Chapter Twenty-Eight

Marcus’ head pounded. He tried to open his eyes, but the stabbing pain caused by the little amount of light that managed to slip through his eyelids caused him to hiss through gritted teeth. His teeth hurt, too, and it felt like his stomach had been filled with burning coals. Every inch of his being was in some kind of pain, and his mind could only focus on one thing at a time, causing his existence to be nothing but a fresh hell as his attention shifted from one part of his body to another.

Worst of all was the awful taste clinging to his tongue like rotted syrup. “Where… where’s the cat?” Marcus ground out between ragged breaths.

“He’s awake,” a voice he didn’t recognize wadded through his muddled mind. Marcus was just happy that somebody was there to hear his awful joke. “Lady Dresden, he’s awake and mentioned a cat…”

Hurried footsteps rushed over to him. Marcus still couldn’t see out of fear of pain but could feel the warmth of Alissa’s hands cupping his face. “Marcus, oh gods.” Her voice came out shaking. “How are you feeling? Can you open your eyes? What cat are you speaking of?”

“Where’s the cat…” The pain was the only thing keeping him from laughing as he spoke. “The cat… that shit in my mouth…”

He couldn’t hold back the laughter any longer. One chuckle quickly turned into a coughing fit that sent fresh waves of agony rippling across his body. He knew it wasn’t funny, but it was the first thing that popped into his head, and he just went with it.

“You are incorrigible,” Alissa sniffled. He could feel her slight body weight pressing down on him as she wrapped him in a crushing embrace. “I thought I lost you…”

Marcus willed his arm to move; the pain wracking his entire body was quickly fading away, allowing him to do so. He plopped his hand down on Alissa’s back and did his best to comfort her. “I’m okay. I’m right here. There’s nothing to worry about.”

After a peaceful moment, Marcus made to sit up. Alissa resisted his movement, trying to hold him down and saying that he needed to rest, but Marcus only shook his head. “Someone tried to kill you, Alissa. I can’t lay here and let them try again.”

She looked at him, her face a bleary mess as Marcus’ eyes still tried to adjust to the light. “Marquis Draconis is investigating and has posted several extra guards to ensure nothing like this happens again.”

“I won’t trust your life in the hands of another,” Marcus retorted as he shook the cobwebs from his head. Another reason he needed to get up was because of the dream he had when he was out. He didn’t know what he needed to do yet, but he knew that Alissa must have been one of the others that big deer was talking about, and she needed him. Now, more than ever.

“Marcus, please…”

He held up a hand to stop her and closed his eyes as he regained his balance. He was recovering quickly but still had a little way to go. “I’m sorry, but I’m done discussing this. I am fine. I’m alive, and I will not leave you when someone that wants you dead is still out there.”

When his eyes opened, he took in his surroundings. They were in his room. It was barely big enough to hold a bed and a single end table, which made him think it was only a closet before they had arrived. He was probably right. “How long was I out?”

“Only a day,” Alissa answered him. She was clearly put out by how he had talked to her but didn’t press the issue any further when she saw that he wouldn’t budge. “Marquis Draconis’ healer said that you were all but dead and refused to treat you. They… they wanted to dispose of you before you even stopped breathing.” She stopped to wipe away a tear that had started to trail down her ruddy cheek. “I hardly convinced them to move you to your room and allow a single maid to watch over you.”

Marcus cupped her cheek, his large hand nearly as big as her head. He bent down and kissed her warmly. “I’m alive. That’s all that matters. Although there is something else we should talk about, it can wait for a little while.” Marcus stopped talking when he noticed Alissa pulling a face. “What is it?”

She looked up at him with a small smile, her eyes still rimmed in red from crying. “I believe there must have been a cat that snuck in here. Your breath is dreadful.” She finished her words with a warm laugh at his expense. Marcus didn’t care as he joined in with her.

Alissa hadn’t been lying about the extra guards assigned to her, compliments of Marquis Draconis. The long hall leading up to her room was filled with stone-faced men, their bronze armor gaining a slightly blue hue as they reflected the magical light given off by the sconces lining the walls. When Marcus left his room for the first time, he was forced to turn sideways so as to not knock them over as they patrolled the corridor.

Her meals were served with a little something extra as well. Marcus was currently watching a little rodent munching away on some roasted vegetables. It was cute but nothing like he had ever seen on Earth. It had big black eyes spread far apart on a face that kind of resembled a chinchilla, except it was a little narrower and longer. Above its dewy eyes were blonde brows that stood out against the rest of its shiny, blue coat, turned down in such a way that made it look like it was always pissed about something.

