Losian: Chp 116 – Arkthame

I awoke with a startle, bringing my hand to my chest, I looked out the window. It was still dark, I couldn’t have slept more than six hours. I let out a breath to calm myself. “Are you alright?” Frejr asked, sleepily. I got out of the bed, gesturing for her to take it. “Are you sure?” She mumbled. “You can keep sleeping there if you need it…”

I shook my head, seating myself upright. “I’m good.” I said, bringing my right hand to my temple. “Wouldn’t be able to get any sleep anyway.” I continued, beginning to don my armour. Frejr rubbed her eyes, standing up to crawl into the bed. She then slipped under the covers, nearly immediately seeming to relax and fall asleep.

I sat in the chair at the edge of the room, my eyes taking in the dim light from the window. Where are you right now? I thought to myself, eyes scanning across the city, it was a pointless effort I knew, and yet I couldn’t help myself from wondering… I Delved, sifting through the few souls still here in the early dawn. Someone still manned the reception downstairs, and one or two people were in the rooms upstairs near us. The person at the desk was bored, it was still… difficult for me to tell, but with how often people were bored I’d easily picked up on the stagnancy that accompanied it.

All the others were still sleeping, a few tossed and turned, bad dreams perhaps. My mind wandered back to the dreams I’d had, Azarint had been stabbed from the front, this was someone he’d allowed close. I couldn’t help but think to Linden, and yet he was too direct, too foolish, to have done this, but who else could’ve? I stifled a frustrated growl. There will be hell to pay when I find him. At dawn, Frejr’s eyes instantly opened the moment I touched her shoulder. She looked out of the window, nodding to me. “The guards should have something.” She said, standing to don her armour again. “This will go faster if you aid me.” She remarked. I nodded, helping under her instruction.

I bought myself some bread as I waited for Frejr to finish talking with the guards, leaning against a wall as I watched the building. It was surprising to me then that two guards came up beside me, with somewhat grim expressions. “Would you come with us sir?” One of them spoke, gesturing towards the guard building. I arched an eyebrow, but nodded, taking another bite as I followed them in. “This was the guy you were talking about right Koran?” The second guard called out.

“That looks about right…” Another guard spoke up. “I think he looked a little rougher though, but it could’ve been the light.” He said, rubbing his chin. He walked up to me. Huh… what’s this even about? “What’s your business in Lrash boy?” He asked, scrutinizing me.

“I’m not sure what this is about, sir. I’m here as an irregular, not working right now, just visiting a few friends…” I said, looking around. From the looks of it they seemed prepared for me to bolt. “… This is about Frejr’s request isn’t it?” I asked, realization dawning on me. “If one of you could call her, she’ll vouch for me.” I said, keeping my palms open and facing outwards to show that I was unarmed.

“Hmmmm… Alright, sure.” The guard said, tilting his head towards another guard, who leapt to his feet and went deeper into the complex. “You know what this business is about then?” The guard asked, continuing to eye me, though the rest of them seemed to relax.

“I’m here to help catch them.” I said, grimacing. “They’ve committed some serious crimes I need them to own up to, preferably after they’ve spilled their guts on their reasons.” I spat.

The guard blinked, eyes searching my face, before he nodded to himself. “I see… Sorry for holding you up.” He said. “Whoever this is, both you and Frejr seem pretty determined to catch them, what on earth did they even do?” He asked, leaning back in his chair.

“I was asked not to say.” I sighed. “Frejr believes we’ll find them faster if they don’t think anyone knows their crimes.” I said simply. “Probably because they’re planning a repeat performance.” I continued, eyes narrowing. “Did you and the guards come across any suspicious, new persons though? Besides me of course…” I said, wincing a little as I waved a hand.

“Recently not at all.” The man frowned. “You were the only person on our list. Maybe they slipped past in a cloak or something and one of us didn’t get a good look at them.” He sighed. “The inns might have better information for you, this time of year there’s not that many new visitors, you’ll still be dealing with a lot of them though. Most of them are just merchants, or some dignitaries.” He said dismissively.

Frejr swept in through the hallway. “Kael.” She said with a slight snort. “I suppose it was rather inevitable that you would be picked up.”

“I resent that.” I said with a mock frown. “I don’t look that suspicious do I?” I asked, turning to the guard that had brought me in.” The guard shrugged apologetically, a light smile on his face. “Well that’s not encouraging…” I said, feigning surprise.

“We should take our leave.” Frejr said, turning to me. “To cover all the inns and taverns will take plenty of time.” I got up, nodding to the guards around me as I left. Once outside she made the worst suggestion she could’ve made.

“No. We’re not doing that.” I said exasperatedly as Frejr and I stood outside the guard building. “That’s a stupid idea and we agreed it was a stupid idea.”

“Between the two of us we will need to cover far too much ground.” Frejr said. “It only makes sense for us to split up.” She insisted. “I will be wearing my armour, and you yourself are well protected from anything once dressed. We are forewarned now, and so long as we stay alert they will not be able to injure us so easily.”

