Void
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She opened her eyes lazily. With a puzzled look she glanced at her watch which already showed nine o'clock in the morning so she quickly got out of bed. She never slept that late to avoid wasting time. She also had a rule that if she didn't die in her sleep then she had a duty to get through the day as well as possible. Therefore, she went to get dressed in some relative clothes. She had to go today to get some new trousers, shirts and maybe she could bargain some shoes or at least a coat or blades belts.
She got dressed, took all her savings and walked out of the house. She walked slowly towards Kamino and on the way she wanted to stop at Fetos. She hoped to find an assignment but unfortunately to no avail. In addition, the housing estate was more crowded than usual, so she had to go around the outskirts. To make matters worse, she discovered that the central gate was guarded by a guardian.
"Something must have gone wrong" - she threw up her hands in resignation and set off in the direction of Stoneware. She could look around, but she was carrying money, which attracted trouble. She also had to avoid the guards. Instead of wasting time, she set off towards the north gate of Kamino.
She entered the city even more alert than usual. She was afraid of confusion so she preferred not to wander around the city looking for an assignment. Through the narrow streets she reached one of the bazaars. For her entire fortune she managed to buy comfortable trousers with a leather belt, a full shirt and shoes. She even got in some cloth and thread to sew up the holes in her coat. Sometimes her reputation in the city came in handy. When she hid in one of the alleyways she dressed the new clothes and put the old ones in her bag, she would be able to use the leftover material for mending. She was already completely penniless and with an empty belly and because of the commotion in the city she couldn't even rummage through the rubbish in peace. Nevertheless, she wanted to make sure what had happened in Fetos.
She ran across rooftops and balconies to avoid street patrols. By some miracle, she managed to reach the stables, however, there was also a little commotion here. Hidden in the shadows of the buildings, she found Bishop. She threw a stone at him and when he saw her, he discreetly joined her.
"What is going on here? The whole of Fetos is closed!" - she tried to speak quietly and did not even for a moment stop looking around for threats
"Don't even get me started. I got orders and I can't even get through the gate. Fucking clerks! - with clear reluctance he spat on the ground and with murder in his eyes he looked at the guards bustling about the gate
" Tell me what happened. What is a guard doing in the Mortuary?" - The Mortuary was a place without law and quite ignored by the city. If they sent guards there then something must have happened
"A bashing, that’s what happened. I don’t know the specifics but I only managed to catch them talking about books and kids. Probably some kid stole a book with magic and it was a mess” - he said angrily. Ivy continued to stand unmoved, but inside she was feeling very squeezed. Those kids probably didn’t even know what they were stealing and now the whole neighbourhood is screwed.
A bashing or ‘witch hunt’ was one of the worst possible actions of the city guard. The Mortuary was the place to go for outcasts, criminals, the poor, the sick, orphans or old people who were expendable to the city. Many people took refuge here because of the iron hand of the officials. People had not been allowed to learn magic for many years, but some broke the law, which was punished extremely severely. When the guards got a tip-off that there was something going on in the Mortuary that had to do with magic or some other forbidden area, everyone was severely fucked. Anyone, even those who had never heard of magic, could get a beating from the guards. The actions consisted of round-ups, interrogations, torture and punishment in front of the crowd. Ivy feared them like nothing else. Everyone in the Mortuary had something on their conscience and could be punished when least expected.
What scared her most, however, was the thought that it was the orphans. She wasn’t a hero or a good person, but she couldn’t let these damned guards do what they wanted and torture them for the mere fact that they were human.
"Do you have any smoke bombs? The coloured ones?" – she threw down dispassionately and watched the guards and their movements
"Have you gone mad? Get over yourself, you’re not doing anything about it. Anyway, look, they’re already finishing the job. You’ll be able to go home soon" – he handed her the bombs and pointed with his finger at the carriage with the prisoners. She looked calm but her hands in her pockets clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned pale.
She waited in the shadows for about half an hour before the guards disappeared. When she made sure the area was clear she rushed to Fetos. The sight of vomit, blood and excrement was normal here but the sepulchral silence was downright frightening. Those who were lucky had buried themselves somewhere in the hovels or alleys.
Only the already dead bodies and those about to give up the ghost were left in the street. The sight of death was the order of the day for her and no longer moved her. But even so, there were moments of hesitation, where she wanted to scream and cry because her conscience suddenly came to her. This was also the case now.
She was walking through a path of bodies towards a burning pyre. On it was a impaled body bound with silver chains with spikes. The skin on the body was already charred but she recognised a face. The face of a boy who, only yesterday, with tears of happiness in his eyes, was eating the fruit she had managed to toss. Without looking at the embers under her feet or the revolting stench of burnt flesh, she stepped onto the pyre and broke open the pile. She took the boy’s slight body and caught it in her hands. She could see by the dead man’s face that he was dying a long and painful death. She climbed down from the pile and laid the body on the alter and immediately began to pull off the prickly chain.
"It doesn’t make any sense. You’d better get out of here before they come back for the body" – Bishop stood back and looked nervously towards the gate. The guards could always come back here, however, Ivy unconcernedly pulled the silver that wounded her hands. She was careless of the blood that trickled down her hands. Her pain was nothing compared to the suffering the young boy felt. - "Leave this body and go hide. I already remember! Someone is looking for you around town, you were supposed to turn up at Fantabera as soon as you could! Abandon that body and run to Kamino to take care of a new assignment! – he tried to drag her away from the body at all costs but she cared for nothing else. She focused on the emaciated burnt body and the face contorted with pain and horror
"I will show up in my own time. Instead of tearing yourself down you’d better take care of yourself and leave me be. I’ll do what I want. Just don’t tell anyone what you saw here!" – she stated firmly and attached the chain to her belt. She took the body in her arms and stood up from the ground. Bishop mirrored her with a look full of pity but she knew that the boy understood her message
" It’s none of my business what goes through your head. You’d better have a cry somewhere along the way and forget about everything. I’m going back to Kamino and I advise you to do the same,” - he threw out with a little fury and headed for the gate. Ivy led him away with her eyes as she knew he was only worried about her and his reaction was fully understandable. Once the boy was out of her sight she moved westwards.
The urgency made her wander through the Mortuary with only the wind smearing the skin on her cheeks. She walked all alone with the dead child in her arms and tried to stifle the emotions she had rid herself of long ago, or at least she wanted to.
She crossed the river and came to a small hill in the forest. She put his body down and grabbed a spade stuck in the ground. She found a vacant spot and started digging a hole for the corpse. As she put all her energy into digging the earth she allowed herself to show emotion. She was furious, at the guard, at the city, at the whole broken world and at herself in particular
"What’s the point of killing yourself over all this? Do you think you did a good deed because the boy had something to eat? Look how much use you were to him! You think you’re fighting and you can’t save anyone! You’re a miserable little grey man! An orphan that nobody wants! You can’t change your own fate and you’re trying to fix the lives of thousands! You are pathetic! A pathetic mercenary and shit-warrior who can’t even save herself! I hate you for that! I hate you for getting up in the morning and realising you’re still alive! You should have died seventeen years ago and you couldn’t even do that!" – she shouted at herself until she lost her strength.
She knelt down and allowed herself to scream almost agonisingly. She didn’t know whether raindrops or her tears were running down her cheeks. She was shrieking in agony and hitting her head with her fists.
With the remains of her nails, she began to scratch at the ground until the skin came off her fingertips. She had to let go of any emotion that managed to hide in her until she fell exhausted and lay face down on the ground.
She came out of the pit and started looking for stones. She scattered the bottom with them and laid the body on them. She covered the body with earth into which she put some sunflower seeds that she always had with her. She marked the grave with one larger stone and knelt on the ground
"I have no idea how I should bury you. I have no idea if you believed in anything and if there is a real god somewhere. Most likely not because if there was it wouldn’t have allowed such suffering. But I prefer to believe that no matter what happens after death is far better than what happens to us here. That’s why I hope you are already in a better place and no longer suffering as you did a while ago. I’m sorry I didn’t manage to save you. I am sorry that I did not manage to save anyone. All I can do is apologise because it is always too late to help. I guess I’m only burying bodies to ease my conscience, but the truth is I have just as much blood on my hands as that damned guard. Except that they can protect their own in the city and I can’t even save one lousy kid in the Mortuary. I’m sorry you ended up with such a pathetic person like me. I’m sorry you had to live in such a broken world like this and for having to leave it in such an ugly way. I’m sorry... – she clenched her fists on the stones and let the last tears flow before she had to shake herself off and go back to living in this nasty world.
She lifted herself off the ground and lightly shook off the dirt. She walked away a piece and glanced at the rest of the graves. Altogether she had already dug forty-four graves. Forty-four forgotten stories and lives brutally lost. The marks left by time were already visible on most of them.
She hid her mournful face under her hood and moved towards the city. She had to return to life in the Mortuary as if nothing had happened, so she helped herself to the opium she smoked on the way. She tried to suppress the rest of her emotions in order to be ready to fight for survival again.
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Incompatibilities
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With a complete blank in her head, she decided to go to Kamino, she did not feel like sitting in the Mortuary. With a slow step and a lowered head she walked through the streets of the district until her feet stopped her in front of Fantabera. She had expected it to be Jas who wanted something again. At the moment, she preferred some more forceful task to unwind and let off steam, but she went in to see what the blonde wanted from her. She entered the premises where the first customers were beginning to gather. She pulled her hood tighter around her and began to look around the room. She walked up to the bar and spoke to the bartender
"Alfred, I’m supposed to be here, so here I am. Do you know where Jas is? I'm sure that she had business with me” - she threw out unceremoniously. The barman didn’t even interrupt his work for a moment, he just stopped the first better girl and told her to bring Jas.
All Ivy could do now was wait at the end of the counter with her head down so as not to scare away customers. After a long moment, Jas emerged from the back room and, with a broad smile, beckoned to Ivy with a hand gesture. The girl got up lazily and followed Jas with a slow step. They reached the staff sleeping quarters. Jas spread herself on the cushions and pulled Ivy with her. She sat down crossing her legs and arms over her chest. She removed the hood from her head and began, as always, sternly and matter-of-factly
"What business do you have with me this time?" – she asked in a relatively calm voice to sound formal as she did during each of her meetings with the client and Ivy clapped her hands together contentedly
"I have a simple task for you! I need you to get information for me again. This time it’s a serious assignment, I promise I’ll pay!" – she said excitedly. For Ivy it was normal to get paid for a task, but she was more interested in the content of the task than in the payment.
" Let’s get down to business and get it over with" – she waved her hand and leaned her head against the wall. She was hoping for something interesting but she could expect anything from Johnny
"So, I need more information about the Renovators and the Wild Snakes. About their members, their bosses, where they hold office, what they do, what their views are, who they are connected to, how to reach them, literally everything! Any knowledge is worth its weight in gold. I know it’s not a problem for you. You move all over the city and have assignments from literally everyone and in every field so I’m relying on you to get things done quickly. So, do you want to start right away?" – she asked with excitement and, as always, with unimaginable confidence, but Ivy’s enthusiasm did not impose itself on her
" Didn’t I accidentally tell you to walk away from this case? Stop being interested in them. I didn’t know you were so curious” - she said with a raised eyebrow. She had never seen Jasmine so eager to find out about something that did not concern beauty or money and could also bring trouble.
"I don’t need this knowledge, but I have someone who needs this information. Let’s make a deal, you get the information and I pass it on. Of course, you will be paid for everything”- she threw in dispassionately and with a smile he waited for Ivy’s reaction, which could only be one.