Marcus had to hold in his laughter as the little beast looked down at its food like the carrots owed it money.

Its body was round and fat, with chunky legs in the back, which would have definitely qualified as thunder thighs, a short tail like a sea otter’s, and short arms that barely supported its rotund body as it moved about its cage. Marcus didn’t know if the entire species was this fat or just this one because it had been eating so much.

“I think you’re good to go,” Marcus told Alissa after observing the obese blue rat-chinchilla thing. It had been ten minutes since he had fed the little creature the food off of Alissa's plate, and there was no sign of it being poisoned. He doubted they would try and poison her again, not after the first attempt had failed, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Alissa didn’t immediately start eating. She continued to stare at her plate of roasted veggies and seared mystery meat, a pensive look plastered on her face. “Marcus,” she started before looking at him as he stood against the wall. “Are you sure you are well? It has only been a day since your recovery…”

Marcus smiled at her, although she couldn’t see it behind the steel of his helmet. “Lis, I’m fine. In fact, I feel great.”

That was the truth, too. Once he had shaken off the pain and nausea, his body bounced back like never before. Now, he knew for sure that his body reacted positively to mana, and he would have to ask Alissa if she could get him some more mana stones or even buy some mana crystals from Marquis Draconis. Or steal them, either one.

“Lis?” She shook her head. “Only my father has ever called me that.”

“Oh, I thought…”

“No, it is alright.” Alissa looked at him with a complicated look that Marcus failed to decipher. “I know that he loved me...”

“He still does,” Marcus interrupted to remind her. She needed to know that he didn’t just abandon her.

Alissa looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. “Be that as it may. It still hurts to be reminded of what he—of him.”

Marcus nodded. He could understand that. Although he had never been betrayed by someone he loved, he could still empathize with her. “I’m sorry. I’ll come up with some other pet name for you then.”

That seemed to lighten the mood as she smiled at him. “Like what?”

“I dunno,” He shrugged, filling her sitting room with the rasping of metal plates. “Something like pumpkin or baby cakes.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Oh, I know! Short stuff!”

“I swear to the gods if you call me short stuff …”

A light tapping on the door saved Marcus from a verbal dressing down. Alissa didn’t respond right away. Instead, she glared at Marcus with a mischievous grin spread across her charming face. He just knew that he hadn’t heard the last of this. “Enter,” Alissa called out, prompting a maid to step into the room.

Marcus recognized the maid as the same one who had been assigned to care for him when he was poisoned. She had jet black hair tied up tightly and stuffed underneath a plain white bonnet, her face was soft but presented the evidence of a persistent lack of sleep, and her calloused hands wrung themselves nervously in front of her long white apron that protected the equally long black dress that hid the rest of her petite frame. Marcus thought that the maids’ outfits looked like a mixture of a classic French maid and whatever it was called that catholic nuns wore.

“Lord Draconis wishes to speak with you, Lady Dresden.” The timid maid said with her eyes locked on the floor.

“Has the investigation bore fruit?” Alissa asked, unsurprised by the reply.

“I do not know, Lady Dresden. I was only told to retrieve you.”

“Very well,” Alissa said as she rose from the soft chair she was sitting in. The sudden movement caused the fat rodent to squeak cutely in surprise. “Lead the way.”

Marquis Draconis’ manor differed slightly from the two Marcus had been in before. Harold’s, Alissa’s father, felt warm and lived in. It was decorated with family portraits and busts of distant cousins or long-dead ancestors, letting any visitors know that he valued family greatly; at least, that was what he wanted people to think. Marcus still thought that he could have handled the situation with Alissa much differently if he had really wanted to.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

On the other hand, Marquis Mayweather’s manor was an example of narcissism and indulgence. Gaudy baubles were splattered everywhere, and so much gold was used that it was easy to see the obese Marquis’ unhealthy obsession with the soft metal. The man clearly flounced his wealth at every opportunity. He used it to tell everyone how great he was with epic statues and portraits of himself in heroic circumstances that obviously never happened. Marquis Mayeather’s narcissism had most definitely worn off on his children, at least the one tagging along with them. Marcus couldn’t stand that little twat.

