“That brazen hussy!” Honeypot stage whispered from his vantage point down the street. “Shadow, you would not believe—”

“Get back here, you damn Peeping Tom.” Truth grabbed Honeypot by the cloak and pulled him back behind the corner, cutting off his vision of the intimate moment.

“Hey! I’m just trying to make sure my best friend retains his virtue. I assure you I get no enjoyment out of this.”

“You’re lucky you’re Truth’s problem,” Frida said. “I would do more than just grabbing you by the cloak.”

Honeypot raised his eyebrow at her.

“You’d be more than just grabbing my cloak, huh? I’m flattered, Frida, but my heart belongs to another.”

Frida threw her scepter, hitting Honeypot hard in the thigh.

“My lady!” Honeypot brought his hand to his chest in mock affront. “I assure you, such actions are no way to win my affections!”

“Angus, cut him in half,” she said with a flat stare and an even flatter tone.

“They’re right, Honeypot,” Shadow said in an attempt to redirect the conversation. “You really shouldn’t be peaking at such private moments.”

“Oh, fine!” Honeypot threw his arms up in defeat. “Sorry for trying to have a little fun. I don’t know about you guys, but I almost died like ten times in the last twenty-four hours.”

“So you’re a voyeur for fun,” Frida said. “Are you into watching just other people, or do you like watching people with your lady friends, too?”

“Alright, first of all, did you just assume my sexuality?” He projected mock affront once more. “The audacity. Second, I can forgive you for not knowing, because you weren’t there when we regained our memories, but I was quite unwell for my teenage years. Before I joined this series of unfortunate events that we call a world, I had little time for fun, let alone lady friends. Thus, my purity is intact, which is why I was trying to help my best friend keep his virtue.”

“You’re pure, huh?” Truth shot an odd look at Honeypot. “That isn’t something most men would admit to. In my experience, a gross exaggeration is much more likely than the truth.”

“I, sweet Truth, am not most men.”

Frida scoffed. “Finally, something we can agree on…”

A noise from behind them drew their attention, and they spun to see a blur of of red, followed by a wall of steel.

Femera ran straight past them and tore around the corner towards Arika and Orion.

***

Arika’s head lay atop Orion’s chest in comfortable silence. They were both too exhausted to move, a mere kiss enough to draw the last remaining energy from their overloaded bodies. Her eyes were closed as the warm rays of the sun peaked through the hazy smoke in the sky and tickled her skin.

“Do you think they know we know they’re there?” Orion asked as he played with her hair.

Arika snorted.

“Honeypot’s whisper was his way of letting us know that they’re close, and that we’re safe without actually disturbing us too much.”

Orion lifted his head and looked at her.

“Wait, really?”

She nodded slightly.

“I hate that I’m starting to understand him more, but yeah, pretty sure.”

“Huh. He can actually show some restraint sometimes?”

“I mean, true restraint would have been letting us know they were there without calling me a, what was it, brazen hussy?” She closed her eyes again as she shook her head. “Who even says that?”

The noise of clawed feet striking the street drew both their attention, but before they could react, their stalker was upon them.

Femera stood over the top of their prone forms, a veritable storm of licks and full-body wags. She made a high-pitched whining noise as she circled and rubbed her body against them. Orion painfully extricated himself from the situation, leaving Arika alone to face the onslaught of affection.

“I know, I know,” she said through giggles. “I’m sorry I worried you. I’m okay. I promise.”

Arika and Orion both looked up at the footsteps approaching them. Their party and Frida’s party, along with Captain Blanc, who was flanked by four soldiers, all approached at a leisurely pace.

“We followed the trail of destruction.” Captain Blanc surveyed the ruined street. “I’m sorry we didn’t arrive earlier. I take it your parties took care of the boss, then?”

“You could say that,” Orion answered, also looking around at the surrounding devastation.

The very stones of the street were melted and cracked in places; only short, misshapen walls remained where buildings were towards the center of the storm—the ones that were made of stone, that is. Anything constructed of wood was long gone.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Captain Blanc stared at the now-hardened slag that had been the boss.

“And I thought we had it bad…”

“How did you go?” Orion squinted against a headache as he raised his eyes to look at the captain. “We heard from Femera that Azeria was helping escort people to safety?”

“It was certainly… strange being helped by creatures. Even stranger were those damn monkeys.” He shuddered despite himself. “They turned those rocks they throw into damn artillery. I’m glad they were on our side.”

“Oh, those weren’t rocks.” Honeypot smiled mischievously, but was summarily ignored by Captain Blanc—a wise choice, by Orion’s estimation.

“If you think they were weird,” Honeypot tried again, “wait till you meet their patriarch.”

Captain Blanc took the bait.

“Is there a giant version of them like Azeria? That’s… troublesome.”

“Oh, much worse.” Honeypot giggled, then turned to the rest of the people. He eyed them all, one-by-one. “No one say a damn thing, alright? I need to see the look on his face when he meets Gileal. I need this.”

Captain Blanc sighed.

“I’m really not in the mood, Honeypot. We lost good people today, and some are still missing that I would consider my friends.”

Orion’s expression hardened as he suddenly remembered the scene of carnage at the southern gate.

“Exactly!” Honeypot pointed his finger at Captain Blanc as if the man had just answered correctly in class. “That’s exactly why we need to celebrate their lives and sacrifices. What better way to celebrate life than with joy? And believe me, your face will provide joy to anyone that sees it.”

“I must be exhausted,” Archer said, “because he’s starting to make sense.”

Arika winced at Archer.