"No" – she stated firmly and without a shadow of emotion on her face and stood up from the ground without looking at the dazed blonde
"What do you mean no? This is one of the easiest jobs! Almost without effort or risk you will get paid. It’s the business of a lifetime. If you have other assignments, know that I can somehow stagger it just say yes!" – she stood up and grabbed her hand but Ivy stood unmoved with her hands in her pockets
" Yes I know getting information is easy and easy money but my answer is no. Go find someone else" – she floated her hand and tried to go out into the corridor but Jasmine was adamant
"On what grounds do you turn down such an opportunity?" – she stomped her foot and waited for an answer and Ivy just sighed heavily. She was having a bad day and no desire to discuss anything and confessing such an obvious declaration was the last thing she wanted to waste her strength on
" Well, by the most obvious thing in the world that you seem to have forgotten so I will remind you of it. I don’t do business with elves!" – she spoke slowly and loudly so that the girl would understand but Jasmine seemed indignant at her explanation
"This is a task commissioned by me, not by an elf so come on. You will work for me!" – she was still holding her hand and did not want to let her go, but Ivy saw that she could not stop her by force and did not have to change her mind
"And you’ll be working for an elf so no! I will never in my life accept a commission, directly or indirectly from an elf! I would already rather lick the soles for free than stoop to such a level. I also can’t believe that you have fallen so low as to help an elf, I thought you were a better person Jas”- she said with resignation and pulled herself out of the blonde’s grasp. She immediately took advantage of the fact that she was uninhibited to leave the room in the direction of the exit. Today she was especially sick of listening to anything to do with elves.
"Excuse me? That I am doing wrong? What are you doing!" – the blonde grabbed her hand and forced her to look at it – "I took my life in my own hands and got out of this cursed hovel! I have a chance to change my fate and that’s what I’m doing! And you? You’re sitting in that gutter of yours and you think you’re better? You’re going to fumble in your orders because what? Your honour doesn’t allow you? Don’t make me laugh! What’s honourable about living in the rubbish!" – she threw in disgust and Ivy momentarily froze in place. She didn’t feel like arguing in the slightest, but she could feel her nerves starting to get the best of her. She narrowed her lips into a thin line and blinked several times in the hope that she would calm down before she said a few words too much
"You know what, you’re right! I lost my honour a long time ago although I’m not even sure I ever had it. But even still, I have something that has successfully allowed me to survive. Something that has reminded me all my life not to trust elves and have nothing to do with them. It is reason! It’s the only thing that’s kept me alive in this gutter that’s been so mired in. I will say more! Anyone would pay any price to get out of the Morgue but not at the price of helping the elves who are the oppressors of humans! I’m not going to interfere in your business or lecture you if you know better yourself. There are also a lot of mercenaries in the city, talk to them. I’m going back to my gutter to rot like the last piece of trash I am, so you don’t have to make me understand!" – she growled in her face and ended the conversation. She turned around and ran out of the place, not being able to look or listen to Jas any longer. Today was not her day. She felt like lying motionless and at the same time like smashing the city to smithereens. Not knowing what to do with herself, she went for a walk around the city, hoping that all the anger would somehow escape her on the way.
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Albedo
She walked through the city completely unfazed by passing passers-by or even the guards. She was slightly disappointed that Jasmine had made a deal with the elves, but she still understood the girl. She could see that Jas was thinking purely in terms of profit. Handing over information for the right amount was a really profitable and easy deal. Jasmine knew perfectly well what she was doing. She was only thinking about making money and getting out of the brothel so Ivy could not hold a grudge against her. She respected her choice and hoped that Jasmine would understand her too. She knew she would not contribute to helping the elves in any way. She even smuggled drugs in the hope that some elf would overdose on them and die. Still, she had to live with reality and not pipe dreams. She knew she had to get some kind of commission because she was left penniless.
She walked until she reached the Albedo district. The city was always crowded so she didn’t pay much attention to the crowd. It was only when she stopped behind someone’s back that she realised she was standing among the inhabitants of the district.
She was standing in the main square where the execution was about to begin. In the centre, there was a platform already prepared, where the executioners were busy checking their instruments of torture. Ivy immediately guessed that the whole spectacle was being prepared for the people they had transported out of Fetos today. When she saw the cage with the prisoners, her suspicions were confirmed.
The four prisoners were chained to the ceiling so that they could remain upright at all. Their bodies were almost inert but Ivy could see them struggling to catch their breath or spitting blood. They were marked with a mass of ragged wounds that had been inflicted with a whip ending in silver spikes. Ivy had once been hit with this weapon herself, so she knew all about these cuts and, sadly, knew the pain the prisoners had to endure. Their faces were all battered, which meant they had already been interrogated. Now it was difficult to recognise them because they resembled a pile of flesh dripping with blood. Worst of all, they were young boys, no more than fourteen years old, and Ivy was sure that none of them could read or write, so to sentence them to such torture for stealing a book was the most miserable thing in the world.
But she knew she was powerless against the system. Only a few hours earlier, all she could do was bury the body of one of the boys because her good deed of bringing food was as unnecessary as a bucket of water during a flood. She was also sick of seeing blood and suffering so she tried to silence the remnants of her conscience that told her to still do something to help the boys.
"I am just a pathetic human being. I cannot save myself, let alone others." – she whispered to herself to chase away the gloomy thoughts and to go home, hoping to forget today’s day
She began to push her way through the crowd, ignoring everything and everyone, but the voices became more and more insistent. She tried to clench her fists tighter or bite her lips but her emotions took over when she heard all those shouts.
The loudest chanting was from the crowd of entia. For them, executing people was the best entertainment. The crowd of people at the back stood quietly and waited for the verdict. They did not protest, they did not try to save their own brothers in need. They lived a happy life in the third ring and were under no obligation to risk their lives for some subhuman from the Mortuary. She also tried to put up with how the entia chanted what monstrous, filthy, evil and worst people they were.
She walked like this until she heard the guards debating in what time the prisoners would give up the ghost. They were betting how many minutes they would be able to endure the torture and which executioner would take care of which prisoner. Then she could not stand it and blood trickled from her lip. The cup of bitterness was extremely full anyway, but now it overflowed to the point where Ivy did not think to react. She turned and looked around at the crowd and the satisfied guards and in her mind a plan of action was already ready
"Just so you know, I’m not a hero or a good person at all. I’m only doing this to spite them all, nothing more" – she threw to herself and pulled her hood tighter over her face. She looked carefully around the square and made sure of the contents of her equipment. She changed direction and slowly made her way through the crowd towards the saffron, so as not to arouse suspicion. She stood for a moment and waited until they had dragged the prisoners out of the cage and onto the platform.
As soon as the prisoners stood in their designated places and the crowd fell silent in anticipation of the judge’s decree, Ivy sprang into action. Before anyone could react she threw smoke bombs on the rise and immediately jumped onto the platform and gathered the boys closer together. Now she had to act quickly
"You can die by their hand or by mine. Which do you choose?" – She asked with indifference and the boys did not even think about it. They stood at attention and their eyes said it all. This one brief gesture was enough for the boys to say goodbye to life and leave this world with more dignity than the elves would have liked.
Ivy quickly and painlessly took their lives. She used her hidden blades coated with poison to ease their pain. She swung and, in a swift motion, slit the throats of the unfortunates. The whole thing lasted mere seconds. Before the bodies could fall to the ground, she ran out of the smoke and started running towards the district exit. Of course, she was immediately followed by a pursuit.
The elves were extremely agile and fast. Her only advantage was her good knowledge of the city and her small stature. She jumped over obstacles, squeezed between passers-by, hid behind walls to avoid arrows. She didn’t even focus on the fight or her opponents because all she cared about was running through the gate. In the meantime, she threw knives to slow down and discourage the guards, so that she was at the gate extremely quickly. All she had to do was get to the other side and then they could kiss her ass. She was about to jump to avoid the guards when the smoke cleared.
She stopped, but did not let her guard down even for a moment. Her senses were at full speed, so she was able to analyse her surroundings and attack. She plunged the knife into the hand that had grabbed her shoulders and was about to deliver the fatal blow, but her tormentor stopped her.
"We are with you! We will help you escape!" – the figure pleaded and tried to convince Ivy that she was harmless. She dropped her weapon and raised her hands in the air. Ivy didn’t want to feel pity, but she knew she wouldn’t attack a defenceless person and that was the only reason she gave up the fight with the cloaked figure.
"Get out of my way!" – she threw a stern look and focused on the guards. She also decided to use the veil to gain a slight advantage. She swapped her knives for a daggers and started cutting everything in sight. The elves didn’t even have time to react. They fell one by one. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed the smell of blood and the elves’ moans of pain.
The smoke screen began to fall and it didn’t even cross her mind to stop fighting. She wanted to defeat the assembled group before reinforcements arrived. She also had to seize the opportunity to vent her fury. She cut shallowly and in core places on the sinews and when the elf fell to the ground, she cut on the chest or slit their throats slightly so that they could die in agony.
The killing had completely consumed her and she was disappointed to see that the whole group was already lying dead, just when she was starting to get the hang of things. She was about to move in spite of the relief when the same figure that had grabbed her earlier by the shoulder appeared in front of her
"I know you want revenge, but now is not the time. Come with us to safety” - the person said firmly, while Ivy looked on with the same indifference as always, and the desire to fight and have fun immediately faded away.
" It’s not revenge, it’s exercise and secondly, fuck off before you get hit too. And for the record, I am acting alone" – the unnecessary discussion took away her will to fight. She sheathed her daggers and ran out of the town through the gate without even looking back.
She found herself in the vineyards and forests of Magdorn. She hid a little further away among the treetops to get a good view of the gate. There was a great commotion there but most were focused on the bodies of the fallen guards rather than continuing the chase. Rather than fret unnecessarily, Ivy sat down on a branch, leaned against a trunk and gathered her strength. With a bored look she watched the guards who now looked like ants. As if nothing was going to happen, they were about to release an wanted posters for her, but as she had never cared before, she would not care this time either. She put her hands on her head and thought she would wait a little longer. Maybe they would dispose of the boys’ bodies and she could bury them somewhere before they were dismembered by animals or lshoulder
However, it was already getting extremely dark and cold and it was starting to get quieter under the gate. She climbed down from the tree and thought she had nothing left to lose. She would walk through the town and what would be would be. To make things more fun she walked through the gate where she had killed the guards moments before. She stood in front of the passage and shrugged her shoulders
"I shouldn’t be doing this, but... fuck it all" – she chuckled to herself with indifference and entered the city. After all, no one expects an assassin to just walk into town through the gate where he committed the crime. And so it happened. She walked completely relaxed through the district
She returned to the square to ascertain what had happened to the bodies but, to her misfortune, the whole spectacle had ended in time. She looked for a moment at the spot where she had killed the four young boys. She also knew that the world would soon forget about them and no one would even cry after them. Immersed in this thought, she adjusted her hood and decided that she would return to Kamino.
She stepped out of the market and a small knife plunged right under her feet. Unfazed, she looked to her right from where the shot came from. She knew it was the same figure that had been present at the gate. Ivy, however, did not want to talk to anyone and had had enough excitement for today. She bypassed the knife with a bigger step and moved by herself. She knew she was being followed but didn’t want to react to it.
She walked with her hands in her pockets until she reached the Cellar, hoping to find something to do. With difficulty she entered the overcrowded establishment and headed for the back room. She didn’t even bother to dodge the attack, she simply deflected the knife flying towards her with her blade.