That just left the manor Marcus was marching down at the moment, flanked by four armored guards. It would be militaristic if he had to describe it with one word. Although Alissa’s room had been decorated with comfort in mind, that could not be said about the rest of the manor. The walls were slate grey, just like the outside of the manor, and instead of paintings, statues, or even potted plants, arms and armor were the only things on display to anyone wandering the halls.

It was clear that Marquis Draconis—Marcus really thought that name silly—was all about swinging swords and bashing brains. Still, that mindset seemed to have worked out for him and his family for this long, so Marcus couldn’t really fault him for that.

The maid brought them to a closed door at the end of a long, empty corridor. It looked no different from any of the others they had passed or walked through to get here, but from the way the maid paused to take a deep, steadying breath before she knocked, told Marcus that Marquis Draconis was on the other side. The four armored guards took positions on either side of the door as Marcus followed Alissa and the maid inside.

A large map plastered on the far stone wall immediately grabbed his attention. It was obviously hand-drawn but was as detailed as any map he had ever seen. He only wished he knew what he was looking at. Marcus had no idea what this world’s geography looked like, and even if he did, he would have no idea where on the map they were. It didn’t matter anyway as the man facing the map with his hands behind his back turned to them as they entered. This was the second time he had seen the man, and he couldn’t get over the fact that he was the spitting image of Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones.

“Thank you. That will be all,” Marquis Draconis dismissed the maid. The tired-looking woman gave a respectful curtsey before scampering out of the room. Marcus, mindful of his place, stepped to the side and pressed himself against the wall, doing his best impression of the empty suits of armor lining the halls as he could.

“Lord Draconis. It is a pleasure, as always.” Alissa said with a curtsey, her voice as pleasant as a warm spring breeze.

Marquis Draconis returned her curtsey with a bow, “The pleasure is all mine. Unfortunately, I did not call upon you due to pleasant business.”

“That is unfortunate, but not unexpected given recent events.”

Her neutral words caused Marquis Draconis to grimace. He was quite upset that an attempt was made on his guest’s life. “The investigation is still underway. We have traced the poison to a local alchemist, and his interrogation is bearing fruit but that is not the reason for my summons.”

Alissa looked at him in surprise, curious as to what else it could be. They were only supposed to be here for three days, it had already been two, and the ball was still scheduled for tonight—at least that was the plan. “The ball?”

Marquis Draconis nodded as he motioned for Alissa to sit. The room was spartan; only the map plastered onto the wall provided decoration, and only simple chairs and a single, large table populated the otherwise empty space. Alissa followed his suggestion and sat, pressing her knees together and placing her hands in her lap with all of the grace demanding of her station.

“Has it been postponed?” She asked, failing to hide the relief in her voice. She hadn’t been looking forward to it even before the assassination attempt that had almost killed Marcus. It wasn’t that she was against soirées such as this, it was just that she hated being reminded why she was in Pol Trulant, and it was impossible to expect that the subject of her impending marriage would not come up in any casual conversation.

“It has not,” Marquis Draconis said with a shake of his head, deflating any short-lived hope Alissa might have had. “But you have nothing to fear, your safety will not be impinged. No, what I wanted to speak with you about is an unexpected guest that will be attending.”

Alissa furrowed her brow, unable to think of how any of this would affect her. “I fail to imagine how that would be any of my concern.”

“Have you heard of the kingdom’s hero?” Marquis Draconis asked. He almost looked embarrassed to talk about it, but it was difficult for Marcus to clearly see his face from where he stood, and with the fact that his visor restricted his vision.

“I cannot say that I have.”

The Marquis nodded, “That is not unexpected. I should preface what I am about to tell you with a warning.” His eyes drifted from Alissa over to Marcus standing against the wall. “Although what I am about to say will eventually become public knowledge. It is still considered something that must be held in absolute confidence as of right now. Do you understand?”

“I am not some wallflower who will let gossip flow like some drunkard telling tall tales,” Alissa told him calmly, but it was clear that she had taken offense.

“Forgive me, Lady Dresden. I did not mean to insinuate that you are unable to hold secrets, I only wished to stress the importance of what I am about to tell you.” Marquis Draconis gave her a deep bow before righting himself.

“Marcus,” Alissa barked out with a mask of haughtiness accustomed to ladies of her status. “You will not repeat anything you are to hear. Am I clear?”

“Yes,” Marcus replied with an even voice that reverberated deeply in his armor. He tried to make it sound as imposing as possible even if he only used one word. He actually enjoyed acting like some unapproachable mound of steel and flesh and took any opportunity he could to act it out.

