Caeileera

On Lilyth's suggestion, we went as she put it “armed for a berr”. Those were apparently some large and dangerous predators from Terra. I was even convinced to put on some armour from the estate’s armoury. It was a simple jack of plates that felt awfully uncomfortable, but as Lilyth put it “so would a blade in my stomach”, which was difficult to argue against. I also took a normal metal glaive. It would slow me down even more, but once again Lilyth had an irrefutable argument of “keeping my ability to use magic a secret”. After what had happened to her that would be an excellent trump card to hide. This was further augmented by my conversation with Savri that both of us should avoid Zalikh root at all costs.

‘We are both highly magical beings,’ she explained. ‘I mean you were literally created by a god. So maybe the drug won’t be as debilitating on us as it is on Lilyth, but why take chances?’

She promised to have a separate chat about that with Aki along with some more general safety advice. I asked her to give it to me too at some point.

‘A bit ashamed to admit it, but someone drugging my food was not a risk I was that aware of previously.’

‘Doesn’t happen in the Badlands?’

‘Not that I am aware of. In general, I don’t think such substances are present there at all. Recreational drugs… sure. Stuff that is outright poisonous? No.’

‘The Blood actually has standards?’

‘I think it is more a case of “giving a bunch of bored hedonists the tools to poison each other is not the best of ideas”.

‘When you put it that way…’

At any rate, Ren settled for a gambeson. She also took her bow and a simple arming sword. As she had her armour already on, Lilyth simply attached the Blade of the Black Rose to her belt. I had to give it to Aki - Lilyth looked beyond amazing in her full paladin regalia. Ren suggested offering some equipment to Aldvil who was waiting on us before the house but Lilyth shook her head at that.

So I am not the only one who is wary here.

Ren saw that she was outvoted so she dropped the matter.

‘He seems nice,’ Lilyth explained. ‘But I don’t know enough about him to trust him with a weapon around you. That and he likely doesn't know how to wield one.’

There was likely more to that, but I decided to not press it. Those were good enough reasons. For now.

As we walked towards the cave, I noticed Lilyth frequently casting furtive glances at Aldvil.

What are you suspecting?

Then, just as we were nearing it, she stopped us.

‘Can you hear it?’ she said, nervously around.

At first, I had no idea what she was talking about. There was nothing to hear. The forest was quiet.

Oh.

There was no chirping of birds in the blue and orange canopies of trees, no rustling of leaves, no buzzing of insects. Nothing.

‘A pocket of quiet,’ I hissed.

This caused understanding to dawn on Ren’s face, quickly replaced by nervousness. I could get that. The pockets were unnerving at first, but having passed through many of those in the past two weeks I really stopped caring about them. Most of the time you didn't even notice them. By the gods… I didn't catch it the first time around we went through here. After Akh'ret’s Mercy, I developed an attitude of, to paraphrase my stupid jelly, “It’s not the pocket of quiet that's the problem - it is what causing it.” That being said, I doubted that there was anything scary here. We were close to Mer-Cas, so any issues would have likely manifested by now.

Unless it’s the cave? But I didn't see anything odd there. Maybe Lilyth will spot something. Still, it is probably not the worst idea in the world to do a full sweep of the area once we are done with the Kojiro business. If we are to live here it would be nice to know that there are no Rot monsters nearby.

Then Aldvil said something quite baffling.

‘I don’t understand what's the big deal. The place is just quieter than the rest of the forest.’

Lilyth's eyes narrowed.

‘Been in many of these before?’ she asked.

‘No,’ he replied. ‘I heard rumours of one being here, but never understood the hassle around these.’

‘Then you are a braver man than most, Aldvil of Mer-Cas,’ Lilyth said.

‘I’m from Denyr, actually,’ he corrected her. ‘I met Gerra when she and her family visited some relatives in Denyr and ended up settling down here after marrying her.’

Surely he must have passed through at least one pocket during his courtship then. Probably multiple times.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Lilyth then caught my gaze and looked down. I noticed her having casually placed her hand on the pommel of her sword. Then she tapped the hilt three times with her finger. She then paused and repeated the gesture.

Tap tap tap

Tap tap tap

Tap tap tap

Three taps. Her hand is on her weapon.

Tap tap tap

Tap tap tap

Tap tap tap

Three enemies? More? No. She wouldn't have taken that break then. But how… They must have [Silent Step] then. Those idiots. They don’t know about her hearing. If this wasn’t a quiet pocket she likely wouldn't have caught them. I take back everything I thought about her hearing.

Still… we were surrounded. I nodded my understanding to Lilyth.

