124. BANQUET: TABITHA

I was seated next to Eluf at the head table. Our table was raised at the end of the banquet hall, and we were only seated on one side. I assume this was so everyone could gaze at our magnificence or something. Maybe it was so we could survey those beneath us. What it felt like was like being lined up to be shot.

At the centre was the Duchess. The Duke was not present. He was too poorly, apparently. Next to the Duchess was the birthday girl and then her mother, Linne and Reiner. Eluf was on the other side of the Duchess, his mother, and then myself, Sven and Gwaed. Except Gwaed and Sven swapped, so she was next to me. Maybe he was afraid of me for some reason.

There were guards scattered around the edge of the hall. Two were stationed behind the head table, one near either end. I was keeping particularly aware of them, not necessarily trusting them.

That was when the first explosion happened. That sounded a fair way away into the city, so most of the guests didn’t hear it. The following two explosions were a lot closer and rattled the cutlery. Eluf got to his feet, giving a hand signal to the guards who moved to shut the doors and watch the windows. He tapped a glass to get everybody's attention and was about to make an announcement when the two guards behind us caught a dart in the neck. There were two darts from two different directions. Their necks immediately started to turn black and rot.

I moved, and I sensed that Gwaed did as well. I grabbed a silver platter, spilling food all over the table and swatted the dart that was aimed at Eluf. Gwaed raced past me, tackling the Duchess and the birthday girl to the ground. I saw two darts protruding from her back and her skin starting to blacken. The two guards behind me were already dead.

There were at least three attackers. I had Nyx flood the hall with Engulfing Shadows. I didn’t make it too dark to hamper people, just enough to Sense where everybody was. I pulled two war knives from my Spatial Pocket and shoved one into Eluf’s hand. I sensed Ruku blasting the attacker on his side of the room with a targeted Water Surge, smashing them against a wall. Then everybody panicked. The sensible ones dove for the floor under the tables, and the rest started running for the doors causing mayhem and cover for the attackers.

Then I sensed something I could not believe. The two dead guards behind me were getting up and drawing their swords. I grabbed Eluf on the shoulder and pointed to them, not understanding it myself.

“Shit,” he swore, “a Death Affinity user with the Animate Corpse Skill. I’ll go left. You take the one on the right. Don’t let them scratch you. Disable their limbs, and they are useless.”

I moved to the right and realised Tāoke was no longer around my thigh. I wished him good hunting. There were four attackers that have now turned into six with the two corpses. Ruku’s one was at least unconscious. If he had killed them, they might well get up again. I had the other three in my senses, but it was mayhem down there, and I couldn’t see them.

Then the next strange thing happened that threatened to blow my mind. This loud Caterwauling sound came from behind the table, and then Gwaed sprang onto the table on all fours. I glanced at the Duchess, and she was protecting her granddaughter with her body, but Gwaed was transforming. The two darts were still in her back, but the black rot that I now knew as death affinity was retreating. The black rot was reducing. The same rot that when Wiremu got a scratch from a Death Shaman, it took everything Tāoke and Ört could do to keep him alive. This same rot was being dealt with like it was a common poison. She must have some powerful Blood Skills.

That was just the start. The darts fell out of her back, and her body was covered in coarse black fur. It was the same colour as her hair, but it was definitely Rat Fur. She was barefoot and had cat claws on both hands and feet, and when she looked my way, her mouth was filled with cat fangs. She looked ready to pounce and rip out throats with her fangs. All this was wrapped up in a blood-red ball gown. Then she did pounce and disappeared into the crowd. I saw two dark streaks follow her, which I guess were Difetha and Merch.

My attention was then taken by the corpse swinging his sword at me. Do corpses have a gender? They have the physical goods they were born with but no longer have an identity. That was a weird thought to have in the middle of a fight. Fortunately, they were not as coordinated as they were, nor did they have the Skills of their original person. Cutting tendons means limbs no longer work, so I disarmed it first, not realising it would spray infected blood everywhere. That was a major health hazard. After that, I stuck to more surgical cuts, and it was soon on the ground flopping around. Then the strings were cut, and it lay still. I assume the Skill was deactivated. I hoped it was the person that was deactivated, but I doubted we were that lucky.

I sensed Ruku watching over the Comedic Rhythm, who he had protected by upending a table. Eluf was coming back to me. Then he staggered into a seat. I saw black spreading up his arm, nearly at his shoulder.

Then a worse caterwauling was heard from the crowd on the floor. There was a mad scramble as the crowd got away from something. Then Gwaed stood up in the middle of the cleared space. Blood was dripping from her mouth. I think she did just rip someone's throat open with her teeth. Then I saw the dark still form in her arm. One of her bonds has been killed. A small black form ran up her body and perched on her shoulder.

I needed to get her attention, so I yelled, “Gwrach Waed! I need your help!” She turned a bloody smile at me. I saw blood on Merch’s mouth as well. Let’s kickstart her legend again. She strode over, and everybody gave her a wide berth. I pointed to Eluf’s shoulder. Eluf was not really with it anymore. He was delirious and would be dead soon.

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“Bloody fool,” she muttered.

“Fool, anyway,” I said, “you alone are the bloody one.”