“It’s horrible, isn’t it?”

Captain Blanc stared at Honeypot, but eventually conceded.

“Fine, I’ll wait until I see this ‘Gileal’. I can’t promise you a reaction, though. After today, I’m not sure anything will surprise me ever again.”

Orion butted in before Honeypot could continue his antics. “Captain, I have some bad news about the defenders to the south. I know you were close with the captains—”

Captain Blanc held up a hand to stall him.

“No need, Orion. I’ve already guessed that they were overrun. I don’t expect that Captain Noire would have abandoned her post, so I suspect she fell in the battle.”

“It’s not just that.” Orion’s eyes wanted to avert themselves down to the ground, but he forced himself to look up at the captain, meeting his steely gaze. “They were sabotaged—stabbed in the back by a group of adventurers.”

“Who?” Captain Blanc demanded, a look of fury crossing his face. “What group of adventurers?”

“Mine.” Felsteg stood back and to the side of the group, looking directly at Captain Blanc.

The captain stormed over and grabbed Felsteg by the chest of his leather armor, lifting him off the ground and slamming him against a wall.

“You again? What did I tell you?” The Captain was yelling, spittle flying from his mouth. “What did I fucking tell you? The next time you fucked around, I would have you flayed and hung from the walls of the town. I don’t care what protections the System offers you, I will find a way for you to pay for this, you sniveling fucking coward.”

Felsteg looked back at the furious man, an expression of disgust written on his face.

“I take full responsibility, and will accept any punishment you deem fit.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Frida said, stepping up and putting a hand on the captain’s shoulder.

He spun on her.

“Bullshit it wasn’t his fault. This worm has been sabotaging the efforts of adventurers and townsfolk since he arrived. Do you have any idea how much of an impact he has had on the people of the city? I had to let him keep living before, despite killing innocent townsfolk, but this time…”

Captain Blanc turned his head back to Felsteg and slammed him up against the wall again, causing the rogue to grunt in pain.

“The least Noire deserved was a hero’s death. That at least, I could accept. But YOU stabbing her in the BACK?” Captain Blanc shook with rage, and tears welled in his eyes as he held Felsteg’s chest and throat to the wall.

“It was my fault too, then,” Frida said, her hand still held on Captain Blanc’s plated shoulder. “A member of my party joined the other members of his party in the slaughter of the southern gate defenders. We had no idea, and neither did Felsteg. He actually came to warn us, almost dying in the attempt. His team betrayed him, just as Cain betrayed us. I—”

“Cain?” Captain Blanc demanded, confusion evident as he spun back to Frida. “You’re telling me Cain was responsible for this?”

Frida cast her eyes down, unable to handle the piercing eyes of Captain Blanc.

“Yes. Along with the tank and healer from Felsteg’s party.”

“Brick and Kauri,” Shadow said.

“Where. Are. They?“ Captain Blanc ground out through gritted teeth as he relaxed his grip slightly on Felsteg.

“Their ashes are scattered over the street beneath your feet,” Orion said. “They died while the siege was active. They won’t be returning.”

Captain Blanc’s body sagged upon learning there was no target left for his hatred. “How did they die? They died to the boss?”

“No.” Arika looked up at Captain Blanc with remorseless eyes. “I burned alive, painfully and slowly.”

He stared back down at Arika as emotions warred on his face. Sadness, fury, regret, despair, anger—all fought for a position on his countenance. He dropped Felsteg to the street and turned his broad back to everyone.

“My men and I will wait at the end of the street until you are ready to leave. We will escort you back to the center of town now that the siege has ended.”

Without another word, he walked away, trailed by four soldiers with similar sentiments displayed on their faces.

The adventurers sat in silence for some time, the only noise coming from Felsteg as he tried to catch his breath.

“Are you guys able to move?” Shadow eventually asked Orion and Arika.

“I feel like last time this happened, but way, way worse.” Orion rubbed his temples, trying to disperse some of the growing headache clustering behind his eyes. “I can walk, but I might need an arm to lean on.”

“What he said,” Arika agreed.

With a bit of help, they made their way towards the center of town, where healers and supplies might be found. They traveled slowly and quietly, no one willing to leave behind their wounded, and nobody wanting to disturb the brooding silence of the captain and his soldiers.

Shadow helped Arika while Angus helped Orion. Frida and Archer trailed back and spoke quietly while Truth and Honeypot quietly walked at the front of the procession. Felsteg joined them but kept his distance, eventually stepping in with Frida and Archer after the leader of Monte Cristo’s Hand called him over with a gesture.

They arrived back in the center of town just as the mass of noncombatants started to pour back in. The adventurers with them had received the notification, and knowing the town to be free of monsters, had also made their way back towards the relative safety of the center of town.

News of the adventurer’s betrayal spread. Those soldiers present grew cold and distant as they cleared and checked the building surrounding the square. The townsfolk also began acting strange, even considering the events of the last twenty-four-hours.

A soldier eventually approached Orion and the rest of the party to let them know a residence had been prepared for them to recuperate in, given Orion and Arika’s state. Honeypot tried to joke with the man as he led them on, but the soldier was cold and aloof to the attempts.

The place itself was actually a shop with a bedroom attached. It appeared to be a bakery, and Orion hoped the baker was alright if they had been given his space to rest in. The bedroom had a single bed in it, so Orion took a blanket and pillow and set up a makeshift bed on the ground so Arika could take the more comfortable mattress.

Despite the hard floor felt beneath his body, and the sunlight peaking in through a sheet hung over the single window, Orion was asleep in seconds.