“It’s reckless and stupid.” I snarled. “We should wait for the others to arrive first.” I said. “Then we’ll be able to cover it while paired. This man essentially snuck up on Azarint, for all you know he’s your friend too.” I chopped my hand downwards. “I can’t, won’t lose you all to some crazed madman.” I gritted my teeth. “We’re sticking together for this.”

Frejr looked at me, taken aback. “Alright.” She said simply, nodding once. “We’ll start from the western edge, where they would have come in. There are a few inns there.”

I let out a breath. “Yeah, let’s do that.” I said, gesturing for her to walk on. I followed by her side this time, I tired of the attempt at subterfuge, if he came for me I wanted to be in his way. I tried to focus, crushing down the frustration and unease I was feeling. This… struck too close, burying Yinea had left me numb, I’d held that damned potion, just inches away, as she’d expired, glassy eyed as her breath ceased. I thought I’d managed to bury it deep enough, stayed busy enough, but it would seem I hadn’t… not enough. Seeing Azarint then, stabbed, brutalized, desecrated, a wave of anger and revulsion welled up, and I clenched a fist. But now wasn’t the time to let it control me.

“Someone… new?” The innkeeper asked, looking at Frejr with a small frown. “No, I don’t think there’s been anyone recently. All my customers have been travellers and traders, has something happened?” Frejr gave a brief, vague answer at that, thanking the innkeeper. I stopped leaning against a pillar, moving to join her as she left.

“The next one should be along that street.” Frejr said, inclining her head. “Would you like to do the questioning this time?” She asked. “Standing there with a scowl must get tiring.” She remarked.

“Didn’t realize I was doing that.” I said with a wince. “No, I’m out of my armour, I don’t have the same presence you have…” I continued. “Even if they don’t know what you look like exactly they at least know of you. That helps with not putting them on guard. Besides, I’m scary in my armour.” I gave a strained smile.

She nodded, bringing us down to the next inn. I loosened myself a little, unfolding my arms and tugging my lips into a neutral expression. The innkeeper’s eyes flicked between Frejr and me, giving me a bemused glance as Frejr introduced herself, I arched an eyebrow, and she chuckled in response. “Have any new strangers come in for lodging?” Frejr asked the innkeeper, switching her focus back to her. “We are trying to track someone down for a crime committed.” Frejr said, laying out her practiced response when they inevitably pried.

“Not anyone worth mentioning.” The innkeeper replied. “It’s been rather slow lately all things considered…” She shrugged. “If it wasn’t for a few late travellers I would have closed up the rooms for the season.” She continued, calling a serving swain as a meal came out of the kitchen.

Frejr nodded, thanking her for her time. “That is all we can do for now.” She said. “If we were to continue in the dark we run the risk of being ambushed and assaulted.” I nodded, we’d only gone through maybe less than a quarter of the town. Still, I preferred it this way, tense as I was I would have been far worse had we been split up.

“This may seem like a fool’s errand, but with the guards alerted, we are making progress.” Frejr said. “Our assassin could escape, but if he is really so fixated, not to mention overconfident, it is unlikely he’ll stay away from us very long.” She continued, as we made our way back to the guild.

“All I know is I’ll feel a lot better once we’ve found him.” I said, letting out a breath and rubbing at my shoulders. “Bastard’s leaving me all wound up, I don’t know if we’re good enough to be the hunters, or just another set of prey.”

Frejr snorted. “We are human, and as all animals, we fill the niche of both. Only I do not think we will eat our prey.” I rolled my eyes, sitting down and getting a drink of water. “Do you want to talk?” She asked, looking at me concerned. “You have been nothing but tense since we began, and you seemed disturbed when you awoke me last night.”

I nodded, looking to the door. “I’ve… rarely buried friends before. I came from a safer place, where the worst beasts we had stayed far away from civilization, where our nobles fought wars with words.” I smirked, but that quickly faded. “I don’t like this, it’s unfamiliar, and what they did…” I shut my eyes. “I’ll never forget that, I wouldn’t want to regardless, but…” My voice trailed off. “I’ve been lucky so far, the only ones I’ve lost before are…” I shut my eyes, grimacing. People I didn’t care about?

“We will be fine.” Frejr said. “Keep a calm temper, and we will flush them out of hiding. It is only one man.” She said, suffusing her voice with conviction. “For now, we should rest. I will wake you tomorrow to continue our search.” She said. Now that the rooms were prepared I simply sank into the bed, the dreamless sleep of the unrested whisking me away.

When I woke up the next morning it was to light from the windows. I leapt out of the bed, unlatching them and swinging them open. Almost noon. I realized, rushing out the door to Frejr’s room. I pounded on the door, taking a deep breath to calm myself, then Delving. No one was behind the door, no sign of death either. I heaved a sigh of relief. Where… I thought to myself, walking down to the reception. “Where did Frejr go? Did you see her?” I asked urgently.

He looked at me, confused. “She left with one of the other adventurers.” He said, as a creeping dread wrapped itself around my throat.