《Elsewhere》 Chapter One: The Boy and the Balefire In the deep, dank innards of a fallen god¡¯s corpse, two scavengers navigated their way through the labyrinthian maze of decayed divinity. As always, Uncle Poe led the way, tugging at his ashen beard, while Gibb followed, holding aloft his lantern and dispelling the dimness that enveloped them. Step by step they traversed perilous chasms of boiling bile. Step by step they climbed mounds of metallic flesh. Protruding bones like spires of iron. Pulsating crimson networks of faintly glowing veins. Mangroves of carved guts where pilfered organs once hung. They made their way through it all, their only guiding light being Gibb¡¯s lantern, an effulgent lodestar in the ominous near darkness of the Giant¡¯s innards. Their progression was slow ¡ª each step they took an increment of the Giant¡¯s length. But they had not come to explore the entirety of the carcass. They had come for one thing and one thing alone: bounty. And after hours of traversing the long thought filched cadaver, it was bounty that they finally found. ¡°Gibb, my boy. Would you mind giving me a light?¡± Uncle Poe asked, peering back to observe the boy, only to be met by his sudden retreat. Upon hearing Uncle Poe¡¯s request Gibb tightened the hood of his oversized jacket and pulled his arms, along with his lantern, into himself. Once he had retreated into a cocoon of clothing, he glanced at the old man and gave him a sour look. ¡°This is my lantern. It belongs to me.¡± Uncle Poe breathed a deep sigh, his wrinkled skin sagging alongside his body. ¡°I know, child. I know. I just need you to shine it a little brighter. I think we¡¯ve hit a deposit and I¡¯d appreciate it if you could provide me with the light required to confirm my suspicions. I promise I won¡¯t push the two of you too much.¡± Gibb¡¯s eyes remained locked on Uncle Poe as his left hand drifted towards the lantern he held in his right. He ran his fingers across its bulbous sphere that contained the glaring cerulean glow that illuminated their surroundings, his fingers scraping at the intricate embossment that was etched around its circumference. ¡®Cleanse thy path of darkness, blind thy fears with light¡¯, it read, a phrase Gibb had committed to memory. He tended to struggle with words, but these ten were of the sort he could pull from his mind and recite without struggle. It was something he would do whenever he felt anxious, which meant every time he found himself entering the innards of a Fallen One. ¡®Like a Prayer,¡¯ Uncle Poe had said to him when he told him of his ritual. But Gibb did not pray to Saints, or the sea, or the sky. He did not trust them to answer. In fact, he trusted very little when it came to the thoughts and actions of others. He had learnt very early in his life that empathy was a starved concept amongst the masses and that everything and everyone was a potential danger. Everyone that is, except Uncle Poe. Even though being in god guts made him uneasy and his lantern was growing weary, Gibb knew that as long as Uncle Poe was with him, things would not be so bad. ¡°Ok, Uncle Poe,¡± Gibb said softly, his eyes wandering upwards and fixating on a collection of fleshy stalactites. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of the darkness for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my boy,¡± Uncle Poe said with a soft smile. ¡°I just need it for a little while longer. If this vein contains what I think it does, then we¡¯ll be done with this place and be able to keep the fire going in that Balefire of yours.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a Balefire,¡± Gibb asserted. ¡°It¡¯s my lantern. It belongs to me.¡± ¡°Of course, my apologies,¡± Uncle Poe said quickly. ¡°It belongs to you.¡± Reluctantly, Gibb unfurled his body, stretching his arm forward and raising it, his lantern glowing brighter and brighter with each movement until the dim red glow of the Giant¡¯s innards was enveloped by the shine of his lantern. Without a word, Uncle Poe scurried forward, his hand delving into the side pocket of his oversized backpack and fishing out his cleaver: a twelve-inch bar of hollow metal with a chiselled end. He came to a stop in front of what his eyes had caught in the former darkness; an exposed length of silvered bone with a crack in it that bled an orange effervescent liquid. It was a sight that Gibb knew any scavenger would salivate over, and Uncle Poe was no different. He placed his cleaver against the base of the crack and began to jab, bringing the cleaver down over and over as he chipped away at the bone until, finally, the crack turned to a fault and shattered, exposing a pool of viscous orange within. ¡°Saints be damned, we¡¯ve got one!¡± Uncle Poe exclaimed, tugging at his beard as he broke into a jig. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we would find Marrow this rich in an already salvaged corpse, but it looks like the sky¡¯s smiling down on us today, Gibb!¡± Even though Gibb was glad to see Uncle Poe happy, he remained as still as stone, a neutral look of indifference occupying his face. But despite that, Gibb¡¯s apathy did nought to dampen Uncle Poe¡¯s excitement. The old man had long gotten used to the boy¡¯s lack of emotional conveyance. ¡°Would you like to help me harvest it, my boy?¡± Uncle Poe asked, resting his hand on the centre of his cleaver. ¡°No thank you, Uncle Poe,¡± Gibb replied, his arm still stiffly in place and holding his lantern high. ¡°I¡¯ll just watch if that¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than ok, Gibb,¡± Uncle Poe nodded, then turned towards the cracked bone and dipped his cleaver into it. As soon as its chiselled end touched the pool of Marrow, the cleaver began to hum and the pool soon drained until not a drop remained, its contents evicting from its ancient basin and finding a new home in the hollow of the cleaver¡¯s rod. ¡°We should mark this Giant as a potential return spot,¡± Uncle Poe posited. ¡°We¡¯ve got enough Marrow to sell to the fuelery to get us by for the next three months, so we shouldn¡¯t have to come back too soon. But when the time comes, I¡¯m sure these god guts have more bounties for us to uncover. Is that alright with you, my boy?¡± The corners of Gibb¡¯s mouth twitched in a wasted effort to form a smile. ¡°That¡¯s alright with me, Uncle Poe.¡± With their bounty claimed and the strength of Gibb¡¯s lantern waning, the two retraced their path, step by step retreating through the bowels of the Giant. Gibb was seldom the type to express his emotions, mostly because he struggled to figure out how, but he could not deny that, despite not being able to, he still felt like smiling. Not only was Uncle Poe happy, but they would not have to venture into god guts for at least three months. A thought that stirred joyous feelings within him that typically remained calcified. ¡°What would you like to eat tonight, Gibb?¡± Uncle Poe said, breaking the customary silence they trekked in. ¡°After we deposit this Marrow, we¡¯ll have enough Resin to get something special for dinner.¡± ¡°Plantains,¡± Gibb replied without hesitation. Uncle Poe raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure? We almost always have plantains.¡± ¡°I like plantains,¡± he stated. ¡°But is that because that¡¯s all we could afford for the last few months, or do you actually enjoy eating them?¡± ¡°I like plantains,¡± Gibb repeated, his tone unchanging. Uncle Poe glanced back at Gibb, momentarily holding his gaze on the boy, then erupted into a hearty fit of laughter. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s plantains you want, its plantains you¡¯ll get, my boy! As for me, I think I¡¯ll try my hand at procuring something a little crunchier. I heard Melissa and her anglers managed to catch a heap of upstream crawdads. They should pair well with plantains if you happen to change your mind.¡± Gibb shrugged; his mind fixated on the mnemonic scent of the sizzled plantains they oft had for supper. A meal he was repeatedly told by others was the food of the poor due to their abundance throughout Mausolus. But for him, plantains were a warm, sweet comfort that reminded him of a life long gone. A life, that at times, he could barely remember.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I like plantains,¡± Gibb said, wrapping his fingers around the wrist of his lantern-bearing hand. ¡°They make me feel ¡ª happy.¡± ¡°Aye, that¡¯s all any of us can ask for my boy,¡± Uncle Poe nodded. ¡°If plantains make you happy, then I¡¯ll keep frying them up till there be no more left in all of Mausolus!¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle Poe,¡± Gibb replied, tapping the side of his lantern. ¡°From both of us.¡± Uncle Poe turned to face Gibb and flashed him a toothy grin. ¡°As always, until the end, you are most very welcome.