"Can you stop greeting every person who comes in here with a knife?" – She wasn’t in control of mischief like she was tired or happy but now it was because of the former. Ben merely turned in his chair towards her and eyed her intently with a penetrating gaze
" Whose blood is this?" - he pointed his knife at her cloak. Ivy got a questioning look on her face, but when she glanced at her cloak she noticed that it was indeed stained in the already dried blood of the elves. Surprisingly, no one returned her attention, but since everyone didn't give a damn, she didn't care either.
"I don't know. We never went by 'you' so I don't know names. But that's not why I'm here. Don't you have anything to do now? I want to take advantage of the fact that I'm in the neighbourhood" - she said dispassionately and sat down in a chair to await Ben's decision and to get some rest.
"This isn't a bar where you order whatever you want and get it straight off the bat. There aren't many last-minute jobs to be done, especially since I've already divided everything up among my people. Go back to your place, get some sleep and come back tomorrow for a new task" - he dismissed her with his hand, to which she groaned tiredly, but she did not have the strength for discussion.
"Piss off Ben. We both know very well that I may not live to see tomorrow" - she threw a bored look and left before the man could make any comment. She didn't want to go home and she didn't have any money to wander the city, so she went into the crowd at the bar and started stealing as much gold as she could. By the time she left the bar, she had quite a large sum. She wanted to drink herself into a stupor and forget that today had ever happened.
She was about to go on her way, but one obstacle stood in her way. Ivy sighed heavily and ran her hands through her face and hair.
"What are you fucking with me for?! I have no interest in you so fuck off before I think you're fucking in love! - she exclaimed reproachfully and started walking ahead. Whoever had accompanied her from the action at the gate, she knew he was extremely intrusive.
She walked visibly annoyed and with her stolen wealth she bought a flask of vodka and opium and set off ahead. She often saved herself with opium and had to keep a supply on hand at all times but the one she had she managed to smoke today before she turned up at Fantabera.
She settled herself against a blank wall and let herself drift off. The opium silenced her mind and the alcohol dulled her senses. She sat against the wall and stared blankly at the sky, hoping that at least the stimulants would help her endure this nightmarish world. However, the way to full happiness was paved by an intrusive figure
"If you're not here to kill me, then get lost" - she threw it into the ether, but she knew perfectly well that her pursuer was standing a few metres away from her and watching her intently
"If you’re aware enough to know that I’m standing here, it means that we can talk" – the figure stated firmly and stood by Ivy who did not ask for it at all
"I’m going mad... I can’t even stagger in peace. Do I look like someone who wants to talk to you?" – she said reproachfully. She wanted to die in peace and even that she could not. As she is always alone so now until she cannot get away from the onlookers. She was about to get up and go staggering to another place but a figure clipped her legs and forced her to stay put. Ivy looked at her with a raised eyebrow as the figure was clearly pushing into the cast
"I don’t give a damn what you think of me but I won’t give you a break until you listen to me!" – she growled and knelt down in front of her snatching her opium pipe. Ivy had no way of reaching for the drug so she guessed she had no choice but to let the character talk. She took a few sips from the bottle, as soberly there was no way she would put up with the unnecessary wailing to make it easier to ignore the figure’s argument
"Fuck... Say what you have to say and get out of my sight!" – she snorted in her direction and turned to listen. She folded her arms over her chest and pretended to concentrate as she thoughtfully wondered where such insistent creatures came from
"Those kids in the square today, we wanted to save them but you surprised us. We wanted to kill you for your crimes against people but we understood that you wanted to put an end to their suffering...." – Ivy momentarily put her hand to the figure’s face
"I wanted to thwart the guards and nothing more! Don’t try to stretch the truth just get to the point" – she wasn’t a hero and didn’t want to be praised for killing children at all costs so she had to get into the word
"Minor, in any case you helped us. We wanted to repay you and take you to safety but you decided to get rid of the threat yourself. I am impressed. Not everyone can face an elf, let alone defeat a whole group of guards. You don’t look threatening but you’re pretty good. Even from the action at the back of Fantaber, you seemed exceptional. Now I know why. I never would have thought that I would find you during today’s action but I guess fate is smiling on me. It was fate that I found you. Now I know that you are the one who has to help us"- the figure said enthusiastically and Ivy looked at her with dull eyes trying to analyse the statement
"What the fuck are you talking about? You’re not any of the guys I got under Fantaber! What are you and how do you know about that situation!" – she ordered in a more threatening tone. She may have been dumbfounded, but not so much so that she couldn’t connect the facts which immediately made her feel uneasy. The figure, however, was not as embarrassed as she was, giggled and put out a hand towards her
"I can’t reveal my name or identity to you yet but you can call me Reaper. I am from the human liberation movement. I want you to join us" - the cloaked figure said softly in a truly feminine voice. Ivy couldn’t see her face very well but looked at her as if she was a moron with the thought that someone who is capable of such declarations must look like a moron
"I don’t give a shit about your hobby. Tell me how you know about the action behind the brothel!" – she glared at her and ignored her earlier request. Now she felt she had gotten herself into some trouble and wanted to clear it up immediately before it was too late. Reaper took her hand away and continued as Ivy had instructed
" You weren’t alone under Fantabera. That boy you saw was my target, I’ve been spying on him for a long time. I just didn’t expect to be thwarted by some prostitute, a religious fanatic, two donkeys and you. Nevertheless, I don’t regret staying to have a look at you. I am also delighted that we are on the same side" - she said happily, as if she were talking about rainbows and flowers and Ivy had had enough of this crap.
"I still don’t understand why you followed me all the way here. You’ve seen me twice and you think you know what I’m fighting for, but you don’t know shit about me! Say what you have to and fuck offc – she wanted to go home before the opium and alcohol wore off but the figure didn’t let up easily and wasn’t discouraged by her reluctance
"You fight for the people and now you have the chance to fight as a group. Join our organisation and let’s overthrow this nightmare government! You finally have a chance to break out of this nightmare. We can bring the people back to power and with you it will be so much easier!" – she threw out an encouraging statement and Ivy, although stupefied, couldn’t help snorting. She didn’t want to spoil someone’s dream, but she had to make Reaper aware of it somehow.
" How would I put it to convince you and not offend you. Give me a moment" – Ivy started scratching her head – "To finish quickly I’ll just say no. It was nice to meet you, it was fun talking, I hope we don’t see each other again" – she stood up and snatched up her dope pipe before Reaper snapped out of her stupor. She still waved her hand goodbye but the figure quickly came to her senses and got up to follow Ivy
"Why are you refusing? You have potential and you are fighting for the good of the people! You want to renounce your own species?" – she grabbed Ivy’s hand and threw it reproachfully in her direction. Ivy would normally probably have smacked her for touching her, but she saw that the character and she were on completely different wavelengths and it wasn’t worth getting her hands dirty so she just shook her head resignedly
"How little you know about people. For the mere fact that you don’t understand me, I can say that you are from the second or even worse from the first ring" – Ivy said proudly and the Reaper got serious and moved away – "I thought so too. Now, let me tell you something. You are a child who grew up in the shadow of other entia and that is why you feel inferior and try to hurt them, nothing more. You are not a liberator of people, accept that. I’m not going to fight your personal war, mongrel!" – she threw her hand dispassionately into her pocket. She hoped that this was enough of an explanation, so she left the stunned Reaper and turned on her heel to head for the Kamino exit.
" That’s not true! You don’t know anything about me! People deserved to be treated better! Not because I think so, but because that's how it should be. We are the voice of all the oppressed. Do you not feel that? Can’t you see how these people are suffering? They are exploited and underpaid. Their children are discriminated against and people’s problems are relegated to the background. I want to put an end to this!" – she shouted after Ivy but she did not slow down. She laughed at Reaper’s argument and paused only for a moment to speak to her one last time and get some sense into her head.
" You just made me realise that you don’t know shit about people. If you’re looking for people to fight the system then go ahead and look among people with worse pay or small house. But don’t call yourself the voice of the people because you’re deaf to the real cry for help, which by the way has been silenced for years!" – she raked her eyes and moved towards the north gate to get to the Mortuary. She had had enough of the day and the stimulants had not helped her at all.
Annoyed, she set off in the direction of her house and hoped that maybe this time the day would be her last.
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Action
Ever since Ivy had left Fantaber Jasmine in a hurry, she had been unable to concentrate on her work all evening. She kept thinking about how to handle the investigation without Ivy and who would get her the necessary information now.
She was so cranky that she got up at an unusually early hour because she decided that now she had to start looking for her lifebelt before the prince cut off her head for her insubordination. She rushed to the bathhouse to take a quick shower and then ran to the dressing room to put on an airy suit and a pair of comfortable sandals. She decided that the only person she could turn to for help now was Aaron and it was to him that she set off.
She walked at a brisk pace and, just as she was about to enter a familiar place, she bumped into the man as he opened his shop. She did not hesitate and immediately approached him to greet him, but Aaron was very surprised by her presence.
"You’re the one who got up so early in the morning? You seriously must be desperate. Ivy still hasn’t turned up?c – He asked sluggishly and let her inside. Instead of standing at the counter he led her to the back room where he began to prepare a wake-up brew for them both. Jas sat down at the oak table and put her foot down, not hiding her disappointment
"She found herself, but she didn’t agree to a bargain”- she said with a slight frown, while Aaron turned towards her with a broad smile on his face.
" Why? Did you spare her rotten fruit or stale bread?" – he chuckled amused, but seeing Jasmine’s face twisted into a grimace, he immediately turned serious – "So that Ivy did not accept the order? Strange. She takes on every job in this town. Did she take offence at you?" – he put the cup with the brew in front of her and Jasmine sighed resignedly
"I have no idea. She started to say that there is no way in hell she would work for an elf. She complained some more and did not allow herself to be persuaded. But it is hard to say. I hope to find someone else and that is why I have come to you. Do you have a reliable informant? The sooner I get the information the better" – she exclaimed hopefully and waited patiently for Aaron’s reaction, who started to process some possibly useful information in his head.
"I know some people, but it might be difficult to get along with those who have some more interesting information. I’ll ask around in the Old Town to my contacts and give them a lead on you if they have anything interesting. And if you want a mercenary then I’ll talk to Ben. I was supposed to meet him today anyway. Although it might be hard now, most of them got scared and buried" – Aaron now also seemed concerned about something
"Something worrying has happened?" – Jas asked slightly puzzled by the man’s unusual behaviour. That she might be out of humour is perfectly clear why, but now she was worried that her friend was also suffering from some kind of anxiety
"I don’t know the details but yesterday was an extremely strange day. The guards caught some thieves and dragged them out to Albedo square for execution. Everything was going smoothly until a hoodlum came out of the crowd and killed these people himself. Strangely enough, he later also killed the guards and ran out of town. Or at least that is what I managed to hear from the rumours. Now everyone is nervous and afraid of getting under the skin of the guards. Nobody has any idea what the thug’s intentions were or who or what he was. You picked a really bad time to look around town. If I had to give you any advice, I’d tell you to give up the task, no matter what it’s worth" – she saw concern in Aaron’s eyes, but she couldn’t back down. She had hoped it would go easily and so far she had encountered nothing but problems.
If Ivy had agreed straight away, everything would have been easier. So she had to work something out quickly. She could wait for an informant to give her some data, but she could not count on a mercenary. She felt that the only person she could count on now was herself. And it was with this thought in mind that she drank the stimulant brew and without hesitating got up from the table
"Thanks Aaron, for everything. I know you care about me but I’ve already made up my mind and I’m going to do my part by any means necessary. And I think I even know how" - she flashed him an encouraging smile and hugged him goodbye before she left the premises. In her head she began to put together a plan and when she returned to Fantaber she began to put it into action. She told the girls that she might be late tonight and asked them to cover her back from Madame.
