Veduca’s spirits were low. While it was true that she didn’t felt particularly bad about the fate of the bandits, who jumped her and Lodwin, she did felt concerned for her companion. The heartless way he had dispatched their assailants wasn’t boding well.

Resurrections, especially those that were performed in a flawed way, eat away the soul of the one resurrected. While her father had done, all he could, his means were limited. Only God could perform a true, flawless resurrection.

—

“I need you to accompany and have an eye on him”, her father had told her after the ritual had been completed.

The whole chapel smelled of blood, burned flesh and alien magic.

“Yes, but why?”, she had asked, looking concerned at Lodwin, who had been under a sleeping spell at that point.

“While he was an almost disgustingly kind person in his first life, he won’t be in this one”, he had explained. “With enough luck, the hatred of his former comrade will be enough drive to keep him on track, but he might also turn on other people. I can’t have that.”

“So… What shall I do when he… turns on people?”

“Kill him.”

She had flinched at that.

“I’m sorry, dearie”, her father had said and patted her hair. “I know, you grow easily attached to the people you spend a lot of time with, but per the contract I can’t do it myself. And I made it easy for you. Here…”

He had handed her a small silver coin.

“Should his soul degenerate to a point where you can’t pull him back by normal means”, he had continued. “You take this coin and shot it into the inverted cross on his forehead. This’ll grant him a fast and painless death.”

“You can count on me, father”, she had replied while taking the coin.

—

Now it rested like a piece of molten iron on her chest along a few more mundane pieces of jewellery. Veduca raised her hand to touch it while sighing. Seemingly alarmed by the sound, Lodwin, who was walking slightly ahead of her, stopped and turned around to face her. With a gentle gesture, he asked her if she was alright.

“Oh, I’m fine. Don’t you worry”, she replied and felt bad about it.

You don’t look like it, he told her via gestures.

“It’s because of those bandits back there”, she told him, as this wasn’t entirely a lie. “Do you truly believe they were beyond salvation?”

Lodwin thought for a few moments, then he nodded and moved on.

“Would you’ve killed them if the Divine Lord hadn’t betrayed you and the Order?”, Veduca asked as she caught up to him and fell in pace.

Once more he considered her words for a some time, frowned and shrugged.

Taking this as his final answer, she looked down and sighed.

The landscape changed. At first, the forest became lighter and the trees younger. Soon they found themselves at the bother of a huge field, which stretched out towards a fortified settlement. It, like the other fields, was covered in patches by sickly looking plants. It was barely enough to keep the settlement alive.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

In order to not cause any trouble, Veduca used her usual spell and hid with it her inhuman features. Lodwin watched her with a skeptical expression. It was clear he didn’t approve of her magic, but at the same time he knew that it was better she appeared like a normal woman.

—

After about another hour, they arrived at the settlement. Its fortifications were old and in disrepair. Small trees had even grown in some cervices, but were dead like most other plants. Still, at what was once a gate sat a man in loose dented armour with a rusted spear resting beside him on the dirt. In front of him burned a fire, on which he was roasting some rough-looking dough. As he noticed Veduca and Lodwin, he stood up and grabbed the spear, which must’ve been broken at least once, as its shaft was warped in a thin metal layer not of the same material as the head.

“Hold right there”, the man said monotonous, and pointed the spear at Lodwin, who was two heads taller and glared at him. “What does a giant like you and a dainty lady do here, in the middle of nowhere?”

“We’re weary travellers seeking for a place to stay the night”, Veduca explained with a pleasant smile.

“Many such people…”, the man murmured and continued louder. “How did you two manage to get through the forest unharmed? The bandits there usually ruin pretty young things like you before butchering them.”

“Thanks to my bodyguard here”, she said and patted Lodwin’s chest.

“He is a giant, but just one man”, the guard replied with a suspicious glance towards him. “Unless… Well, what does it matter?”

“Huh? Excuse me, but what do you mean?”, Veduca asked, confused.

“Don’t mind an old man like me, young lady”, he replied and stepped aside. “Welcome to Agimot.”

“I’m sorry and… I don’t want to appear rude, but for a moment, I thought you wouldn’t let us through. How come you changed your mind all of a sudden?”

“It’s never wise to stand in the way of men… or women serving your lord.”

“Oh! I get it! You think we’re with the Divine Lord!”

“You aren’t?”

“Oh, no, good sir. As I said, we’re just some ordinary travellers looking for a place to stay the night. We won’t cause anyone any trouble. We’re just on our way to Eldebourg.”

“Eldebourg?”, the man said and let out a dry huff. “For not wanting to cause any trouble, you appear to be looking for it.”

“Meaning?”, she asked, curious.

“One of the Divine Lords knights has taken over Castle Eldebourg and the surrounding townships about two years or so ago”, the man explained. “No one, who has entered the Castle, has returned.”

Lodwin made a subtle gesture to express his impatience.

Veduca ignored him, as she hoped to gain more information from the guard.

“Aren’t there any corpses?”, she asked, concerned.

“I heard there are no fresh corpses, but ones that look like they’d been dead for a decade or longer”, the man replied with a visible shiver.

“Those who entered…”, she mused. “Did they enter on their own accord or were they taken?”

“Well, at first, the bravest took up arms to take revenge on the knight for killing the lord of this area – he was a kind man, pity he’s gone. Since then, he takes people at random. Some young, some old. Men and women. Tall and small.”

“Why don’t the people leave the township?”

“And where should they go, young lady? It’s everywhere the same. Beyond that, the people of Eldebourg don’t fall sick anymore. Sure, they have about as much to eat and drink as we have, but not even one inhabitant gets sick anymore. About the start of last winter, a fever made the rounds around here. Many people died even here in Agimot, despite belonging to the Eldebourg lands, but no one died or got sick in Eldebourg itself. And beyond that, the Knight also takes tributes from us and any other village or minor settlement around here. Imila had her twin brother taken a week ago, and her husband and son even earlier. Poor thing isn’t what she used to be anymore.”

“Could I, per chance, speak with her?”

“She owns the only inn we got, so you’ll meet her eventually. But you should be weary of her.”

“Why?”

“She isn’t too friendly with strangers anymore because of what has happened, mind you. She might attack you.”

“Then thank you for the warning, but I’ve one more question, if you don’t mind.”

“Ask, young lady.”

“Do you know why the Knight takes people? A guess perhaps?”

“That’s something I don’t like to think about, sorry.”

“I understand”, Veduca replied, smiling. “Thank you for your time.”

“You’re welcome, young lady”, the man replied and stepped aside.

That moment, Lodwin slinked out of the shadows, which caused the guard to flinch. Immediately, Veduca grabbed hold of Lodwin’s wrist and pulled him along.

After they had entered the village proper, she stopped to look around. Doing so, she noticed Lodwin’s disapproving gaze.

“I didn’t charm him or anything to forget you”, she said sullen.

He gave her a deadpan stare.

“Seriously! Even I can’t go around and constantly bewitch people willy-nilly.”

Lodwin’s expression softened a bit, but it was still apparent that he didn’t entirely believe her. Annoyed, Veduca puffed her cheeks and gave him an angry glare, which in turn made him smile and force hiding his face.

“Calling me adorable doesn’t make me any less angry”, she said, but had trouble hiding her grin.

While still avoiding looking at her, Lodwin signed that he wanted to go on and find the inn.

“I get it. I also rather find some nice spot to sleep”, she remarked. “We had a lot of trouble on the way here, and I still need to check the state of your body.”

I’m fine, he signed.

“Let me be the judge of that, yes?”

Reluctant he nodded.