¡± * The natural light of the sun was almost too much for Gibb to bear. As soon as he exited through the hole in the undecayed flesh of the Giant¡¯s leg they entered through, the sudden glare of the sun swallowed the dimming light of his lantern and caused his eyes to retreat behind his eyelids. Adjusting to the brightness of outside after hours spent in near darkness was yet another reason why Gibb hated venturing into god guts. But for now, he didn¡¯t have to worry about such things. They had retrieved more than what they had sought out to find and with the bounty they had claimed, it would be sometime before their next excursion into a Fallen One¡¯s carcass. ¡°Ah, smell that fresh verdant air! See those gorgeous flowers! These fields may be filled to the brim with corpses, but they do nought to stifle the invigorating sight of these fine rolling grasslands!¡± Uncle Poe boasted, twirling in place with his arms outstretched. As the sun¡¯s lambent scowl lessened, Gibb¡¯s eyes fluttered open, his gaze immediately catching on a bed of sunflower buds sprouting from the grass just beside his feet. ¡°Smells like death to me,¡± he said candidly. ¡°Oh, come now, my boy! You should learn to enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors! It¡¯s where people like you and I are destined to spend our lives!¡± Uncle Poe insisted. He turned away from Gibb and scanned the horizon until his eyes lit up and his grin widened. ¡°Look over there, Gibb! Seems like we¡¯re in for some rain!¡± Gibb followed Uncle Poe¡¯s gaze to find at the end of it lay a tusked, red-skinned Fallen One several dozen meters away from them. If it had been upright, it would have stood at about 27 meters, the smaller end of the Ogre size range. From the impact crater around it and the sanguine oozing from its corpse, it was evidently one that had only recently fallen from the sky. ¡°We really have had quite the blessing of luck today,¡± Uncle Poe chortled. ¡°Even if the Giant we scavenged had been as dry as bone, that Ogre would have provided us with a fresh bounty to sell to the apothecary!¡± ¡°Are we going to scavenge it anyway?¡± Gibb asked. Uncle Poe shook his head and rested his hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No need, my boy! The Marrow we gathered is all we require. We should leave it for someone else who might need it more than us. The people back in Bergelmir are practically going mad with boredom waiting for fresh corpses to fall. No doubt if more continue to rain down, these fields are sure to become a lot busier. You and I know that better than most!¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Gibb nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when it''s busy.¡± ¡°I agree! The beauty of these grasslands is truly showcased when only a handful of scavengers are out and about. In my youth, I spent hours taking in the sights, and if I still had the time, I most certainly still would.¡± Unlike Uncle Poe, Gibb could neither see nor understand the beauty he saw in the fields. Gibb was no stranger to them, of course. By the age of thirteen most children in Bergelmir had already spent years taking trips into the god guts of Trolls, Ogres and Giants, and he was no exception. On top of that, Uncle Poe had told him countless tales of yesteryear that chronicled the old man¡¯s explorations of the grasslands to study the Fallen Ones in his youth. However, after three years of hearing Uncle Poe¡¯s anecdotes and frequenting the fields themselves, Gibb had yet to acclimate to what they contained. For as far as the eye could see, scattered around the sunflower filled grasslands that stretched far and wide in every direction lay the splayed corpses of the gargantuan Fallen Ones, sunken into the earth to the point that they had melded with it. Some of them stripped to the bone, others still retaining their undecayed, armour-like skin. Their humanoid bodies varied in size, from the 19-meter-tall Trolls to the 90-meter-tall Giants. But for Gibb, all of them had one singular shared trait. Just the sight of them filled him with a sense of unease. Though they were humanoid, their flesh and bones possessed metallic properties and were covered in strange patterns. Their skulls came in various shapes resembling intricate battle helms rather than heads, and the number of limbs, eyes and faces they possessed always varied. They were unique in their strangeness, but most people cared not about where they came from. As far as any could tell they had been raining from the sky and littering the land for centuries. Perhaps in the past, it was a subject of contention, but now, most only sought to plunder their god guts and retrieve whatever bounties lay within. Gibb was the same, caring not for where the Fallen Ones came from ¡ª but he did care about what they brought with them. And even though their insides held countless treasures, he knew better than most that they also harboured perils most horrific. ¡°The fields are nice, but they would be prettier with fewer flowers,¡± Gibb said bluntly, digging his heel into the dirt beside the patch of sunflower buds. ¡°They make everything smell like death to me.¡± Uncle Poe¡¯s brow furrowed as he studied Gibb for a second, before turning away from him with a sigh. ¡°I suppose we all view the world through a different lens, each one influenced by experiences, both good and bad. Who am I to judge what is and isn¡¯t the correct view?¡± Gibb titled his head to the side, his eyes widening as they fixed on to Uncle Poe. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°No need to worry, my boy,¡± the old man insisted, gesturing forward. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to Bergelmir. These old bones aren¡¯t as sturdy as they used to be.¡± Uncle Poe began to walk, and as usual, Gibb followed. But before they could make headway in their journey home, Gibb slowed to a halt, his eyes catching something high up in the sky. It was almost imperceptible but still clear as day, like an ink spot superimposed on the horizon. It took a few seconds for Uncle Poe to realise Gibb had stopped, but once he had, he turned to face the boy and stared at him inquisitively. ¡°What is it Gibb?¡± he asked. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Slowly, Gibb¡¯s left hand rose and pointed upwards at the sky. ¡°Look. Another one.¡± After a moment of squinted glaring, Uncle Poe nodded in excitement and reached over to clap Gibb on the back. ¡°Good eye, Gibb! Looks like it could be another Ogre, or perhaps even a Giant! But as I said before, we need not chase it. Let¡¯s let the other salvage parties fight over its bounties. The line into the fuelery will surely be shorter with all of them out heading for its impact zone.¡± ¡°It looks too far away to me,¡± Gibb replied. ¡°Too far away and too big.¡± ¡°What do you mean, my boy?¡± ¡°Too far away for salvage, too big to be a Giant.¡± Uncle Poe¡¯s eyes alternated between studying Gibb and the dot in the sky that was slowly descending and growing in size. ¡°Gibb, do me a favour and fetch me my telescope.¡± Without hesitation, Gibb moved behind Uncle Poe and opened his backpack, fishing through its contents until his fingers clutched a bronzed telescope. He carefully lifted it out, making sure to not jostle the multitude of lenses that were attached to its front and placed it in Uncle Poe¡¯s hands. Once it was safely nestled in his palm, Uncle Poe grasped hold of it and lifted it to his right eye. ¡°Yes, it seems you''re right my boy. Perhaps it¡¯s a Colossus? It¡¯s been a few months since we¡¯ve seen one of those fall!¡± ¡°No,¡± Gibb said plainly. ¡°No?¡± ¡°Too big.¡± Uncle Poe¡¯s left eye darted towards Gibb as his right continued to stare down his telescope. ¡°Yes, too big. You¡¯re right. It is growing larger and larger with each second. I¡¯ve observed corpse-fall many a time in my life, but this is quite the sight to behold!¡± ¡°Is it a Behemoth?¡± Gibb asked. ¡°Perhaps it is!¡± Uncle Poe beamed; both his hands now clasped around the telescope as his fingers played at its adjustment lenses. ¡°Oh, that would be exciting! I haven¡¯t witnessed a fresh Behemoth since I still had hue in my hair!¡± Gibb watched as Uncle Poe grew giddier and giddier, his feet shuffling uncontrollably as his body shuddered with excitement. It was nice to see the man so happy and Gibb was ready to indulge said happiness by providing him with questions about his youthful endeavours that he so often craved. But as quickly as it had arrived, Uncle Poe¡¯s excitement drained as his feet lost all motion and his body froze in place. ¡°Wait, no. It¡¯s far, very far. But, it¡¯s not¡­it¡¯s not a Behemoth. Too big. Far too big. But that means¡­¡± After almost a full minute of silence, Uncle Poe turned to Gibb with a look that he barely ever saw on the man¡¯s face. A twisted contortion that he almost didn¡¯t recognise that caused Gibb to take a step back and tighten his grip on his lantern. Instead of the kind eyes and soft smile that usually occupied Uncle Poe¡¯s face, a look of complete and utter terror had now taken residence. ¡°It¡¯s a Titan,¡± he said, his words getting caught in his throat, ¡°An actual, honest to gods, Titan.