Since she had a problem with informants she would get the information herself. After all, she doesn't need great fighting skills to do that and Ivy herself mentioned that she was getting the data completely by the way of orders, so she hoped that she would be able to find out something straightforward. She knew how to manipulate and move people around. She was also very convincing and indecently beautiful.
Now fully determined and with an indispensable smile, she passed the puddles left by yesterday’s rain as she walked towards the Old Town.
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Incident
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The situation at the castle has been visibly tense since early this morning. From the conversation of the servants he discovered that yesterday the guard was supposed to deal with the simple elimination of people convicted of practising magic and stealing books and ended up with a massacre at the gate in Albedo. This macabre deed shook the entire guard and momentarily everyone started blaming each other for the many shortcomings that led to the slaughter.
Edward could not be contacted all day and his father sat in the meeting room, where the door would not even close. New specialists, analysts and guards were arriving all the time. Many entia also came just to make sure they kept their posts and some just to hear what all the fuss was about and to listen to new gossip.
The hype that prevailed effectively delayed his thoughts on the assassination attempt on his own person. He was venting all his stress and frustration caused by ignorance in his fencing classes. He would have preferred to sit by his father's side now and somehow help solve the case but after all, he was still in 'isolation'. It pissed him off that, because of a dumb assassination attempt, he can't contribute to the efficiency of the investigation and thus just loses in his own eyes as a prince and heir to the throne. Probably no one even wants to ask him for his opinion or give an outline of the incident because they are afraid that the case may be connected with his assassins and it would be very bad for them if he found out about it during the meeting. It is a pity that no one realised that he knows more than he should, but now probably no one is focusing on the case of his assassination.
It wasn't until near lunchtime that he passed Edward in the corridor but the man made it clear to him that there was no good time for their conversation. He could also see from his face that the matter was extremely unpleasant and he himself would also like to talk, but he was necessary during the proceedings. Caspian, of course, was furious at his ignorance and the fact that he was now being completely ignored, so he grabbed a few books and holed up in the gardens where he had to wait idly for events to unfold, which he greatly regretted.
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Concerns
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When the excitement wore off she returned all the alcohol she had drunk and began to telepathise. It was only when the adrenaline and alcohol left her that she remembered yesterday’s events and realised that she had killed a group of guards. She hated killing, but when she started to kill, an animal came out of her that actually wanted to kill. She hated it because she lost control and was no different from her tormentors. To make matters worse, she also met this strange girl, Reaper. To her, she was a harmless freak with unrealistic ambitions, but now she feared not for herself but for Jas. If the blonde started digging into her investigation she might come across some thicker case and then even Ivy might not aim to save her. This thought pierced her with a chill to the marrow of her bones, so much so that her body momentarily stood up from the ground without looking tired or uncomfortable.
She got up and, despite her exhaustion and convulsions, rushed into town to make sure Jas was safe. She may not have wanted to help her with her errand but she couldn’t let her die for some elf. She ran through the gate and didn’t even look at the guards, who were unusually numerous at every turn. She was so immersed in her thoughts about the blonde that in a flash she found herself in Fantabera and started looking for her. She rushed into the back room like a hurricane and accosted every girl she met
"Where’s Jasmine?!" – she grabbed one of the girls and hoped for a quick answer, but it was clear that she had caused quite a stir and that she could not count on her cooperation
"I don’t know what you mean" She shrugged her shoulders and smiled stupidly. She asked the next one but that one also avoided answering which immediately seemed suspicious to her.
After several attempts, Ivy had had enough and her patience had run out. Each of the girls was giving her a different story and she knew that they were simply covering for Jasmine, making her task more difficult and possibly putting Jasmine in danger.
"Will you stop fucking around!? I’m trying to help her and if I don’t find out where she is I’ll cut each and every one of you!" – She cried out through her teeth as she pulled out her daggers and the girls turned pale. Every minute was worth its weight in gold, but not even threats could talk sense into the courtesans.
" Just take it easy!" – Shea stepped out in front of the row and immediately approached her unmoved by her daggers – "Come with me, quickly" – she instructed in her ear and headed for the back of the brothel. Ivy obediently followed the dark-skinned woman until they both emerged through the back room. When they both made sure they were alone the courtesan continued – "Forgive them, Jas told us to take cover so we’re doing what she asked us to do. But I can see something might be wrong so please protect her!" – Shea asked Ivy with a humble attitude to which Ivy softened a bit
"Tell me where she is and maybe I’ll get there in time”- she threw out quickly, and in her mind she began to imagine nightmarish scenarios that she wanted to prevent at all costs.
" She went out to Aaron’s in the morning so he might know why, but when she came back she said she had to go to the Old Town to check something and it might take her a while,” Shea explained quickly and Ivy smacked herself on the forehead wondering where Johny was now.
"Fucking hell..." - mentally, she cursed the stupid blonde with a rich vocabulary of profanity - "Thanks Shea, at least you are reliablec – she thanked the girl with a quick nod and immediately set off for the Old Town. She had to stop Jasmine before she got into trouble. She was so unlucky that she had to get there as soon as possible, but the Old Town was still better guarded than Kamino and, as the patrols were even more intense today, she had to be more careful not to get caught.
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Vaclar
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She reached the district relatively quickly even despite the more numerous patrols and checks. Now she had to find a waypoint so she entered one of the establishments. Of course, she had prepared herself accordingly. She wore the most form-fitting skirt she could find in deep black, a perfectly white shirt with open shoulders and wide sleeves, and put on her pearly smile with red lipstick. From the threshold, she exuded grace and desire, but being captivating was extremely natural to her. She also knew that the moment she entered the premises, she had become the main object of sighs and that everyone’s eyes could not take their eyes off her. With a slow step, hitting the floor with her red stilettos, she moved to the bar and the young bartender immediately stood in front of her. She threw him a wide smile and the man immediately offered her a glass of wine. She took a sip and began to play with her glass, pretending to be charmed and interested in the young man
"The perfect vintage. A perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness. You hit the spot with my taste the first time. It’s obvious that you know your wine, but I suspect that you impress women in a much more sophisticated way" – she gave him a wink and leaned with her hand on the countertop to further reduce the distance between them. Clearly the boy was stunned by her, barely catching his breath but trying to keep his seriousness and cover his blush
"It is an honour for me to hear such flattery from the lips of such a beautiful woman" – he filled her glass again and Jasmine began to regale him with conversation in which she spared him no compliments and pearly smiles.
When she was sure that she had wrapped the unfortunate man around her finger, she started to carry out her plan
"Tell me, please, I am here for the first time and I am not very familiar with it, I have to pass on an important message to a certain Vaclar. Do you know where I can find him?" – she made a sweet face to soften the guy up even more. He hesitated a little when he heard her say his name.
" Why would such a beautiful woman meet someone as suspicious as Vaclar?" – she knew that he wanted to dissuade her from pursuing the topic now, but she needed to be specific and was not going to let go
"It’s not me who has an issue with him, it’s my employer. You know, in my sides always said that where the devil can't he will send a woman there."– she said with her wide innocent smile. Seeing his doubt, she had to act quickly so she started to stroke the man’s hand gently. - " You know, I have a very scary employer and if I don’t meet with Vaclar he’s going to get very angry and I wouldn’t want him to get angry with me. I know that a gentleman like you wouldn’t let anything happen to a beautiful and innocent woman like me..."– the man started to soften under the touch of her hand but she wasn’t going to let go at all and turned the man on even more -" I know it’s not nice because we’ve only just met, but I’m asking you for a small favour. Tell me where I can find Vaclar so my boss won’t be mad at me, please. I promise I’ll return the favour,” she climbed up on the counter to whisper the last sentence in the man’s ear. The man turned momentarily red and stiffened and Jas knew she had won. She returned to her seat and waited for the bartender to crack
"In King Alexander Square! His men are always hanging around the square and Vaclar himself officiates in the Lapis-Lazuli jewellery shop. That’s where you’ll find him, but he’s not the best person to talk to”- the man said with difficulty and in one breath, and Jas clapped her hands in satisfaction at her success.
"You don’t have to worry about that. Thank you for the conversation and the wine, it was delicious" - she left the lavish payment on the counter, kissed the man on the cheek and quickly headed for the exit. She was extremely proud of herself for finding the information so easily and quickly. If she had known it was so easy, she would have started working as a mercenary or informer long ago. It even crossed her mind that she could easily work alone and Ivy was not needed. She had such a surge of energy and confidence that she immediately came up with the next move in her plan. Now she knew exactly where to look, and the best part was that she could ask at the source. With a determined and quick step she walked towards the north of the district.
Through the guards, she reached her destination later than she would have liked but was content to stroll around the square looking for the jeweller. She also noted that there were indeed a lot of donkeys hanging around who were definitely Renovators. After a while of searching and asking passers-by, she found the establishment thanks to her exceptional charms. Now she had to be convincing enough to talk to the boss himself but she didn’t have to worry about that. She took a deep breath and stepped briskly inside. With her head held high, she walked up to the counter and slammed her palms down on the countertop, drawing the attention of the staff.
"I want to speak to the owner of this pathetic establishment!" – she shouted in the direction of the young employee who was terribly abashed by Jas’s anger
"Please calm down ma'am. Could you explain the problem calmly?" – the young girl looked at her like a madwoman and tried to bring Jas’s rage into line, which only made her play her game more and more
"You’re asking me for an explanation? I’m the one asking for an explanation! You will have to explain to your employer for insubordination and I promise the whole town will know what crap you are selling here" ! – she would tap on the countertop and shout loud enough for the whole building to hear because she had to subdue the young employee
"Please don’t shout. I promise I will do my best to help you ma'am”-, the girl started waving her hands and tried to calm Jas down. However, she turned her head and aggressively placed the ring on the countertop
" Look what a piece of crap you sold me! I spent a fortune on a fake!" – she shouted at the shop and the employee immediately started checking the jewellery. Jas knew perfectly well that it was a silver ring with a piece of glass instead of a diamond. She had once found it between the cushions in a brothel and kept it because it looked nice. She also noticed how all the customers were starting to get restless and agitated by the rest of the staff which only worked in her favour. Now she had the confidence that her moves were going in the right direction and she was about to win an interview with her boss
"Indeed this stone is a fake. But are you sure you bought it from our shop?" – the girl was trying to do her job properly, but Jas was counting on it. She instantly heated up with anger
"Are you suggesting I’m lying!? Do you realise who you are talking to!" – She pretended to be highly offended and the young girl almost squirmed with fear
"Not at all! Don’t take this the wrong way ma'am! It’s just that the ring doesn’t look like it was made in our workshop" – she explained almost with tears in her eyes and gesticulating panicily
"Really? Not only is she suggesting I’m lying, she doesn’t know what crap she’s selling, what nerve! Your employer knows you don’t know your own work?" – she put her hands on her hips and did not stop annoying the girl even though the saleswoman had already turned pale
" Please forgive me ma'am! I in no way meant to offend you! I just started working here recently and I must have made a little mistake but I’m getting on with the job of clarifying. I’ll go straight away to talk to the owner, so please wait a moment and I promise I’ll clear it up right away" – the girl thought she was going to slip away and started to slowly walk away from the counter, but Jas didn’t let her go alone.