She gave me another bloody-mouthed grin. She carefully placed Difetha on the table, and Merch scrambled off her shoulder to guard her mother’s body. “He needs a Blood Infusion,” she said, creating a wicked claw from her finger.

“Wait!” said the Duchess, “he has a rare blood type.”

Gwaed hissed at her just like a cat. “Stupid woman. Blood Manipulation is the first skill I learned.” She swiped a claw across Eluf’s throat and licked his blood. “Hmmm.” Then she used the claw to slit her wrist and jammed her wrist hard against his throat. I assumed she was using her Blood Manipulation, which was why there was no blood being spilt anywhere. “It is a potent concoction,” she said to me. “A combination of Blood Cleanse and Blood Rejuvenation.”

I watched as the black rot started to recede from his shoulder. It was slower than what I saw happen on Gwaed herself, but that was expected. The Duchess was not happy with the way she was spoken to and dismissed, but we were saving her son’s life, so if she tried to say anything, I would shut her up myself. I think she knew that, and I was still holding my Blacksteel war knife. Speaking of which, I wiped the knife clean on the tablecloth. The corrupted black blood was dangerous.

After a couple of minutes, she stopped the Blood Infusion. “That should be enough,” she said. “When I tasted his blood, he had a moderate level of Poison Resistance, so the normal healers should be able to take it from here. They shouldn’t even need to amputate the arm if they are semi-competent healers.” The Duchess frowned at that comment as well. What does that woman expect? We just saved her son's life for Blood’s sake.

Ruku came up. I could tell the Duchess recognised him and was hoping for support. He ignored her and said to me, “One of them got away.”

Gwaed hissed again.

“Do you know which one?” I asked.

“The one with the death affinity. She animated a corpse that I had to deal with while she escaped.” He replied.

Gwaed hissed again, “That bitch is mine.”

Ruku continued, “I got one of the Hunters Marks onto her, but it just rotted off as I watched. Death is a very difficult affinity to deal with.”

“Not for me,” Gwaed snarled. Then her demeanour changed again, “Fuck, I have all this blood and I still couldn’t save Difetha.” Then she turned to me, “Do we know what she looked like?”

“Yes, hang on.” I scanned the bodies in the room and compared that with my memory from earlier and focused on the missing attacker. I then used Body Image to show what she looked like to everyone here. She must have come from outside in leather armour with a hood. She was shorter than I was and very thin. Because my Spatial Awareness sees through things, I reached up and lowered the hood showing her pale face. Everything about her seemed small, and she came across as undernourished. Once everybody here had a good look, I let the Image drop.

“That is a very useful skill,” Ruku said, and Gwaed nodded.

Just then, Tāoke threw himself on the table, causing the Duchess to jerk backwards in shock. I reached down to let him know he was a good lad. This lady should be thankful I am not planning to marry her son, or her life would become one long nightmare.

“What is happening outside?” I asked Gwaed.

She was silent for a moment and then said, “Everybody is retreating to the north. The Watch is finally starting to take action. There are burning buildings causing some confusing smoke. Sugnwr has sensed Modrica in the distance but not Sten.”

“He will be there, ah Tāoke?” Tāoke nodded his head. “His stealth is higher than most.”

Just then, the guard captain came in with another squad of soldiers and medics and started to bring order to the mess. I noted Sione was with them. He made a beeline toward us.

“Report!” he demanded.

“To you?” I queried, “No. Fuck off.”

The Duchess was flabbergasted at the way I had just dismissed the head of Military intelligence in Obalno.

Sione, however, was smarter than she was. “Sorry,” he apologised, “I am rather stressed right now. What I meant to say is, can I help?”

“Possibly,” I said. “We are tracking the invaders north, and it looks like they are going over the wall rather than boats. Do you want to get that useless navy of yours sailing north to head them off in case we don’t catch them?”

Sione nodded, “Yes, but you should know they have captured other civilians. The other explosions were on two of Störst’s properties and a random house that was abandoned. They must have had bad intel on that one. However, they have captured all five of Störst’s junior enchanters.”

“They also took Abigail earlier today,” I said.

“Shit, I take it you want to let them get out of the city?” He asked,

“Yes, They should lead us to the Swiftwave, and they will be easier to deal with if it is moored. I assume you want the enchanters back?”

“Preferably, or at least not in imperial hands. I will get the navy moving,” and Sione left.

It seems like Sione has just told us to kill the enchanters if we can’t retrieve them. I yelled at his back, “We are not getting paid enough for this shit!”

“I know!” he yelled back as he disappeared out the door.

I looked at the others, “Do you all want to hunt?” They all nodded, including Ruku with his injured foot. I looked around the room, Eluf was semi-conscious in his seat, so I called a medic over. Everybody else was giving us a wide berth.

When my glance settled on the Comedic Rhythm, Zabavano gave me the thumbs up, and Ruku said, “They will be fine here.”

“Let's go then,” I gathered up Tāoke, Gwaed picked up the body of Difetha, and Merch scrambled back into her bosom. As we went out the side door, I had Nyx make us disappear with Engulfing Shadows.

The Medic started treating the Duchess for shock when she wouldn’t respond to him.