¡± As if the world itself had heard his utterance, darkness fell across the grasslands as the once distant ink spot grew to an immense shadow, one which was large enough to partially block out the sun itself. An artificial eclipse that signified to all that the impossible was happening. That after centuries of absence, a Titan was falling. Gibb cared little about the study of Fallen Ones, but he knew three concrete facts about Titans. He knew that they were the largest of the Fallen Ones. He knew that one hadn¡¯t fallen in over two hundred years, and he knew that it was said they contained the greatest bounty of all. But at that moment, he cared not for the bounty the fall of a Titan would bring. He cared not about why, after all these years, one had suddenly appeared. All he cared for was what was closest to him. ¡°Hold on Gibb! And raise that Balefire high!¡± Uncle Poe exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the boy and bulling him into his embrace. Without question or hesitance, Gibb raised his lantern high as its now rapidly brightening light enveloped him and Uncle Poe. ¡°Cleanse thy path of darkness, blind thy fears with light,¡± Gibb whispered. And as the earth shuddered beneath the added weight of a god corpse the size of a mountain, he hoped that if his words were considered a prayer, then for once in his life, they would be answered. Chapter Two: Queen of Diamonds, King of Hearts ¡°You don¡¯t think I can do it, do you?¡± Cassidy picked at the red feather tucked under the brim of her cavalier hat as she leaned back on her barstool and studied her first mate intently. ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t see any way that ya can manage to. Not saying you shouldn¡¯t try though.¡± ¡°Really?¡± August scoffed, gesturing the tankard clasped in his hand towards her, precariously sloshing its contents to the cup¡¯s brim. ¡°Do you truly believe that I¡¯d struggle with something so measly?¡± ¡°Measly? I think you¡¯ve had too much to drink, pal. There ain¡¯t anything measly about trying to do what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she replied. ¡°Have a little faith, Captain! After everything we¡¯ve done together, you don¡¯t think I have the slightest chance?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not talking about venturing into Bloom infested god guts or brawling with rowdy pirates. This is on a whole other level, and you know that. But by all means, go ahead. I¡¯m bored out of my mind and could use a little excitement.¡± August paused to take a heaving gulp of his drink, then turned to fully face Cassidy, his eyes studying her inquisitively as his lips unfurled to form a mischievous grin. ¡°I thought we just came to have a quiet drink in celebration of your homecoming. I didn¡¯t think you were looking for excitement.¡± ¡°Of course, I am! When am I not?¡± Cassidy declared, waving towards the inert patrons around them that peppered the tavern. ¡°I swear, this place is like a funeral! This isn¡¯t the Cardinal I know and love!¡± ¡°Not everyone can be as jovial as you and me, Captain,¡± August pointed out. ¡°But perhaps you¡¯re right. If I were to achieve such a fantastical feat, it could energise the drunken people of this fair tavern and fill them with a more celebratory spirit!¡± Cassidy shook her head sluggishly, then stared up at her first mate with a brazen smile. ¡°I never said you could do it, I said that it¡¯d be interesting to watch you try. That is to say ¡ª watch you try and fail. No way you¡¯re going to be able to succeed, even with all those muscles.¡± ¡°Miss Quinn is right, August,¡± Pippa said, the sound of the kitchen door she had entered through slamming shut accenting her approach to the bar counter. ¡°You ain¡¯t got an inkling of an idea how many drunken fools have attempted it and passed out just from the effort.¡± As soon as the barwoman spoke, August¡¯s ears pricked up and his head darted towards her, his eyes widening alongside his smile. ¡°Pippa my dear, you should know by now that I am no ordinary drunken fool!¡± Pippa placed her hands on her hips and leant forward, her sullen face mere inches from the man. ¡°True, you¡¯re not as ordinary as most of the barflies that hang around my tavern, but you¡¯re still a drunken fool, nonetheless.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so prickly, my pulchritudinous rose! The only thing I¡¯m a fool for is you,¡± August replied, taking hold of her hand and staring at the barmaid dreamily. For a moment she stared back, her eyes locked on her reflection that inhibited his emerald eyes. Then after a handful of seconds, she shook her head, pulled back her arm and folded it beneath her other. ¡°Lay of it August, you bled headed ponce! I already told you, not while I¡¯m working!¡± she insisted. August took a step back, clutching his chest as if he had been pierced through it with a knife. ¡°Has my darling grown weary of my company? Has her love for me soured and spoiled? Then I must prove my worth to her! And what better way to do so than to attempt the task at hand!¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not what a meant you daft idiot!¡± Pippa groaned, fiddling with her braids. ¡°I should kick you out of my tavern for thinking of trying something so reckless!¡± Cassidy smiled, taking a swig of her tankard as she watched August weave a web of eloquent words and flowery vernacular in an effort to justify his need to attempt his proposed labour, while Pippa hurled insults and slung profanities in response. It was a dance the two engaged in every time she and August made port at Bergelmir, and it was one she thoroughly enjoyed, especially considering the tavern ambience had remained as quiet and dead aired as a graveyard. Seeing such a dull atmosphere infect the Cardinal was quite the disheartening sight, but luckily, for now, Cassidy could distract herself by watching August cluelessly court Pippa while she questioned why and how she tolerated the man in between insults. It was a rare occurrence to see someone challenge August in such an assertive way. Even though he was as gentle as a buzz fly, most wouldn¡¯t dare to cuss him out due to his appearance. He was muscular to the point that his figure strained against his clothing and his stature made him tower over most men. His dark skin was peppered with wounds, from fresh fleeting cuts too deep, aged scars, each one contributing to a tapestry that boasted his battle prowess. Behind his rope-like locks, the man¡¯s face was sculpted to bear a look of regal dominance, but instead, it held the eyes and pout of a soft-spoken lover boy. Luckily while they travelled, most bandits and marauders didn¡¯t stick around long enough to find out he was a pacifistic soul, so he served his purpose well acting as a scarecrow for the cravens that festered the nooks and crannies of Mausolus. Cassidy prided herself on being capable of taking care of herself, but she wasn¡¯t going to frighten pirates, thieves and scoundrels by being a short-statured, middle-aged woman in a fancy hat. She needed more than a gun on her hip; she needed a bodyguard, and August served that role well. It was simply an added bonus that he was admirable company and a hilarious drunk ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m cutting you off!¡± Pippa exclaimed, her sudden increase in volume slicing through August¡¯s words and Cassidy¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be acting so hard-headed if you were sober!¡± Cassidy looked to either side of her, inspecting the loose collection of people present at the Cardinal to see if Pippa and August¡¯s back and forth had roused them from their drunken stupors, only to find that they remained as half-present as when she had arrived. A disappointment that held for only a short moment before she turned her attention back to the only two engaging people present. ¡°I dunno about that, Pippa,¡± Cassidy said, turning back to face the barwoman. ¡°Even when he isn¡¯t sloshed, August¡¯s head¡¯s as hard as a Behemoth¡¯s skull. He still hasn¡¯t given up on trying to make the bilgebrats laugh at his corny jokes.¡± ¡°I will not give up until I draw smiles from those children!¡± August proclaimed. ¡°My jokes are hilarious, and you cannot prove otherwise!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d say their lack of smiles are proof enough.¡± Cassidy pointed out. ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point. What I¡¯m trying to say Pippa is that this man can¡¯t be stopped once he¡¯s put his mind to something, drunk or not.¡± Pippa shrugged, then nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, you¡¯re right. But if he was sober, his brain would still be working well enough to tell him that trying to attempt something he¡¯s witnessed so many others fail is a fool¡¯s errand!¡± August gently placed his empty tankard in front of him, and clumsily leaned forward, his eyes wandering aimlessly as they struggled to focus on Pippa. ¡°My darling, my beauty, my beloved. I do not act this foolish because I am drunk with liquor. It is because I am drunk with love! I must prove myself to you, and the only way to do so is to lift that man¡¯s axe!