"Newer in my life! That’s not an option!" – she started waving her finger and forced the female employees to stop – "I’ll personally talk to your boss. He should know what crap he’s selling. Take me to him immediately or I will go to him with my security and he will talk to my lawyer!" – she made it clear and knew that she had got her way again and her plan had worked out perfectly.
" Yes, ma’am. Follow me. I’ll take you to the office"- the young girl pointed to the corridor and Jas would have jumped with happiness if she could, but she had to pretend to be furious.
Instead of celebrating her win she continued her role and followed the employee down the corridors and up the mass of stairs. She passed many doors but the one they were heading for was at the very top and almost at the end of the corridor
"Wait here for a moment, I’ll announce your visit" – the young girl made a slight bow in her direction and hesitantly went inside. Jas waited for a while by the door from behind which the young girl and several other employees entered after a while. They stood in the corridor and, with a hand gesture, ordered her to go inside. Jas could not show any fear or doubt now, so with a confident movement, she went inside. She passed the reception desk and entered the office.
The study was sizable. The wall of windows was covered with light curtains so that an unusually large amount of light came in. The beige-coloured walls were decorated with paintings of some strange abstractions. Bookcases, a secretary, a bookcase and a desk made of dark wood. A sofa and chairs upholstered in light fur. And the boss sat on his throne and watched her while resting his hands on the desk and his chin on his hands.
With his appearance he immediately aroused her interest. Long, straight brown hair falling to the sides and a neat, perfectly trimmed beard. The keen gaze of dark eyes that sent a shiver down her spine, as if it concealed an exciting ferocity and mystery. To this, a perfectly tailored light-coloured shirt perfectly suited to her athletic figure and a waistcoat in black with fine gemstone decorations instead of buttons and the whole topped off with a matching jacket slung over her shoulders. Jasmine, looking at him, doubted the superiority of young men because this here middle-aged man looked like a god to whom any woman would bow down.
Behind him there were two donkeys with blades at their belts. At the sight of them, she softened a little, but she was prepared to sacrifice herself for money. Besides, no one would be able to kill such a beautiful woman as her, so she sat down opposite the man at the desk, confident as ever, and put her leg over the man’s leg, exposing her beautiful feminine assets.
"So, you are the boss here? How should I address you mister...." – she threw to the man with indifference and concentrated on her nails. The man only snorted and with a hand gesture ordered one of his men to stand by the door
"Making a ruckus in my establishment and not even our owner’s name? You must either be extremely stupid or you were looking for an excuse to meet me. After all, each of my customers gets a special dedication with my personal signature and stamp" - he said dispassionately and leaned on the right armrest. She knew that her cover had been burned so she returned to reality where she was a courtesan from Fantabera. An extremely beautiful courtesan
"I could say you hit the nail on the head. Both statements are accurate" – she wanted to praise her boss for his perceptiveness but he seemed surprised at how confidently she was admitting her stupidity but she hoped that with her beautiful eyes he would be able to forgive her as it had always worked in the past but the man seemed to ignore her beautiful appearance
"Give me a quick reason for your visit and if it’s a good one, maybe I won’t punish you up for insulting my staff and establishment" - he snapped his finger and one of the donkeys stood behind her back, clearly scaring her. She swallowed her saliva hard and hoped that if she told the truth the man would have mercy on her and they could part ways peacefully.
"First of all, I would like to correct myself: Your jewellery is exquisite and of the highest quality and your staff are friendly and competent!" – she admitted frankly and the man sat and smiled piteously so now she was trying to look serious – "Let me come to the point. I witnessed an incident involving two of your people. I have come to rectify the situation and check if they are okayc – she thought she sounded sincere and sympathetic but the man looked at her like a jester
" How good-natured you are, aren’t you gentlemen?c – He threw it to the donkeys and they started laughing –" I can’t believe where such good people come from. What do they call you, angel in human skin?" – he asked with a smile and she tried to charm him with it in order to fall into his good graces
"Jasmine, but to my friends Jas" - she said with a radiant smile and stuck out her hand slightly
"Jasmine, but Jas’s for friends? You added the second part unnecessarily. Someone who mocks me and my people on my territory is not a friend" - he stated with seriousness and snapped his fingers. The donkey immediately put his hands on her’s shoulders and pressed her into a chair, thus preventing her from escaping. Obviously she started to struggle but without success. Vaclar, meanwhile, stood up and leaned on the desk from where he looked at her with superiority
"My man came back all battered and the other barely alive. Why? Because they were following some self-proclaimed hero who was destroying our reputation. They didn’t touch anyone and they ended up like they did. I was about to send people out to search and here was such a surprise. The perpetrator came alone and exposed himself as if on a platter. I am enormously grateful to you for that. You saved me and my people a lot of time and energy. Now I have the opportunity to deliver justice in person"- he got up from his seat and started to play with the dagger he pulled out from under the desk while looking at the terrified Jasmine with sick satisfaction. Jasmine had just realised her own stupidity and that she was about to die and not even her beautiful face could save her
"Please, someone help me!" – she cried, but her screams were echoed only by the laughter of the donkeys
She was so scared and ready to die that she did not even return her attention to the opening door. One of the donkeys fell to the ground as soon as he entered the reception area.
"I advise you to put down your blade and call the donkeys off before you get into a lot of shit, Vaclar" - warned Ivy, as she walked slowly into the reception area and locked eyes with the man.
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Renovators
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She almost ran into the guards three times! She escaped over rooftops, down streets and even in front of houses or shops. She can’t count the number of times some pissed-off landlady sprayed her over the head with a rag when she escaped over a table and, jumping out of a window, ripped off the clotheslines. Maybe she wouldn’t have complained so much if she’d come across clothes in her size and not an old pair of pants like for an elephant. But this was no time to think about underwear!
She expected Jasmine to search at the very source, so she ran as fast as she could to King Alexander Square. The problem was that the closer she got to the square, the more she had to watch out for the Renovators. She could smell trouble from afar and she still had a guard on her tail. However, she knew she had to make it because if she failed, there would be bloody clashes if she did not manage to save Jasmine.
As she was an atheist, she now prayed in spirit that the girl would be safe and sound. She knew she had to get to Lapis-Lazuli, but the security there was pretty good and she didn’t even have time to make a plan, so she decided to spontaneously go in with fire and sword and smash up the place if Vaclar or some of his men dared to touch Jasmine.
She took out her blades and ran across the rooftops. She saw she had to get to the top floor. She wounded her opponents if possible but did not want to deprive them of life or health. She only wanted to slow them down so she cut shallowly across their legs. It wasn’t until she reached the roof of the relevant building that she was surrounded and began to fight back. Four muscle men stood in her way of entering the building. She could beat them but then she would have wasted time and their reinforcements would have already arrived. Therefore, as soon as she saw the opportunity she threw a smoke bomb. The men were expecting a fight so none of them secured the door. As puffs of smoke enveloped the area, she slipped inside and rushed to the very end of the corridor. She opened the door carefully and entered the reception area. She swung open the office door and ducked in. As soon as one donkey turned and entered to survey the room she kicked him from behind to make him kneel and then stunned him with a blow to the head. The man fell like a log and she calmly entered the study
"I advise you to put down your blade and call the donkeys off before you get into a lot of shit, Vaclar" - she again took on the mask of the perfect mercenary but she saw that now she was acting more as a bodyguard to the blonde and someone who didn’t care about the neighbourhood war. She was ready to attack at any moment but first she turned her attention to the weeping Jas who fortunately looked whole
"Well, well, well. I see I have a mass of people eager to meet today. Unfortunately, as you can see I’m busy. If you want, I’ll send my men to take care of you" - Ivy saw that all it would take was one signal from him to get a whole battalion in the room, something she really didn’t want. She needed to calm the situation down before it got out of hand, and while they could ease the conflict with conversation
"I didn’t come here to mess with you. Neither did she. I came here to explain something but if you touch her you’ll put the whole Kamino at risk. She’s from Fantabera, you know you better not touch those girls without permission" she holstered her weapon and raised her hands in a defensive gesture to prove she was harmless. Vaclar shifted his serious gaze immediately to Jasmine and with a hand gesture ordered his man to release her. Jasmine, as soon as she broke free from his embrace, ran up to her and threw herself around her neck squeezing her tightly at the same time
"I was so scared! I am sorry I shouted at you. I’m stupid and I got into trouble even though you warned me. I’m so sorry!" – she cried into her coat and Ivy lost all aura of hostility and her morale. Now she was standing like a cunt in the middle of the room doing a handkerchief for the stupid hysterics. Even Vaclar looked at them as if they were out of their minds. Ivy sighed and pressed Jasmine down by the head so that she would sit on the ground and not interfere with the negotiations
"You can see for yourself that this is a simple misunderstanding of one naive courtesan. She wouldn’t hurt a fly and didn’t even know she was making a fuss. Let’s start again and explain everything calmly. No one wants a neighbourhood war, especially since Kamino and the Old Town have many common interests" – Ivy continued to hold her hands up and prayed that Vaclar would calm down and be willing to listen to her. This one lasted a moment in silence and his face betrayed no thought or emotion, which heightened the unease that prevailed in the room
"I’d love to know how one courtesan almost started a war in the city”- he indicated the door with his hand and moved ahead. Ivy tugged Jas upwards and they both moved to follow the chief. They walked into the next room which turned out to be the guest lounge. Vaclar immediately reached for a bottle of Whiskey and three glasses. He sat down in a chair at a small table and, with a gesture of his hand, invited Ivy and Jas to sit on the sofa, which they hastily did. He only took one donkey with him and that meant he didn’t consider her a threat
"Start with the incident at the back of Fantaber" - he threw in dispassionately and took a sip of alcohol. Ivy looked pityingly at Jas and began to explain as usual with no emotion in her voice as if she was reporting on a mission
"There were strange things going on that night and she ended up in the middle of them because she wanted to rest outside for a while" – she pointed her finger at a petulant Jasmine huddled on the sofa – "There was a boy and a girl outside who wanted to kill him. Jas accidentally saved his life. Then your men appeared in the alley and they panicked. I thought you had sent them after that boy so I put them on the ground to protect Jasmine. I only realised after the fact that they had nothing to do with the would-be assassin. And yesterday I found out that they were probably spies who were supposed to be following the self-appointed liberator of mankind"- Ivy explained with seriousness and clear remorse. Jas looked at her with a questioning gaze and Vaclar softened and smirked slightly in disappointment
"So it was you who sent my people on the stretcher? I will keep that in mind. But since you already know the truth I can forgive you. I’m just curious: how did you discover only yesterday that there was someone else in the back?" – he asked curiously and handed Ivy a glass of drink. Ivy eagerly drank the entire contents to start the unpleasant thread of Reaper
" Because she revealed it to me herself. She runs around town like crazy and recruits members for his army of human liberation. As far as I’m concerned, she’s a stray child whose toy was taken away by the elves and who is now gathering an army of gullible people to take revenge" - she said dryly, with evident anger and irritation at the mere mention of the nasty person who made her stomach turn. She could see from Vaclar’s reaction that he understood her perfectly and probably had the same opinion as her
"She thinks that she will enter offices with fire and sword and knock the elves off their posts and the city will become beautiful and perfect. You can see that the shithead doesn’t know anything and can’t think rationally. I see that you understand what I am talking about. The Renovators want to increase the influence of the people but without any political twist and sudden nightmarish disruption. Years of experience and history have proven that the best way is to mediate and gain influence in various areas of the city’s politics and economy. I had the piss tracked so that someone higher up wouldn’t think it was one of my people. I didn’t expect her to go around the city and recruit mercenaries for pretty words instead of payment. You can see that she is an idiot and a madwoman"– Ivy understood the man perfectly, so she gladly made a small toast that made the bitter alcohol suddenly taste sweet to the understanding
"Then at the back no one had any idea that she was sitting in hiding and watching everything. Fortunately, I know my job and I did everything to make sure that your people came back in one piece if possible, so I think we can consider the conflict resolved" - she put out her hand towards the man. He didn’t even need to be encouraged. He was sensible and calmer than he looked. He knew that in order to do business he needed peace and stability, so he quickly shook her hand –"Great. I promise that Jas will apologise and not cause any more problems, right?" – she looked clearly at the confused girl, who only after a while understood what was required of her
"Yes, of course I will! I am really, really sorry that I caused trouble. If necessary, I will apologise to that girl and to the rest of the staff and I promise to praise the quality and design of your jewellery at every turn" – she knelt on the sofa and joined her hands together as if in prayer. The man could not stop looking at the girl with pity, and neither could Ivy
"It is lucky that you are beautiful, because you don't have much sense. For the time being I will forget about the matter, but one day I will come to you for a better apology and reparation. And now that the crisis is over, get out of my sight and I’ll have to sport all this fuss" – he drank his liquor and got up from the chair to leave, but Ivy stopped him just in time.