Unfortunately, Marquis Draconis didn’t react to Marcus’ brusque reply. He only gave Alissa a grateful nod before he continued the conversation. “For almost a year now, reports have been coming in of attacks by strange and sickly-looking monsters. Now, that is not at all uncommon, especially when talking about the outlying villages and outposts, but the assaults on the populace have only continued to occur more frequently as time passes. We had been working to cull any dens we could find, but it doesn’t appear to be just one species of monster, but several, all of them afflicted with some type of disease that transforms them into something… else.”

Alissa nodded slowly. “People as well.” Her memories of the night they were assaulted by those humanoid monsters were as fresh as the day it happened. She wasn’t involved in the battle but had witnessed the aftermath, and those images would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Marquis Draconis pressed his lips together into a thin line, “Yes, we are aware. That development was the impetus for the actions that led to the ‘Hand of Salvation’ coming to our kingdom.”

“The Hand of Salvation?” Alissa asked, cutely cocking her head to the side.

“That is what he likes to call himself,” Marquis Draconis sighed. “It is a rather pompous name, but no one feels the need to tell him.”

A snort came from Marcus, drawing the attention of both the Marquis and Alissa. The Marquis looked displeased at the interruption, but Alissa just smiled at him and gave Marcus a knowing wink before turning back around. “So, he fancies himself a hero? Why is it I have never heard of him before?”

“He is a hero, blessed by the Monarch of Iron himself.” Marquis Draconis told her with a neutral tone. “And has received all of the authority such a blessing entails. The reason behind his anonymity was his lack of training and the method by which he was brought into the kingdom. It is only now that he will begin to perform the duties assigned to him by the King and the gods.”

That caught Marcus’ attention. He hadn’t yet had a chance to speak with Alissa about the vision or dream or whatever it was he experienced when he had almost died… again, but he could clearly remember what it was he needed to do. And it seemed like this hero was a part of it. And, from the cryptic words Tywin over there was saying, there was a good chance that this hero was from a different world like him.

Marcus hadn’t put a whole lot of thought into why or how he was here; he had other more immediate worries to deal with, but now that a lead was right in front of him, it only made sense to try and find out more. That was another thing he had to talk with Alissa about, his origins. Right now, she was under the impression that he was from far up north, a barbarian from the frozen tundra or something like that. Although he supposed he did look like Conan, that wasn’t the case.

“All right. So, this hero will be in attendance.” Alissa clarified before continuing, “Why is this a sour turn of events? Surely a man of such esteem, honestly gained or otherwise, would be a welcome guest.”

“One would think so,” Marquis Draconis said before continuing with a bit of apprehension. “I am remiss to speak ill of anyone’s character, let alone a hero blessed by the gods themselves, but I have heard some disheartening stories that paint a picture of a man that freely abuses his granted authority,” he paused as he chewed on his next words as if they tasted awful to him. “Especially toward women…”

“And you believe he would attempt something untoward?” Alissa asked almost unbelievingly. “How could he possibly think he could behave in such a way?”

Marquis Draconis shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “I wish to speak candidly with you, Lady Dresden. I am unsure what he has done, but it was grievous enough to be ushered out of the capital quickly. It is my belief only his blessing from the Monarch protects him, making it so that no one is brave enough to punish the man.”

Marcus no longer wanted to speak with this hero. If he did, he was much more likely to smash his nose in than anything else, and if he dared to lay a finger on Alissa, he would kill him. Just thinking about that caused a swell of righteous anger to rise in his chest. The creaking of his leather gloves drew a glance from the Marquis as he clenched his fists.

“Thank you for the warning, Marquis Draconis,” Alissa said, drawing the man’s attention back to her. “Are you also warning the other guests, or am I an exception?”

“I have only heard rumors, so it would be unwise of me to spread them without confirmation. I am sure you can understand the precariousness of the situation.”

Alissa nodded, keeping her emotions from showing on her face. She hated playing politics, and this was just one more thing she had to worry about. “I can.” She rose from her seat, “And I thank you for your consideration. I will take what you have told me to heart. If there is nothing else, I must attend to my preparations.”

Marquis Draconis followed her in getting out of his chair and gave her a small bow. “That was all, Lady Dresden. I do hope that you enjoy that ball. My daughter will also be attending; I will introduce her to you.”

“That sounds splendid,” Alissa said with another curtsey. “Until then, Marquis Draconis.”