¡± After an inelegant spin, August jabbed his finger towards a lone table in the far back of the tavern. As always only one man sat at it and as always, he was dressed from head to toe in crimson armour, gripping a tankard of untouched ale while his black-bladed battle axe rested by his side. All throughout the Halcony Grasslands knew of this man, but none knew his true name. And so, he came to be known as the Silent Knight. Since she was a youth living in Bergelmir, Cassidy had been intrigued by the Silent Knight. Nobody knew where he had come from or why he had arrived. He simply appeared one day, almost twenty-five years in the past and decided to remain. Since he had arrived, nobody had seen his face or even knew of his name. At all times he remained encased in his lacquered armour, and at all times he refused to speak. He would occasionally venture out of the settlement, travelling the grasslands surrounding it in search for bounty. He would disappear for weeks, sometimes months at a time, but he would always return to Bergelmir, dragging a glorious bounty that he would deposit at the apothecary. It was twenty years ago that Cassidy had become fascinated by the Silent Knight when he came back to town covered in dead Bloom vines with a Giant¡¯s heart in tow, a rarity that none in Bergelmir had ever seen with their own two eyes. After that, she had tried her best to learn more about him, and when she became a Corsair, she had tried her best to recruit him to her crew. But the Silent Knight never replied, responded or rebuked. He would simply go about his business as if she was not even present, treating her the same way he treated everyone else who attempted to speak with him, which only made her more intrigued. ¡°Miss Quinn, you can¡¯t possibly think this is a good idea?¡± Pippa said, her eyes distraughtly darting towards the woman. ¡°He¡¯s your first mate, can¡¯t you talk him out of this?¡± Cassidy stroked her chin as she stared at the Silent Knight intently while the mysterious individual remained a motionless sculpture in the corner of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest Pips, I¡¯m kinda torn. On the one hand, in the twenty-five years the Knight has been here, most every person who has attempted to budge his axe has ended up in the hospital. On the other hand, I¡¯m bored. It really is quite the dilemma, ain¡¯t it?¡± She glanced to her right, staring down at the few individuals who sat solitary at the bar counter. ¡°What do you think, fellas? We¡¯ve all seen our share of limp arms try and lift the Knight¡¯s axe. You think my guy has a chance of showing them all up?¡± The patron closest to her suddenly jerked his head upwards, as if he had been startled awake, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of something more thrilling than the bottom of a whiskey bottle. ¡°Aye, aye. Aye! I say we let him take a crack at it! Let¡¯s see if your man¡¯s as sturdy as he looks, Quinn!¡± ¡°Yeah! If pretty boy thinks he can do it, then I say let him try!¡± another called from a table behind them. And like a spark seconds before striking kindling, Cassidy finally saw the opportunity she¡¯d been waiting for. An opportunity to inject a little excitement into the tavern and get them in the mood for a celebration. "Patrons of the Cardinal, I think it¡¯s time we threw a little gasoline on this poor excuse for a fire. I know things are slow around here and that there¡¯s been a dire absence of excitement, but I came home to enjoy myself, not sit in silence and sip glumly! And so, I am offering a solution, a temporary reprieve from the monotony of your lives. You¡¯ve seen just about every person in Bergelmir try to lift the knight¡¯s axe. But you haven¡¯t seen my strapping first mate give it a try and believe me, when I say that he¡¯s chock full of surprises, I mean the kind that¡¯ll blow you all away!¡± The already present silence that had afflicted the patrons somehow grew more intense as all eyes drifted towards Cassidy. For a moment, she thought she may have miscalculated. That the patrons were in more of a lethargic trance than she had anticipated. But then, they stirred from their midday drunken stupors to turn their attention to the first glimmer of excitement to come their way since they had arrived. Soon enough, each person began voicing their excitement and placing prospective bets until eventually, the loose collection of patrons present began chanting August¡¯s name, with Cassidy leading the choir.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, August! You can still walk away from this!¡± Pippa insisted, her voice rising higher in an attempt to surpass the chant¡¯s volume. ¡°Who cares if a bunch of drunkards want you to lift the axe?¡± ¡°Who¡¯re you calling a drunkard!¡± Cassidy called, raising her drink above her head, prompting the other patrons to do so as well. August took hold of Pippa¡¯s hand and caressed it softly with his thumb, staring into her eyes with a look of fevered intensity. ¡°You are right, my darling. I don¡¯t care what the tavern folk think of me. All I care is that I convey the totality of my devotion to you!¡± This time, she did not pull back her hand. Instead, she simply rolled her eyes and tried her best to hide the smirk attempting to manifest itself on her face. ¡°Whatever. Just don¡¯t come crying to me when you hurt yourself.¡± ¡°My love, I am August of the Silken Heart!¡± he declared, striking his chest with his fist. ¡°No mere axe will harm me!¡± ¡°You tell ¡®em, August!¡± the crowd cheered, slamming their tankards against the tables. ¡°If anyone can budge that thing, it¡¯s the right hand to our very own Captain Cassidy Quinn!¡± After taking a satisfied sip of her drink, Cassidy indulged in the ecstatic madness that had infected the people of the tavern. It was good to see it so lively after witnessing it in the sorry state she had found it in. She didn¡¯t mind going for a quiet drink, but this was Bergelmir, her hometown, a place she only came back to once a year, if at all. And when she did return, she made sure that every second she spent in the settlement was filled with joy and excitement. However, sometimes her acts to incite such excitement grew beyond her control, which was a blessing or curse depending on who was asked. ¡°Well, August, you might have to get in line,¡± she said, indicating towards the back of the room. ¡°It looks like you aren¡¯t the only one who wants to take a crack at lifting the axe.¡± August¡¯s head snapped towards the table at the tavern¡¯s far back to see a steadily forming throng of men and woman, all of them eyeing the axe that lay before them. The combined volatility of Cassidy¡¯s rallying cry and the liquid courage that coursed through them spurred the patrons to attempt the impossible task that they had witnessed countless fail. All of this occurred around the Silent Knight, who did as his namesake indicated. Despite the drunken masses crowding him and those of them attempting to lift his weapon, he sat as still as a statue, and as quiet as one too, his helmeted face angled downwards at his untouched drink. ¡°Hey, wait a second! That¡¯s supposed to be me!¡± August pouted, jabbing his finger towards the crowd. ¡°Let the locals have their fun first, August,¡± Cassidy remarked. ¡°It¡¯ll give you a refresher of what you have to look forward to.¡± August crossed his arms, took a deep breath and obliged his captain, as he joined her and Pippa in observing the people of Bergelmir¡¯s ill-fated attempts at lifting the Silent Knight¡¯s axe. The first person to dare to grab the axe¡¯s hilt immediately collapsed to the ground and was promptly dragged off and propped upright inside one of the tavern¡¯s booths. This was the most common result of attempting to lift the axe and Cassidy had witnessed more people than she could count pass out just from making contact with the weapon. Even though the outcome never changed, she still held out hope that one day someone would manage to lift the axe. Perhaps then, she¡¯d finally learn something new about the enigmatic Silent Knight. The second and far less likely outcome occurred when the fourth patron made her attempt. Being far more muscular than the previous three, she managed to grab hold of the axe¡¯s hilt without passing out. But even with her immense strength, the weapon did not budge, and after only five seconds of gripping it, she stumbled backwards and caressed the palm of her hand in pain-induced shame. ¡°See, you dolt. It isn¡¯t as easy as it looks!¡± Pippa blustered, her piercing glare snapping towards August. ¡°Sylvia there has worked the bone quarry for fifteen years and is just about the strongest in all of Bergelmir and even she couldn¡¯t lift it. I¡¯m telling you right now, there is no way you¡¯re gonna manage it.¡± August stared intently as more and more patrons piled in through the doors of the Cardinal, the siren call of fervent cries and howls drawing them in from the streets to either watch or participate in a chance to give the axe another shot. But instead of being deterred by the sight of their failures, all they did was spur August forward. ¡°My dearest Pippa, if I was doing this for you, then I would have ceased any thought of attempting to lift the axe upon your first request,¡± he said with a respectful bow. ¡°But I am not doing it for you, or for them. I am doing it for me! To prove to myself that I am still worthy of your love!