"One more thing!" – Ivy knew she had to take a chance. The man looked at her in exasperation but obediently returned and sat back down, as if he saw that he could gain from listening to her –"I think we have just found a common enemy. I would like to exchange information about this human liberation movement. They seem like a chaotic bunch of lunatics but in time they could bring trouble to the city. I want to keep an eye on them. Will you agree to cooperate to keep them in check and somehow calm their ardour?" – Ivy hoped she could somehow get cooperation if only on the basis of a common threat. Vaclar merely looked at her tiredly and rose from his seat as if his judgment was obvious
" My people are keeping an eye on them, but if you find something, come to me with it. You can also count on me to tell you something interesting" - he shook her hand and when they had made a deal, he personally escorted them to the exit. He instructed his men to keep them inviolable in the district and returned to his place.
As soon as they both left the jeweller’s Ivy crouched down on the ground, grabbed her head and groaned in drag looking like a madman, but she did not care about the opinion of passers-by
"I know I messed up, my mistake. Sorry... ”- Jas started to smile stupidly, but Ivy didn’t want to listen to her and put up with her stupid explanations.
" You’ll confess to me when we get to Fantaber. I had such a shitty day yesterday.... I got up half dead and hangover Ed and still had to run all the way from the Morgue to save your ass! No fucking apology will satisfy me so just shut up and don’t get in trouble, Clear!? "– she stammered through her teeth loud and clear and hoped that something would finally get through to Jas. The latter vigorously nodded her head and assumed a mask of seriousness - cAwesome. Now let’s go back to Kamino. Just watch out for the guards because I’ve had enough trouble for today"- she stated to the girl and returned to her calm tone and composed posture. She adjusted her hood, tucked her hands in her pockets and set off ahead
"There are a lot of patrols today, because some madman killed the guards at the gate in Albedoc – she said innocently, speaking so quietly that it was only possible when they were passing the guards, to which Ivy shook her head with resignation
" As if I didn’t know. But instead of spoiling my already fucked up mood be quiet and smile nicely at passers-byc – she recommended a bit sarcastically and walked with the silly and already cheerful Jasmine step by step through the Old Town.
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Consent
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They had to watch out for guards, so the road to Kamino took longer than it should have. They had to watch out for the guards, so the journey to Kamino took longer than it should have, mainly for the sake of Ivy, who was always hiding in dark alleys or running across rooftops, so they arrived at Fantabera in the afternoon. They entered the premises and before they could settle down without a word of explanation Ivy started to drag her towards the baths. They were empty at this hour which allowed Ivy to administer her punishment without any witnesses which Jas was very worried about
"What are you dragging me for? Are you angry and want to punish me? I said I was sorry!" – Jasmine tried to break free somewhat panicked but Ivy was unmoved by her humble attitude and passionate request. She pushed her quickly into the bathhouse and closed the door preventing her from escaping and Jasmine prepared for the worst
" I’ll be brief so let me be clear. I will help you. I’ll gather information for you" - Ivy stated with resignation but closed her mouth with her hand before Jas could start screaming with happiness. The blonde involuntarily calmed down and looked confused at the clearly disgruntled Ivy – "I’m only going to help you so you don’t get yourself and everyone around you into trouble! Besides, I don’t want another innocent person to be killed by elves." – she replied resignedly and took her hand off Ivy’s mouth and stepped back a little, giving her a chance to let off steam, which she immediately started to do because she really had a reason to be happy
" I am so happy! I promise you won’t regret it. My client is bloody rich so you’ll get rich quick!" – she shouted happily and began to gently tug Ivy by the shoulders and jump up and down in place. She knew that now both she and Ivy would change their lives and have a wonderful excuse to celebrate
" Fuck it. I won’t take a penny"- she said without a shadow of emotion and quickly knocked her arms off her and walked out the door. Jasmine stood puzzled for a moment but quickly chased her down the corridor before she could leave the premises
"What do you mean? After all, I have to pay you!" – she barred the girl’s way and put her hands on her hips and was not going to let go until she heard an explanation, which Ivy knew very well and was not happy about
"Elven money is cursed. I’m not going to accept any payment. Let it be that you repay me in some other way, such as throwing more fruit in the bin at the back of Fantaber. Meanwhile, get on with the job. You already have some data, so you can rest easy. I’ll go to my place to get ready and start sifting for more information as soon as I can." – She slipped past her and headed for the exit and Jas led her away with her eyes. Maybe Ivy’s behaviour was rather strange but she didn’t want to think about it now.
She was extremely satisfied. She had avoided death and still found an informant, completely free! She thought it would be her worst day in the world and it ended up being one of the best. Today was additionally her last night in Fantabera, she had finally received her summons from the castle, and tomorrow she would start her better life. So she contentedly set off to prepare herself to perform flawlessly and give her last performance.
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Seeds
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She went to the back of the brothel and started rummaging through the rubbish. When her stomach and oesophagus stopped hurting after puking out the entire contents of her stomach she became extremely hungry. Unfortunately, she only found apple crumbles. She was already about to complain about today but was reminded that she had a rabbit tucked away for a rainy day. She got up as if she had been burned, and happily set off in the direction of the Mortuary. She dodged the Kamino guards with ease and when she passed through the gate all the tension and stress left her body.
She walked through Fetos to see how the settlement was doing after the recent bashing. Some of the bodies had already been disposed of and those in worse condition had almost been eaten by rats or desperate humans. She put her hands in her pockets and walked on, trying to forget the past. She had to concentrate on not falling victim to one of the hunts herself. She walked through the streets as she always did with indifference until she came across a familiar voice humming a tune, so she stopped a moment to look at the King of the Homeless. She was also momentarily relieved that the man had escaped the bashing and was unharmed. She walked over to him and leaned with her hands on the wall where he was sitting. He was rocking from side to side and looking up at the sky with absent eyes. Ivy also looked up.
The sun had already gone into hiding and the only light came from the towering moon, which the clouds tried to obscure from time to time. The night, however, was exceptionally quiet. Again, moans and screams could be heard, although they were not as loud and intense as always, meaning that Fetos was just healing from the wounds inflicted and returning to normality. She was focused on the sky so she didn’t look at the old man when he spilled something on the wall next to her. Ivy looked uncertainly at the wall and watched the sunflower seeds with interest. She looked at the old man and he just stood up and spilled the handful he had in his hands on the ground in front of him.
Ivy now managed to see the freshly dug earth. That is, the old man must have disposed of the bodies before they could rot in the middle of the road. Ivy silently jumped over the wall and joined in throwing grains. When she had finished she stood back and looked at the old man sitting on the ground. She felt extremely comfortable around him. The man was sassy but she knew that he was extremely smart only the years in the Mortuary had made him look and act like he was out of his mind. Therefore, she could say whatever she wanted without fear of comment
"This land is sterile. For years it has drunk only the blood and tears of its own children. Nothing grows here and the animals have long since moved somewhere far away. That is why few throw sunflower seeds on the graves because it will grow even on the worst quality soil. People live and die for nothing, so in order to make a contribution to the living we hope that their bodies will fertilise the soil and allow the seeds to bear fruit. And when the soil begins to bear fruit we will be able to cultivate the soil and feed ourselves. Maybe then the animals will come back to feed on the grass, the birds will fly to feed on the seeds, the bees will fly in attracted by the scent of the flowers"- she said with her eyes closed and savoured the colourful dream. She even allowed herself a single tear and when she decided it was time to return to earth she opened her eyes - " But this is just a dream. And dreams are for dreaming, they are goals to be realised. Their bodies are probably going to be dug up by vermin and rats anyway and we humans only bury them because we think that after we’re gone someone will also take pity and bury us." – she stated dispassionately but could not hold back a smile of helplessness. She did not feel like spoiling the man’s mood now, so she decided to change the subject. -" You know, Your Highness, I have too much food in the house, maybe you want to help me get rid of it before it goes to waste?" – she asked hopefully, hoping that the man would agree, but he just sat there, unmoved, to which Ivy sighed and shook her head. -" You can always come by my place for leftovers, in return I have a request. I’m going to be disappearing into the city for a while longer, if you can make sure everything here." – She kept her hands in her pockets and headed for home. And without her request, she knew that the man would take care of the Mortuary. She just wanted someone to know that she would be disappearing because she was doing a mission and not because she had died somewhere in the city.
Guided by the moon, she reached the house. She took off her clothes and washed the blood off them. She also decided to bathe herself, as she noticed that she had a few new wounds that she had acquired at the gate with Albedo, but she was too busy to take care of them. She lit the oven to make the clothes dry faster and roasted a rabbit that was waiting for just such an occasion.
Fed and bandaged, she lay down on the bed and stared dully at the night sky through the slightly ajar door. She no longer had the strength or desire to do anything, so she fell contentedly asleep with the thought that she had an excuse to live.
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Zaria
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He had no desire to return to the castle to watch from afar as everyone ignored him. He wanted to help somehow but no one was taking him into account. He was a good strategist and kept a cool head and a sober mind. He often stood in for his father at meetings and proved that he could take care of the country and the city. Nevertheless, he was now completely out of the picture. Although, as he watched him deal with discovering the identity of his own assassin, he somehow began to doubt his position.
He was now lying under a tree in the royal gardens and watching the night sky. He was all alone, just him and the moon. He hated being alone, and he especially hated the eerie silence. He was always surrounded by a garland of people who showed him respect, support and provided entertainment. And since falling victim to this awful isolation he has been almost entirely alone.
