I drifted off to sleep.
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Zarlessa POV
Riding in the carriage without my dumbass or the General made me focus more on the changing aesthetics of the city once the army passed into the second layer of the city. It was... Perfect, an absolute eutopia no violence, no yelling, just smiles and waves. All the women wore exuberant expensive dresses, the men wore fine leathers or silk robes. As the street changed into polished well cut stone the carriage seemed as if it was floating in the air itself. The smell was that of lavender and wood burning smoke, each house a stone chute that all connected to a much bigger chimney that reached into outside the underground settlement to not let the many fires of torches or furnaces choke out the oxygen. After around forty minutes the carriage stopped and the driver told me his instructions were to drop me off at this building and to wait for the general and Jayce to return. Climbing onto the street I saw the nearest buildings were a butcher shop and a black smith. Walking up to the stone walled building I opened the door to reveal a quiet inn. Waiting at a desk next to the stairs was a red haired freckled man in a military dress uniform. "Welcome ma'am!" He exclaimed with a salute, handing over [Faith in the Eclipse] the staff seemingly not having any effect for the young man. "a messenger from The General informed me you would arriving any minute, follow me to your room" he grabbed a wooden trunk with two cast iron lines encompassing it to keep it sturdy and walked up the stairs. Following him I noticed he was walking extremely stiffly and asked, "Why are you so worried? Am I that imposing?"
"No Ma'am it isn't you, I was told you would be entering the special forces officer's course. That means you could be at the helm of the entire military one day. Yet your clearly a foreigner with your skin tone. The only other ones here that tanned are the..." he bit his lip as if he said too much, luck was on his side as he approached the door to the room and opened with a whoosh of wind.
"Are the who?" I asked
"Enjoy the room Ma'am an emergency has come up that requires my immediate attention" He nearly ran away as he spoke rushing down the stairs and out the door.
falling back first onto the surprisingly comfortable bed all I could think is what a day its been. I wonder if Jayce has a boot shaped bruise on his chest? Turning her head to the side she saw a bath tub and shot up from the bed. Putting her hair into a bun she drew a bath using