¡± Pippa stared blankly at August, her eyes narrowing as her forehead creased with confusion. Cassidy knew the look well and had seen the very same one on the faces of numerous women. It was one of simultaneous frustration and endearment. One that gave form to the opposing feelings cascading within Pippa¡¯s mind. It was the look of someone in love. ¡°Fine, go do whatever it is you think you need to do,¡± Pippa said. ¡°Just be careful.¡± And with her final word, August launched himself from his barstool and began wading through the crowd of people that was continuously growing as more from outside flocked to the tavern upon hearing the ruckus within. As he made his way towards the axe, the patrons began to cheer his name louder and louder, clapping him on the back and yelling words of encouragement as he closed in on his goal. ¡°You know, if it were any other man, I¡¯d say he was only acting like this to charm his way into my trousers,¡± Pippa sighed, resting her head on her hands as she stared forward, unblinking. ¡°But not August. He really means what he says, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Cassidy shrugged, reaching behind the bar and topping off her tankard. ¡°What can I say? The man speaks from the heart, and his has a voice louder than most.¡± ¡°I know that we agree to see other people whenever the two of you ship out, and I know that he has other loves in other settlements, but I swear, there ain¡¯t a fella in all the Halcony Grasslands like August. Where did you ever find a guy like him, Miss Quinn?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a big ole world beyond the fields and forests that surround Bergelmir, Pippa, and it¡¯s filled with people, places and things that¡¯ll make your head spin,¡± she replied. ¡°Heck I¡¯ve been ferrying cargo across Mausolus for years and I still ain¡¯t seen a fraction of what it has to offer.¡± Pippa smiled softly, her finger tracing a mangle of shapes in the fog of an empty glass. She glanced at Cassidy for a moment, her lips pursed to speak only for nothing to escape them. After seconds of silence, Cassidy was just about ready to ask what she wanted to say when the barmaid finally managed to squeeze her words past her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it you know. Leaving. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love the Cardinal and I love Bergelmir, but I¡¯ve always wondered what¡¯s beyond those Fallen One filled fields.¡± ¡°Mostly more Fallen Ones,¡± Cassidy remarked, gulping down the contents of her tankard. ¡°But in between all those corpses, if you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll find something special. Me? I¡¯m still looking for that diamond in the rough that¡¯ll scratch the itch that spurred me to leave Bergelmir in the first place.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Pippa inquired. ¡°When I was about your age, I was going stir crazy scavenging god guts and piking crawdads just to get by. I didn¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life working my hands raw and eating plantains, so I packed my bags, jumped on the first docked vessel I saw and set out. Now twenty years later I¡¯ve got my own ship, my own crew and my own story. Greatest saint-dammed decision I ever made.¡± ¡°I wish I was as brave as you, Miss Quinn,¡± Pippa sighed. ¡°I could never be so spontaneous. I¡¯d love to take August up on his offer and join the two of you on your vessel, but I just can¡¯t. I think I prefer stability over excitement.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s just fine,¡± Cassidy insisted, reaching over the bar counter and placing a hand on Pippa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You know, I used to have a friend like you. He wanted to see the world too and I almost managed to convince him to come with me all those years ago, but he chose to stay, and I never held it against him. He made a fine life for himself here in Bergelmir, one that he would have missed out on if he left it all behind. The world doesn¡¯t need more cavalier Corsairs like me. It needs more hardworking and dedicated lasses like you. You¡¯re a braver woman than me for staying here, Pippa. Besides, somebody¡¯s gotta keep this town good and drunk!¡± Pippa smiled the kind of smile that could melt any heart, no matter how frigid. One that she had worn since she was a child and never failed to warm the cockles of Cassidy¡¯s soul when she saw its homely sincerity. ¡°Thank you, Miss Quinn,¡± she said softly. ¡°To hear something like that from someone like you is a true honour.¡± ¡°Attention, attention!¡± August¡¯s voice suddenly boomed throughout the tavern, cutting any present conversations to ribbons and ensnaring the interest of all within, as he accentuated his words with a thunderous clap. ¡°I, August of the Silken Heart, right hand to your very own Captain Cassidy Quinn, hereby dedicate this act of immense strength and fortitude to the most beautiful soul in all of Halcony! Pippa Labelle! With my success, I mark a day for all in Bergelmir to remember. The day that the axe of the Silent Knight was finally conquered!¡± A roar of cheers erupted from the crowd, entombing the tavern in an echo chamber of ovations. Most within it gawked with genuine awe at August, their hearts and souls convinced that for the first time ever the axe would be moved. But not Pippa and Cassidy. Instead, they observed the man with two very different expressions. The former, with one of flattered embarrassment, and the latter with one of eager intrigue. The roaring crowd would have continued for as long as their lungs would have allowed them, but they were promptly silenced by August¡¯s hand rising upwards as he began to approach his quarry. A hushed stillness consumed the Cardinal as August stared down the axe, inelegantly circling the table the Silent Knight sat at. Slowly the circle grew smaller and smaller until he was inches from it, and once he had made one last lap around the table he stopped in front of the obsidian-hued weapon ¡ª his eyes darting between it and the still motionless Silent Knight. After a tension-filled pause, August gradually inched his arm forward, unfurling his hand as he reached out to grasp the hilt of the axe. Cassidy was sure that he would not succeed in lifting it. After all, she¡¯d seen people double August¡¯s size fail to do so. As a Corsair she was good at taming the odds, and she rarely ever found herself surprised by the outcome of a situation. To her, the improbable was the impossible, as her gut instincts had never steered her wrong. That is until today. She was so sure in what the outcome would be, that when it finally arrived, she almost fell out of her seat. August didn¡¯t fail to lift the axe, nor did he succeed. Instead, it was suddenly snatched from his grasp by the Silent Knight himself. Faster than she had ever seen him move, the Silent Knight lifted his axe and brandished it in front of him. The runes engraved on the black metal began to glow red in a manner that none, including Cassidy, had ever seen before as the Knight¡¯s head began to dart from side to side as if he was franticly searching for something. The entire population of the Cardinal took a step back, producing a large space where now only August and the Silent Knight stood. August took a wary step forward, trying his best to make sense of the situation, but before he could even part his lips to speak, the Knight darted towards the tavern¡¯s door and burst through it. Everyone in the Cardinal regardless of drunkenness or sobriety had the same thought, and without a word or hesitation, they acted on it, piling out of the tavern¡¯s door and following the Silent Knight¡¯s trail. Cassidy knew that none of them had ever witnessed the Knight act in such a way, and like her, they all wanted to see what could have possibly caused him to exit with such urgency. And it didn¡¯t take long for them to get their answer. As soon as she stepped outside, Cassidy noticed that something was very, very wrong. It was past noon, on a pleasant summer¡¯s day, but despite all that, the sky had been consumed by shadow. The people in the streets outside the Cardinal had frozen completely still, their gazes angled upwards and their jaws slacken with horror. Cassidy forced herself to look upwards, forced herself to see what horrific sight had rendered the people of Bergelmir petrified, and when she finally saw it, she stood frozen in fear too. Descending from the heavens was the largest Fallen One that she had ever seen. Larger than any Giant she¡¯d scavenged. Larger than any Colossus she¡¯d plundered. Larger than any Behemoth she¡¯d scaled. Which meant that it could only be one thing. ¡°Titan,¡± August said, as if reading her mind, his voice harsh and devoid of its usual gentleness. ¡°It¡¯s an actually, saint-damned Titan.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s impossible, isn¡¯t it?¡± Pippa sputtered. ¡°I thought that a Titan hadn¡¯t fallen for centuries?¡± ¡°Not impossible,¡± Cassidy said, forcing her trembling lips to form words. ¡°Just improbable.