He stood up with a groan of exasperation on his lips and kicked some stone he encountered under his foot into the depths of the pond. He was supposed to be king and instead he was left alone with the unexplained matter of the assassination attempt so, annoyed, he did not stop hurling stones at the water
"Calm down or you’ll break your leg" – said a slightly amused Edward, who suddenly emerged from the shadows. Caspian immediately cooled down and turned towards his friend. He could see that he was glad to have escaped from the castle at last, for his face showed weariness but also a slight and sincere smile. The elf moved in silence to sit down without ceremony by the shore. - " I already thought this day would never end. Whenever someone left the room after giving their report, two more would come in their place. By midday I had had enough of the affair and by evening my brain had completely switched off. It is at times like this that I wonder why we need so many specialists and soldiers if none of them can take care of one pathetic bandit." – he groaned tiredly through his hands which he put to his face to refresh himself slightly with the water from his pond. Caspian wanted to swamp him with a pile of questions, but seeing Edward devoid of strength and will, he decided to accompany him and give him some encouragement and wait for a better opportunity with explanations
"If you want, I can steal some special wine from my father’s collection for you, just to cheer you up" - he said, even though he knew it didn’t sound good. Edward gave him a smile of gratitude, but quickly sighed and lay down on his side on the bare ground
"Save it. I know you mean well but all I care about right now is giving my head a rest. I also know that you want to learn something but I don’t have the strength to explain it all to you. Let me sleep and tomorrow I’ll tell you in peace what happened. It is also possible that I will go out to the town to meet Jasmine, as long as I don’t have to sit at these meetings" – he lay down on the ground and covered himself with his cloak. Caspian listened to his exhausted friend’s request and took off his own cloak and placed it under the man’s head. He took his books and set off in silence for the castle.
He entered his chamber, hoping that the intrusive thoughts would leave him and he would be able to fall fast asleep. He sighed one last time and turned to move towards his bed, but all his books fell out of his hands when he suddenly noticed that someone was already waiting for him
"Did I scare you?" – asked the girl flirtatiously. She was sitting on the billiard table with her legs folded and glaring at him with a broad smile
"You were rather surprised. You shouldn’t be here and especially not at this hour Zaria" – he tried to sound a bit resentful in his voice but he couldn’t be angry with the girl, especially since he had to focus his thoughts on something, he just wanted to tease her a bit
"Maybe you’re right. But I missed you so much" – she got down from the table and moved slowly towards him while making her innocent face
"You speak as if it were my fault. You know perfectly well where my chamber is" – he reprimanded her amused when she approached him enough for him to stroke her cheek. He did not even realise how quickly the girl’s cheerful mood had passed on to him
"I know, that’s why I took advantage of the fact that you left the window slightly ajar and flew in" - she chuckled pleased with herself and Caspian smiled amused at her behaviour
Zaria Galbero was the only daughter of Judge Daniel Galbero and his wife, the actress Kristina. Like her mother, she was a shape-shifter. She could change into an animal, so perfectly reflecting her character, a magpie. Her complexion was extremely pale but not as pale as his. She had medium-length black hair always tied up in a high ponytail and two white strands falling freely down the front of the sides of her face reaching her collarbones. She had beautiful black, sharp eyes and a sinister smile always accentuated with lipstick. She loved everything expensive and shiny. Each of her dresses was worth a fortune and she wouldn’t leave the room until she had donned a mass of glitter. She was one of the frequent visitors to the castle and a candidate for his wife.
She was determined, resolute, clever, wise and beautiful. Therefore, no one was surprised that she was the favourite of Caspian’s mother. The prince, however, was in no hurry to stand in front of the carriage, preferring to pick and choose his women, and in the distant future he would marry the one chosen by the council. For the time being, he preferred to enjoy himself and the pleasures of life before the enormous responsibilities of royalty fell upon him.
"Does your father know you are here? Or at least someone from the servants?" – he asked with his seductive gaze. He wanted to return to his chamber and either fall asleep or somehow vent his anger so he immediately took advantage of the fact that he had Zara at hand. He could take care of the girl and have a nice time, temporarily forgetting his worries and problems.
"No, no one knows I’m here and I know that no one will come to disturb us" – she started to undo the buttons of his shirt and he could not contain his smile of satisfaction. The girl literally fell from the sky for him and he just looked at her like this, as if she was his saviour
"Do you know that if you don’t stop right now I won’t let you sleep until morning?" – he grabbed her hand and asked flirtatiously. Zaria, of course, immediately picked up his game and bit her lip and sparks sparkled in her eyes. Before he could continue his game, the girl momentarily threw herself at him and began kissing him greedily. This was just what he needed, a springboard and something to get off on. He did not even feel like playing foreplay. He immediately picked the girl up and carried her to the bed.
That night neither of them slept a wink and the girl’s moans of pleasure effectively silenced the multitude of thoughts in his head.
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An uncomfortable night
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He was awakened by birdsong and the insistent rays of the sun which prevented him from sleeping further. He raised his head reluctantly and momentarily felt the pain in his numb joints so with a hiss of discomfort he rose to a sitting position. It occurred to him that his short nap had turned into a night in the gardens.
He rubbed his eyes slightly and reached for his pocket watch which showed him that it was well after breakfast and the morning briefing. He stood up slowly and gathered his cloak, his own and Caspian’s. He also walked over to the surface of the water to look at his reflection. He looked as if he’d just had a week-long alcoholic libation so he hoped he wouldn’t meet anyone on his way to the chamber.
He quickly arrived and immediately headed for the bathroom. A hot bath relaxed his tense muscles and the scent of lavender washed away yesterday’s stress. He sat in the bathroom for about an hour but when he came out of it there was no trace of his night’s sleep on the ground. He made his way to the dressing room, where he put on his formal attire; he wanted to go out on the town without showing his high military rank.
He put on navy blue comfortable trousers and a waistcoat with gold detailing and patterns in exotic leaves. He also wore black knee-length boots, polished to a shine, and a silky white shirt that perfectly covered his well-built body. He topped it all off with a jacket and a navy blue cape, slung over one shoulder and decorated with golden stripes, lined with red satin. Just in case, he also took his short sword in a decorative pouch which he pinned to his left side.
When he had finished getting ready he went to the prince’s chamber to agree a plan of action with him. He stood at the door and knocked several times. He was surprised to be answered by a deafening silence, and when he was anxious to go inside, the door was ajar by a sleepy prince dressed only in trousers, additionally worn on his left side. Edward knew perfectly well how Caspian had spent the night, but decided that he would leave it uncommented upon and quickly get to the point
"I am now going to go and fetch Jasmine and take her to her new flat. I hope to find out something interesting as well, so I’ll let you know when I get back" he explained quickly and was about to let the prince continue sleeping, but the young monarch immediately grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt.
"Wait! I want to go too. If she has something interesting I wants to find out for myself. Give me five ... twenty... literally thirty minutes and we can go!" – he spoke indistinctly and could barely stand on his feet so Edward didn’t even consider it but just knocked his hand away and corrected his cuff
" Get back inside and don’t make an idiot of yourself! She had little time so there’s probably nothing of interest. I’m only going out on the town to get away from another boring meeting so you’re absolutely unnecessary. You’d better go back inside and get yourself cleaned up and wait patiently for my return!" – he said in his unobjectionable voice and pushed Caspian into the chamber then quickly closing the door in his face.
With a quick step he escaped from the corridor and headed straight for the accountant. He took all the necessary documents and was able to leave the castle. He instructed the coachman to go to Fantaber and watched with great relief as the castle began to fade into the distance.
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Big day
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She looked with pity and folded arms at the girl sprawled on the bed. She had been standing like this for a good half hour but all her kind requests and light pokes were completely ignored by the plunged girl. Finally, she let go of her next requests and brought out the ultimate weapon. She shook her head and put her lips to her ear
"Get the fuck up Jasmine" - she said quietly but it worked. Jasmine fell off the bed with a scream terrified by the sudden voice. Ivy just watched as the girl wriggled on the ground and grabbed her head. Maybe it wasn't the effect she wanted, but the most important thing was that it worked and the blonde finally got out of bed.
"Ouch...that hurt"- she muttered under her breath and picked herself up from the floor. It was then that she became aware of the presence of Ivy who was looking at her with a cold stare - "What are you doing here? And at such an early hour!" - she shouted in disbelief and smiled slightly at the sight of her, but Ivy shook her head and grabbed her forehead, not sharing her joy
"Jas, it's almost noon! How long can you sleep?! - - she asked in disbelief as Jas yawned longingly, completely ignoring her pretensions
" When you work late, that's how it is. But that's in the past now. Eventually I won't have to work anymore!" - she stated contentedly and set off for the bath leaving her in a stupor. She had to blink a few times and only then did she run after Jasmine to demand an explanation before some twisted scenarios warped her mind.
" What are you talking about? Do you want to finish the job?!" - caught up with a satisfied Jasmine and I tried at all costs to understand what was in her head. Jasmine obviously stopped and looked at her proudly as if she was even waiting for this question
" Well, this is part of my reward. In return for helping me with the case I have been bought out of the brothel. As of today, I am no longer living as a Fantaber courtesan!" - she jumped up and clapped her hands in delight.
Ivy looked at her for a moment in disbelief but after a while it occurred to her how lucky Jasmine had been and that this was a really good reason to celebrate. After all, any occasion when someone was putting their life together for the better was worth celebrating. Therefore, she tentatively put out her hand towards her
"Congratulations Jasmine. I am really happy for you. I hope your life will change for the better" - she said quite sincerely. She wanted to remember Jasmine's smile and reminisce in the moments when she loses hope in people's happiness. She also expected that her sudden contentment was quite an unusual sight so she was not surprised that Jasmine looked at her in disbelief but fortunately the blonde quickly shook off her confusion to join their hands together with a smile on her face
"Thanks Ivy, that's nice to hear from you. Now come on into the bathhouse. I want to wash off my old life. By the way, why don't you take a bath yourself" - she cheered quickly and pulled her along. Ivy rarely had the opportunity to bathe in hot water with all sorts of soaps, oils or salts so she was happy to enter the bathhouse.
Jaamine started to get the bath ready and Ivy began to pull her arsenal of weapons onto one of the tables
"Where do you fit all this stuff? I didn't even know you could fight with that!" - Jas was surprised and looked at the weapons, which Ivy tried to arrange very carefully in order to be able to put them on quickly and efficiently.
"Such a life. Someone once told me that if I have to live, I have to learn to fight too. And the better my fighting skills the better my chances of survival. I acquired weapons from bodies, found them along the way and learned to fight in practice. I won't say I'm a champion, but I haven't lost yet" - she threw up dispassionately and closed the curtain to undress in peace. - "Do you have a first aid kit here?" - She threw it down quickly and started looking around the room. Her bandages had managed to soak up the blood and besides, since she was going to bathe, she needed to change the bandages anyway.
Jasmine immediately listened to her request and silently walked over to one of the shelves and pulled out a large box and placed it on the weapons table. Ivy covered herself with a towel and went to fetch the box but even so, Jas still had a chance to look at her body and make a sound of disgust. Ivy, however, did not feel offended or touched. She just grabbed the crate quickly and hid behind the curtains
"This is exactly why I wanted to cover myself. I'm sorry you had to watch this" - she threw in a quick apology and started rummaging through the crate for the necessary medicines
"No! I know I was rude. It's just... You look like a nightmare" - she tried to correct herself somehow but Ivy just laughed. It didn't sound like a sincere apology, but she knew very well that Jas was sorry but more than anything she was sincere.
"I know what I look like. Such are the beauties of my life. I rarely eat anything and when I do, it's a roast rat or leftovers from the dumpster. My skin is pale and full of badly healed wounds. In addition, boosters and drugs do their job. This miserable body is skin, some muscles thanks to which I still move and fight, and bones that somehow manage. Although I still look relative, it's obvious that you haven't seen anyone else from the Mortuary and certainly not from Cavae" - she said amused and completely sincere.