‘We are planning on taking a trip to Denyr one of these days, so maybe you can recommend some places to visit,’ Lilyth said. ‘Anyway, let’s keep going.’

‘Yes,’ Aldvil agreed. ‘It’s not far now.’

And how would you know that, good sir?

Lilyth moved up to walk to the left of him and I saw one of her knives manifest itself in her hand. With a quick movement, she grabbed Aldvil and pressed the knife to his neck.

‘If you know where our destination is, why have us go with you here?’ she growled echoing my thoughts.

‘L-lucky guess?’ he stammered out.

‘And the three men lurking around are here by sheer luck too?’

‘Who said there are just three of us?’ said a voice I knew all too well, despite having never seen the man.

A total of ten men stepped out from behind the trees holding crossbows. They all wore blue brigandines, and all but one had red demon masks on. The face of the one who wasn’t masked… brought the worst nightmares back. Unlike his sister, the man mostly took from the elven side of the family. He had normal-looking cold blue eyes and his teeth likewise had normal proportions. The only signs of his harpy heritage were his long white hair and slightly curved fingernails. What probably was his most distinguishing characteristic, however, were the three parallel scars on his right cheek. They were a remnant of his first attempt to force himself on Leera.

‘Kojiro,’ Ren spat.

‘Happy to see you too, sis,’ he laughed. ‘Told you I would be back soon. ‘Now, Lilyth, I have no idea how you were able to tell that even three of my men were around, but I imagine you will tell me once we get to know each other better. And, Leera! So good to see you! I don’t know what happened to your wings, but happy to see them gone. They always got into the fucking way.’

He laughed and continued.

‘Now… I would release my man over there, Lilyth. Those crossbow bolts are covered in Zalikh so I would come with us willingly. I don’t want to damage you.’

A strange thought occurred to me then.

That's the wrong leverage, you idiot. Threaten us, not her if you want Lilyth to comply.

Nonetheless, Lilyth sighed and let Aldvil go. I could see the sheer terror in her eyes. Whether it was for us or just herself, I did not know. It didn't matter anyway.

‘Now… drop your weapons all!’ Kojiro commanded us.

I want to tell you how we attacked them and fought our way out, but we complied as we saw the utter futility of resistance. They had us. Once our weapons were safely in the hands of our captors, our hands were tied behind our backs, we were gagged and led to the cave to await our fate.

Lilyth

Nononononononononono

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck

It can’t end like this! It can't!

But… when I saw one of the Red Masks approach us with a leather pouch shortly after we were put into a small chamber and our legs were tied, I knew that was it. I recalled it from the Nightmare. They kept Zalikh in it.

This is the end then. But why do Caeileera and Ren have to go through it too? They don’t deserve it…

I realised then that Aki and Savri would get caught next, which only increased my despair.

Nonononononono.

I would do anything to protect them.

‘Anything?’ I heard Ereshkigal’s voice and time slowed down to a crawl. I saw her manifest next to the man with the pouch. She was dressed in a black tank top and jeans.

Anything! I repeated.

‘There is a way then. But… I cannot guarantee you will survive it.’

What is it?

‘Remember what happened when you were falling down that ravine and Nyx channelled her power through you?’

Yes. Can you do that?

‘I can do something better…’ she said sadly. ‘I can actually imbue you with part of my power for a few moments. This will… have consequences. One, like I said, you could die. Your soul being in the state it is and you still being scrambled by yesterday only increases the likelihood. Two, you will become permanently bound to me. This is a bond far deeper than patronage or paladinship. You essentially become mine. Forever.’

Like marriage?

She chuckled.

‘I believe you are taken. But no, this is more akin to thralldom. I become the owner of your soul. That means no more do-overs with Lady Madness since you must stay in the same ‘reality’ as I do. After you die - you will not be able to pass on and you will remain my servant. And, though I have no intention of ever doing that, I will be able to actually force you to do things. It’s nothing dramatic like overriding your free will, but potentially at any point I can make every single microsecond of your life feel like an eternity of absolute agony.’

I pondered it for a moment.

What about my patronage deal with Nyx?

Ereshkigal tapped her chin with her nail.

‘I could dissolve it if I so desired, but I won't,’ she finally said. ‘You and her are a good fit for one another.’

So I am selling my soul to you then?

‘Yes.’

Aki. Caeileera. I am sorry.

We have a deal then… my mistress.

Ereshkigal then approached me, crouched in front of me and planted a kiss on my cheek.

Deal sealed with a kiss, I thought and then I felt Umbral energy filling my very essence.