¡± It had been far too long since Cassidy had felt anything resembling genuine fear. After years of travelling Mausolus, it was the devils she knew, rather than the ones she didn¡¯t that rattled her spine. But now, for the first time, she was shocked by something unfamiliar, something fresh. And although she was afraid, Cassidy felt another feeling, one that was contradictory to her entire situation. A feeling of excitement. But that feeling was simply a drop in the ocean of dread that currently engulfed her, and everyone else staring up at the sky. All in Bergelmir stood consumed in varying degrees of shock and awe. All were worried and trembling at the implications of such an event. All, but the Silent Knight. Despite the sight of the Titan, he took a step forward, as if in defiance of the Fallen One¡¯s arrival, cocking his head upwards to glare at the descending corpse. While everyone around him stood as still as statues, he lifted his axe until it was pointed directly at the horizon, then placed his arm over his chest and began to beat against it. Cassidy wanted to ask the Silent Knight what he was doing. She wanted to ask why he was suddenly acting so animated, and how he knew about the Titan. But even if she had the strength to force her lips to move, she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance. After the Knight had struck his chest a fifth time, with a resounding metallic clang his axe began to shine with a brilliant, blinding radiance that robbed her of her sight. The sound of the Knight¡¯s metallic drumbeat, the feeling of the Titan¡¯s corpse shaking the world and the scent of wild berry ale on her breath were the last sensations Cassidy experienced before she, and everyone around her were consumed by the Silent Knight¡¯s light. Chapter Three: An Orchids Tears The wait ¡ª that was always the worst part. The calm before the inevitable storm, the silence before the cacophonous thunderclap. The stillness that filled Mona with a dread of the heart-pounding variety. The rhythmic drum of her heart against her chest was one of the few sounds that prevented silence from falling over the apothecary she stood in. The drumming, and as always, the whispers. But she had long gotten used to the murmured words that slithered through her mind. They did nothing to add to her current disturbed disposition. No, it was her heartbeat that unnerved her the most. It was a sign that she was anxious, yes, but it was also a sign of something else; something far more sinister. It was a sign that her time was running out. Mona tried to distract herself from the rising tide of panic within her, although with how many times she¡¯d tried to do so she was beginning to run out of things to fixate on. She¡¯d already picked at the brim of her sunhat to the point that the straw had become frayed, and if she chewed her hair any longer, she would be picking black strands of it out of her teeth all night. With her usual nervous habits exhausted, she had no choice but to turn to her surroundings to keep her distracted. The apothecarial dispensary she stood in was by no means big. In fact, it was smaller than any other she had frequented before. But that was no surprise to her, Bergelmir wasn¡¯t exactly the largest settlement in the Halcony Grasslands and compared to the cities beyond that, it was nothing more than a speck. But it was a nice town, a homely town. With kind, generous people willing to lend a hand to a stranger. It was the perfect place for someone like her to catch her breath before moving on to her next destination.
If she was honest, Mona would¡¯ve loved to stay in Bergelmir. She would have loved to be able to put down roots for once and not have to live her life constantly in motion. But a life like that was just a dream: a fantasy fit for someone worthy of stability. Worthy of a place to call home. Home? You don¡¯t have a home! It¡¯s gone! Destroyed! Devoured! Decimated! And it¡¯s all your fault! Your fault! Your fault! Mona¡¯s fists clenched in response to the rising volume of the voices, the fabric of her violet gloves creasing from her fingertips to just below her elbows where they ended. Usually, she could keep their mumbles subdued, but in her current state, their whispers were becoming more like roars. She took a deep breath and scanned her surroundings, taking in the now all too familiar sites of the dispensary. As Bergelmir¡¯s premier apothecary it held all manner of fluids, substances and materials salvaged from the Fallen Ones that littered the fields around the settlement. Everything the town¡¯s populace could ever need, from Ogre shavings to Giant aqueous was available for purchase, and for the less alchemically inclined, the store offered pre-made products that they brewed themselves. Mona¡¯s eyes wandered from shelf to shelf: studying the indecipherable glyphs craved on tablets of Troll bone, memorising the placements of mason jars filled with wyrm teeth, counting the ampoules of sanguine, bile and phlegm that lined the cabinets behind the counter. Doing anything she could to distract herself and subsequently her mind from the biting words that gnashed at the edges of her consciousness. Trying to run? Just like always! Run, run, run, little Mona! Run until your feet bleed! Her methods of distraction were beginning to fail, which only added to her franticness. If she didn¡¯t find a way to quiet the voices soon, then their whispers would be the least of her problems. Bergelmir was a nice town, a homely town, but it wouldn¡¯t remain that way if she didn¡¯t get her medicine. ¡°Sorry for the wait!¡± Mona snapped out of her daze and turned her attention towards the far back of the dispensary, where out of the door behind the counter stepped its owners, Azi and Amu. In their hands, they each held a jar that contained an assortment of substances concealed in small bags and on their faces, they wore the same disgruntled looks they always did when they were forced to spend extended periods alone together. ¡°We apologise, Miss Desdemona. We would have gotten your order to you sooner, but my sister decided to blow off doing inventory yesterday,¡± Amu said, his nose upturned disdainfully towards Azi. ¡°Don¡¯t put this on me, Amu!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who restocked late! I wouldn¡¯t have blown it off if you had just sent the scavenging party last week instead of waiting for the Knight to do your work for you!¡± Amu shook his head and tutted, placing the jar in his hand on to the counter. ¡°Deflecting the blame as always. How very mature of you. It¡¯s no wonder mother entrusted the apothecary to me.¡± ¡°She did not! She never put you in charge, so stop acting like you are!¡± Azi snapped, then turned to Mona as if just realizing that she was present. As soon as the woman¡¯s eyes moved away from her brother and towards Mona, Azi¡¯s grimace grew to a grin as she placed her jar next to Azi¡¯s and began to clap gleefully. ¡°Sorry about that! Here¡¯s your order Miss Desdemona! I know it took longer than usual thanks to my brother¡¯s idiocy, so as an apology, I¡¯ve thrown in some extra lymph extract!¡± ¡°And because of my sister¡¯s blunder, I¡¯m giving you twenty-five per cent off the whole order!¡± Amu added, smiling just as broadly as his sister as he and Azi¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between glaring at each other and staring amiably at Mona. Despite the distress the wait caused, Mona couldn¡¯t help but be endeared. Some of the few genuine laughs she¡¯d experienced in the near month she¡¯d spent in Bergelmir were from Amu and Azi¡¯s bickering, and to top it off, the two of them were exceptionally friendly. The first time she¡¯d arrived at their apothecary, they immediately barraged her with questions about what she needed and required, and when she told them, they cared not that she was lacking in Resin or that she was a stranger. They provided her with everything she asked and took only what she could spare. Since then, each of her visits to the apothecary grew more intimate as she spent more time with Azi and Amu. And while she wasn¡¯t the sociable sort, Mona happily spent hours listening to the duo talk, bicker and discuss all manner of subjects. Unlike most of the people Mona had met in her travels, the two siblings had hearts of gold that overflew with compassion for everyone they met. Well, everyone but each other. It was bizarre to see the duo treat customers like royalty, then turn around and hurl venomous words and insults at each other. Mona was convinced it was a familial thing, which explained why she struggled so hard to understand their relationship. She never had any siblings, and she¡¯d been on her own for so much of her life that she had long forgotten the sensation of kinship. On your own? No, never! Never alone! Never alone! You will always have us! ¡°There¡¯s no need to fuss over me, really,¡± Mona said, trying her best to hold herself together. ¡°Your kindness is more than enough payment for the wait. Seeing the two of you always manages to put a smile on my face.¡± ¡°I say the same to you!¡± Azi beamed, then scrunched her nose and furrowed her brow as she scratched the back of her head. ¡°Did I make that clear? I am saying that I was saying that the same can be said for you. No, wait. I am saying what you are saying to us, to you. Hold on. I¡¯m just trying to say, that you make me smile as well!¡± ¡°Miss Desdemona, please ignore my sister¡¯s babbling,¡± Amu sighed. ¡°She tends to try a little too hard when it comes to impressing others. When we were kids, she would do just about anything to impress the other children, including pouring sand down my shorts.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t deserve it!¡± she said smugly. ¡°Besides, Miss Desdemona didn¡¯t come here to be bored to death by your stories.¡± ¡°Really it¡¯s quite ok,¡± Mona said with a laboured smile. ¡°The both of you don¡¯t have to apologise for anything.¡± Tick tock goes the clock! Soon the bell will ring! You must answer Mother when she is calling, little Mona! ¡°See, this is why you are my favourite customer. So polite! So kind!¡± Amu grinned. Azi shot a narrow-eyed sneer at him. ¡°She was my favourite first! You just copied me!¡± The thicket cries! You cannot ignore it! Cut the nose! Spite the face! Accept the thorns within! ¡°I am truly honoured to be your favourite customer,¡± Mona said quickly, cutting through the two¡¯s bickering and the voices that echoed in her eardrums. ¡°But if it isn¡¯t too much trouble, would it be possible for me to administer the tonic I ordered now? I have quite the headache that is in need of urgent relief.¡± Without hesitation, Azi and Amu unscrewed the tops of their jars and plunged their hands inside, individually retrieving two identical dark blue vials and thrusting them towards Mona. ¡°Here you go, Miss Desdemona! Drink up! No need to worry about paying first!¡± Amu insisted. ¡°No, no, take mine! In fact, you can have it for free, on the house!¡± Azi countered. Shame, shame, little Mona! You cannot hide behind gulps and guzzles! We will always find you! Ignoring the thundering voice in her ear, Mona calmly reached forward and grasped hold of both vials, and though she wore a mask of composure, the liquid in them shook from her trembling hands. ¡°Azi, Amu, you¡¯ve already given me so much. There¡¯s no need to try and buy my favour. But I do thank you, both of you, for being such kind and compassionate people to a stranger like me.¡± And with her final word, Mona lifted both vials to her lips and emptied their liquid contents down her throat. As the last drop of it rolled on to her tongue, the roaring voices turned to shrill screams that slowly, but surely, began to quiet. Gulps and guzzles! Tricks and tonics! Little Desdemona only treats the symptoms, not the cause! You cannot run from yourself, little monstress. We will always be here. We will always be waiting. We will always be you. The voices faded until they were diminished to a whisper, one that was easily drowned out as their words lost all meaning and form, reduced to a barely perceptible hiss. Quiet, Mona thought, breathing a deep sigh of relief. Finally. Peace and quiet. It was all she had wanted since the voices had grown louder, and now that she had it, she would have gladly basked in its pleasantness for as long as possible. The serenity of her newly acquired silence was so overwhelming that she almost forgot she was still in the apothecary, with Azi and Amu standing directly in front of her.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Mona opened her eyes to see the siblings staring at her, then in one embarrassing motion, she wiped the blue stains of the tonic from her mouth and placed a bag of Resin on the counter. ¡°Are you ok, Miss Desdemona?¡± Azi asked, ignoring the Resin and instead opting to screw the lid back on her jar and push it towards Mona. ¡°You drank enough Tranquillity to put down a person twice your size.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Mona said, pulling the brim of her sunhat down. ¡°I¡¯ve built up quite the tolerance.¡± Amu shook his head, mirroring his sister¡¯s actions and placing his jar next to hers. ¡°Come now, Miss Desdemona, there¡¯s no need to be coy. If there¡¯s something wrong, you can tell us. We¡¯re all friends here.¡± ¡°We most certainly are not!¡± Azi interrupted, before turning to Mona and smiling softly. ¡°But if we¡¯re talking solely about you, Miss Desdemona, then of course we are! And while most of the time my brother is wrong, I will admit, he is right about this. You can tell us if something is bothering you.¡± Even though she would have loved to tell someone, anyone, about her affliction, she knew that the risk was not worth her peace of mind. For far too long she had been alone. For far too long there had been an absence of people in her life that cared. It had been months since she¡¯d even truly interacted with a person, and the only reason she had grown so close with Azi and Amu was because of their cordial and kind-hearted nature. If they had been just like all the other apothecary alchemists she¡¯d had dealings with in other settlements, her only interactions with them would have been a simple hello and goodbye, and if she was honest, she preferred it that way. To not have ties that bound her to a specific settlement. To not have to burden herself with the feelings of others. But Azi and Amu had found a way to circumvent the defences she had erected around her heart. And while her time spent with them provided a warmth that thawed the frigid prison of solitude she voluntarily encased herself in, it only served to remind her of what she would have to give up once it came time for her to move on. ¡°I¡¯m flattered, well and truly,¡± Mona began, turning her back to the two siblings. ¡°But my problems are my own. There¡¯s no need to get the two of you involved.¡± ¡°You know what you need? A nice, home-cooked meal,¡± Azi said, her seemingly random declaration leaving Mona perplexed. ¡°My brother may be a fumble-fingered alchemist, but I have to admit, he really knows how to cook a crawdad!¡± ¡°And while my useless sister can¡¯t mix a tonic to save her life, I¡¯d be lying if I said she couldn¡¯t make a pleasantly acceptable plantain bread,¡± Amu added. ¡°Come have dinner with us, Miss Desdemona. Maybe you¡¯ll feel a little more comfortable talking then.¡± Mona tilted her head downwards, further concealing her face behind her sunhat. Not just because she didn¡¯t want the siblings to see her face, but because it was growing harder and harder to look them in the eye and lie. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯m afraid I have to say no. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m just not a social eater.¡± Azi and Amu exchanged a look, and with a prompt nod, they both simultaneously existed from behind the store counter and stood on either side of Mona. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright, Miss Desdemona¡± Azi asked, trying her best to peek under Mona¡¯s hat and meet her gaze. ¡°We don¡¯t mean to press, but it¡¯s just strange that you never take us up on our dinner offers. Is it because you can¡¯t stand the thought of spending time with Amu?¡± ¡°No, of course not,¡± Mona insisted. ¡°Is it because Azi¡¯s voice drives you mad?¡± Amu asked. ¡°It¡¯s none of those things. I promise.¡± ¡°Then what is it, Miss Desdemona?¡± Azi asked, her expression growing more dispirited with each word. ¡°What is it that¡¯s bothering you so much you need to take two vials of Tranquillity? What is causing you so much pain that you require all of these ingredients?¡± With a deep sigh, Mona braced herself for what was to come. It didn¡¯t happen at every apothecary she frequented while travelling, but the longer she stayed in a place, the more suspicious her suppliers grew. It was only a matter of time before they put together what she was using the materials she bought to make, and once they did, they would either ban her from their dispensary, or report her to the authorities. Even though Azi and Amu were kinder than any alchemist she had come across, she was sure that their reaction would be no different. The law was the law, and no sane person would risk breaking it for a stranger. ¡°If you want to stop selling me what I need, it¡¯s alright. I understand,¡± Mona said plainly. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for this order and leave. All I ask is you don¡¯t report me, and you¡¯ll never have to see me again.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Azi and Amu exclaimed, their voices concordantly overlapping. Mona stared at the two, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Did you really think we¡¯d be so heartless to just kick you out just because the law forbids certain combinations of products to be sold?¡± Amu scoffed. ¡°You are more than a customer to us, Miss Desdemona,¡± Azi added. ¡°I¡¯d say you were like family, but that would be more of an insult than a compliment!¡± ¡°If anyone finds out what you¡¯re supplying me with, you could lose your licence,¡± Mona replied. ¡°Please, there¡¯s no need to worry about me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t help but do so,¡± Amu said firmly. ¡°If there is something troubling you, we are here to talk. It¡¯s our business to heal ailments of the body, but it¡¯d be our pleasure to heal any ailments of the soul you may possess.¡± Azi took a step forward, leading her body with an outstretched hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to run from us, Miss Desdemona. Let us help.¡± It hurt to hear how much Azi and Amu cared, more so than the vile vitriol she endured from the voices that inhabited her mind. It hurt because while their words were well-meaning, they held no tangible weight to her. It hurt because they cherished her presence, and for someone like her, relationships were not a luxury she could afford. And most of all, it hurt because they were offering something that Mona desperately wanted, desperately needed, but could never have. While the siblings¡¯ intent was to make her feel better, all their words did was pierce her heart and bleed it dry. While it was a twisted thing to think, Mona would have much preferred it if the two had just kicked her out of their store. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should go,¡± Mona said, removing a crumpled bag from her dress and placing the two jars inside. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the change. Consider it a parting gift.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t force you to do anything you don¡¯t want to,¡± Amu sighed. ¡°But please, Miss Desdemona, remember. We are here if you need us.¡± ¡°We know you aren¡¯t planning on spending much longer in Bergelmir, but it would be nice if we could have that dinner before you go,¡± Azi said with a weary smile. ¡°Just the one, so we can say goodbye good and proper.¡± It was a testament to Azi and Amu¡¯s empathy that Mona was considering taking them up on their offer. She thought that she had not only grown accustomed to being alone but was beginning to prefer it to having company, but in less than a month, the two of them had managed to whittle away at her until she realised the truth. That she only feigned enjoying solitude in order to stave off her misery. Given enough time, Mona would have perhaps found herself in Azi and Amu¡¯s home, enjoying warm crawdad soup and freshly baked plantain bread, instead of cold beans on a stale barley loaf. She might have eventually confided in the two and informed them of her plight, and perhaps, if the Saints were kind, the siblings would have continued to treat her as a friend and assist her in finding a way to cure her affliction. But such things were only fantasies ¡ª fantasies that could never come to fruition. Not because Mona dismissed them outright, but because the voices that should have stayed silent till nightfall suddenly began to scream. Pain! Pain and suffering! Like fire! Like poison! Like death! Pain is falling and the sky is bleeding! Mona doubled over from the sudden screeching that began to gnaw at her mind. She would have found herself splayed on the marble floor of the apothecary had the sudden shatter of the vials that she once held in her hands not returned her to reality quick enough to catch the edge of the counter. ¡°Miss Desdemona! Are you alright?¡± Azi asked, rushing forward, with her brother in tow as both reached to take hold of either one of her arms. ¡°No! Stay back!¡± Mona exclaimed, stumbling away from them, her hands pulled towards her chest as she struggled to focus, the chaotic cries of the voices further disorientating her. The mother calls out! She screams in agony! They seek to uproot the world! They seek to wither! To collapse! The heathen comes! The heathen approaches! The heathen hungers! ¡°Miss Desdemona, please! You have to tell us what¡¯s happening to you!¡± Amu pleaded. ¡°We can help if you¡¯d just let us!¡± But there was no helping her, Mona knew that. Even with all the knowledge, tools and substances they had at their disposal, there was nothing that the siblings could do to stop what was happening. Despite the Tranquillity she took, the voices had returned, and now there was only one thing left for her to do. Run, before things grew infinitely worse. ¡°You can¡¯t help me!¡± Mona yelled, backing away from the two and towards the door. ¡°Nobody can!¡± ¡°You have no idea how many people have said those exact words to us, Miss Desdemona. They all believed they couldn¡¯t be helped,¡± Azi said, inching closer as if she was approaching a startled animal. ¡°But in the end, when they finally accepted that they had a problem that needed to be fixed, they realised that it was all in their head. So please, stay with us, and let us help you.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for the voices, Mona would have seen Azi¡¯s hand coming. She would have batted it away and prevented her from coming any closer. But in the fugue state she found herself in, she let her guard down for a split second, and that was all Azi needed to push Mona¡¯s sunhat up, look into the woman¡¯s eyes and let out a bloodcurdling scream. ¡°By the Saints! You¡¯re one of them!¡± she cried, falling on to her back and frantically crawling her way back to Amu, who stared at her confusingly. ¡°Azi, have you gone mad? What the devil has gotten into you?¡± Once Amu had approached, he had his questions answered as his gaze met Mona¡¯s, and he saw the dark green tears streaming from her now blackened eyes. It took no more than three seconds for Amu to lose all control of his body as he stiffly collapsed to the ground and passed out. ¡°Amu? Amu!¡± Azi called, rushing to her brothers¡¯ side. ¡°Oh Saints, please, please be ok.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Mona said, her voice slowly becoming one that was not her own, its raspy cadence consuming her usual whispered tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this. I¡¯m so, so sorry. But I can¡¯t let the two of you turn me in.¡± ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you! Just leave us be!¡± Azi cried, grasping hold of Amu. ¡°We thought you were a runaway Changeling! We just wanted to take care of you! We just wanted to be kind!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Mona lamented. ¡°And I shouldn¡¯t have let you. A thing like me doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± Mona stared down at the crying Azi and the unconscious Amu, taking one last, longing look at the siblings. Then she focused her vision on Azi and after a few seconds, she joined her brother in unconsciousness as her body slumped over his. With the two siblings incapacitated, there was nothing left for Mona in the apothecary and nothing left for her in Bergelmir. Now all that was left to do was flee the settlement before she lost control. Run, little Mona! Flee, little Mona! Save us from the fall! Save us from the harvest! With her hand on the exit to the apothecary, Mona suddenly froze in place. Something was different about the voices, something had changed. They would usually mock her, provoke her, even attempt to spur her to harm herself, but never had they asked for her help, and never had they seemed so desperate. With how loud and unhinged they were, she should have lost control of herself already, but still, she retained sole possession of her body. Which could mean only one thing. Something monumental was happening. Mona swallowed her hesitation and pushed forward, walking through the apothecary¡¯s door and into the streets of Bergelmir, and as soon as she stepped foot outside, the absence of the sun¡¯s light overwhelmed her emotions. The sight of the gargantuan Fallen One¡¯s corpse eclipsing the sun sent a wave of goosebumps rippling across her body and caused the choir of voices within her to cry out in despair. The sun has been swallowed! Too late! Too late! It comes for us now! Flesh and green alike! Hide, little Mona! Hide! It is all that is left to do! Suddenly, the voices silenced, their true absence marked by the discoloured tears in Mona¡¯s eyes ceasing to flow. Of their own free will, the voices had grown quiet and evicted themselves from her mind, an occurrence that she had thought impossible. At any other time in her life, Mona would have been overjoyed by her current situation. But now, with what could only be a Titan falling form the sky, all it did was fill her with dread. The voices were clearly scared, frightened out of the mind by the Titan. And if something was capable of striking fear into them, then it only meant her problems were about to multiply. But Mona didn¡¯t have much time to ponder on such thoughts. With their voices gone, and her body her own, she needed to make sure she survived. All around her the people of Bergelmir stood frozen, but some who had managed to break free of the movement-inhibiting spell the Titan¡¯s presence had cast were cowering close to the ground and bracing for the inevitable impact that was to come. With no other option, she did as they did and braced herself against the nearest wall for the Titan¡¯s arrival. And when the earth heaved in response to its collision, Mona thought she was prepared for what would come next. But instead of riding out the seismic event till its end, she found herself suddenly blinded by a flash of light. A light, that was quickly followed by a single, sharp scream unlike any she had ever heard in her life. It erupted forth from her mind, consuming her very being, and as Mona writhed on the quaking ground in agony, the scream gave way to say a single word. Freedom.