She knew she looked uninteresting but was quite happy with her body because looking at her lifestyle she still looked and acted really decent. She also knew that there are a lot of other people who look worse and their health is even worse. But she preferred not to think about such unpleasant things, so she quickly got into the water and started to wash off the remains of her blood
"Then at least I know why you have black eyes and such a pale complexion. Where do you get these wounds from anyway? What do you actually do for a living and what is life like in the Mortuary? - Jas, weary in the hot water, leaned against the bath and, with childish curiosity, asked her questions
"It's a shame to talk. I have been hit with so many weapons that even Fido would be surprised. As a sellsword, I take every assignment, from moving packages to assassinations. And believe me, you don't want to know what the Mortuary looks like because you wouldn't sleep a wink at night" - she ended an unpleasant topic in relatively simple terms. She did not want to spoil Jas's mood, so she preferred to change the subject, because the topic was not a pleasant one. - "Actually, why are you suddenly interested in me? I am a nightmare candidate for a friend"- she said amused and to her satisfaction Jas laughed too
"It's just that now we're going to be condemned to work together so I want to know something about you. I only know you from a few jobs for Madame and Aaron. All I know is that you are one of Ben's mercenaries, you will do any job for even the smallest pay and you always finish the business you start. I was thinking to get to know you somehow in person because now you seem quite interesting" - Jasmine carefully tried to recall all the information she had about Ivy and really seemed determined to get to know her a little better. Ivy, however, preferred not to violate her rules
"And I think that's all you need to know. We act as employer and executor. We don't need to know each other better at all. You give the orders and I carry them out, just like every mercenary and docker does" - she had a rule not to get into a deeper relationship with clients or civilians at all unrelated to her line of work, because such relationships don't exist in this world. Therefore, she ended the topic quickly and got out of the water to take care of securing her wounds with a bandage. - "Maybe you'd better focus on the new information in the case instead of focusing on me? You finally got a new lead"- she started a new topic to occupy Jas, who immediately picked it up.
"Great thought! I'll finally meet him today and I'll be able to tell him the news straight away" - she threw out a satisfied look and Ivy started to work out the information she had gained from the beginning
"Suddenly it turned out that the Renovators weren't involved, but besides the Wild Snake girl, there was someone else lurking for your client. A self-proclaimed liberator of humanity. She was spoiling the reputation of Vaclar's people which is why he had her followed. I don't know how long, how or why, but she's been following your client, maybe even to kill him. In any case, right now I have to concentrate on discovering the identity of the girl who tried to kill him and on this freak with sick ambitions." - she threw out her words with indifference as she carefully dressed her clothes and began to strap on her weapon belts and supply pouches. Jasmine, meanwhile, also got out of the bath and headed for the dressing room. Ivy when she had finished replenishing her arsenal moved behind the blonde - "Will you at least tell me where you will be when you leave the brothel? I need to know where to meet yo" - she leaned against the wall and watched the girl braid her long, beautiful hair into a loose braid that reached down to her waist
"I will soon find out for myself. Today someone from my employer is supposed to pick me up and take me to my new home. I even know that Madame has already been prepaid for me so now all I have to do is wait. When I get there I will meet you. Or, if you want, you can follow me and find out for yourself" - she said amused, although Ivy knew she was saying this because she still felt a little insecure and wanted her to keep an eye on her and save her if necessary.
"I'll try to follow you from some distance, only if the guards let me, of course. Ever since I got rid of a few in Albedo they've been old and pissed at me" - she said dispassionately quietly under her breath, but Jas didn't miss it. She threw the brush out of her hands and looked in horror at Ivy's bored face standing against the wall with her hands in her pockets
"That incident at Albedo was you? You took out a group of guards all by yourself! How? Why?" - she stood up nervously from her seat and Ivy just shrugged her shoulders
"They started chasing me themselves for taking the honour of killing the Fetos children away from them. I just wanted to run away but this self-proclaimed hero rushed in and started a fight. If it wasn't for her I would have simply escaped and none of the guards would have died." - Ivy felt anger and annoyance rising within her at the memory of that day, but she successfully suppressed her emotions
" What children? I thought they were going to kill a bunch of thieves, but then a madman broke out of the crowd and killed them all himself, and on top of that, he finished off a few of the guards too!" - said Jaś in horror and Ivy snorted slightly
"It's nice to find out that they think you're crazy, not that I didn't know before" - she said to herself, but she quickly got serious - "It wasn't a bunch of thieves, just ignorant children. They preferred to die by my hand than by the hands of elves, they were very clever if they chose such a fate." - she said with emptiness in her eyes, although she tried at all costs not to bring back memories of that moment. Jasmine watched her for a while, but when she got to her right she sat down in her seat
" I had no idea something like that had happened. Your version of events is far more gruesome than the one I heard around town. I also had no idea that you met the weirdo who was in the back at the time. You said she talked to you, why?" - she looked at her curiously, hoping to find out more, for which Ivy was in a way grateful that she could change the subject, pity that it was equally uncomfortable
" At first she wanted to kill me over for killing those kids but when she saw that I had defeated the guards she changed her mind. She offered me to join her supposedly great group and fight in the name of the greater good, totally free, because people in the second and first rings have worse pay and it's so sad and flippant what the fuck was she trying to push on me in the alley! Anyway it doesn't matter, she's some ignorant and shithead who's angry at the elves and imagines she'll raise an army and stage a coup. There's no need to bother with a lunatic." - Ivy was annoyed at the mere mention of an idiot with a nice nickname, completely unmatched to her personality and ambitions
" So that incident is the freak too." - It took Ivy a moment to recover from her shock but she quickly changed the subject -" Aren't you afraid to walk around town now? Are you sure you can follow me?" - she asked hopefully, but it was clear that now she wasn't so sure she wanted Ivy to follow her, so she just shrugged her shoulders
"I haven't been caught yet, so I think I can escape this time, but if you trust your employer, there's no point in me being your bodyguard. You'll take care of your new flat and passing on the knowledge you've gained, and I'll hang around town. When you're feeling confident, drop Aaron or Ben a line, then we can meet up." - she finished the subject and decided that she would not bother any more and would do something useful
" Fine. I don't think they'll get rid of me now that our business has gone this far. I will tell them what I have found out and ask them where and what you should look for." - Jasmine said with more enthusiasm and calmness, at which Ivy could also breathe a sigh of relief.
" Then I won't worry you any longer. I'll go out and get a job and you can enjoy your new life"- she said calmly and headed for the exit. - "Right! I have one more request!" - Jas looked at her with concentration so Ivy continued - "You'd better keep the information about the Albedo massacre to yourself. It would be bad if some elf found out that your mercenary was responsible for killing a group of guards, Don't you think?" - she asked sarcastically but fortunately the blonde quickly picked up on her thought
" You might be right! I'll pretend like I don't know anything, I promise!" - She put her hand on her chest and Ivy nodded her head and left the brothel. Now they each went their separate ways although they would meet many more times. And since she now had a lot of free time, she went out the back and headed for the Cellar in search of some quick work.
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New home
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Moments after Ivy disappeared from the dressing room Madame turned up to see her off from Fantabera. She had few personal possessions but took a few as a reminder of the place. She also looked carefully at the rooms to etch them into her memory and all the memories of the place involuntarily suddenly began to haunt her and make her a little nostalgic.
She went downstairs with energy for a new life but seeing the crowd waiting to bid her farewell she slowly began to regret leaving this place. Ever since she got here she had been longing for the day she would leave the brothel and dreaming of what her future would look like outside Fantabera, but she didn't expect that when that day finally happened it would be so hard to really leave this place. Looking at the fact that she would have to leave the girls or the rest of the staff she had been through so much with made her sad and the fact that they would miss her too was heart-wrenching.
She had to hug and say goodbye to each of the girls, which was not easy or pleasant at all, because she already missed the wonderful memories and the support they showed each other. In fact, she had created quite a family for herself here and it was hard for her to leave her so suddenly. But she managed to express her gratitude and promised that she would write letters and that it would not be the last time they would see each other, so everyone, girls, bodyguards and bartenders, agreed to her proposal and let her leave.
It took her a long while to say goodbye so Madame had to push her out the door herself. In the meantime, she had also managed to get all the formalities done, so when she stepped outside she was already a free person and not a courtesan, which was a huge thrill for her. Outside, the carriage and the elf who always accompanied the prince were already waiting. She had seen him in a guard's outfit and with weapons, but now he looked exceptionally good, not that he wasn't handsome in his guard's outfit, but now he looked like a nobleman or a prince. She was also sure that he came from the upper classes looking at the exceptionally rich outfit and the cloak he wore. As soon as he saw her he opened the carriage door and helped her inside. She silently entered and let herself be let down into the unknown.
She knew she was leaving the third ring, but she did not know where exactly she would end up, so she looked around the city with curiosity. She was delighted to see that she was entering the main street and heading into the Rey district. When she reached the King Silas estate the carriage stopped and the elf led her out of the carriage. The coachman drove off and she stepped down onto the pavement behind the elf. The man caught her by the hand and began to show her around the estate
"The prince has chosen one of the flats on this estate for you because it is close to the castle gate and he will be able to have you close at hand. The flat is on the top floor of one of the townhouses belonging to the royal estate. Along with the flat, you have become the owner of its entirety, but this is just a piece of what property the prince has written down for you. Waiting for you inside are servants and your own accountant who will help you manage the estate and take care of the formalities on your part. The estate, as well as the whole ring, is well protected, so you don't have to worry about your safety, but if necessary we will assign you a security guard. And this is your building" - he stopped in front of a tall building of yellow stone decorated with flowers and colourful ivy and Jasmine looked at her new property with delight. The elf at this time took out the keys and opened the door
"The first floor is undeveloped, but it's ready for a new shop or a new business establishment" - he said, pointing to an empty space which they quickly passed and headed towards the back to the corridor leading to the staircase.
"There are several flats here, only one of which is in use, and that is by servants. If you're interested in running your own business then you'll be able to lease the first floor and rent it out to staff or leave it to yourself. Anyway, your accountant will explain everything to you" - they reached the very top and stood in front of the last door. The elf handed her the keys and the girl hesitantly opened the door.
She entered the vestibule and then stood in the living room. It was huge and beautifully decorated. Bright walls and blue curtains. A sofa and armchairs upholstered in white fabric and light wood furniture and a huge ivory piano. Numerous windows from the ground to the ceiling made the room extremely bright. A fireplace made of light-coloured stone and wall-high bookcases
"To the left you have a corridor that leads to the kitchen with dining area and to the bathroom and opposite you have your bedroom and study. To the left you have exits to the balcony, there you have a place to relax and a view of the city all decorated with lush vegetation. The servant and accountant will come tomorrow morning. Until then, you can have a quiet look around." - stated the elf as always with indifference, but Jas could not contain her excitement. She ran from room to room with a smile and a squeal of joy. The whole house was relatively modest, but the small expensive details added grace and the carefully crafted furniture chic.
Finally, tired, she collapsed on the sofa and began to roll over on it like a child.
"This is the best day of my life!" - she shouted into the cushions without looking at the elf who looked at her with pity. He silently sat down on the armchair and began with indifference
"I can see you're enjoying yourself and you probably think I should feel remorse for spoiling your fun but that's not going to happen. Instead of running around the flat like crazy why don't you share some interesting information with me if you have any?" - he put his foot down and watched her face go blank. She rose reluctantly and sat down as she should on the armchair
" Actually, I even have a bit of a breakthrough on the case" - she said with satisfaction and the elf turned to listen - "I started my search with the Renovators and found out something interesting. The two donkeys who were in the back at the time had nothing to do with the assassination attempt! They were there by coincidence on another case, they got blown away because they came at the wrong time" - she shrugged her shoulders and commented satisfied that she had managed to make a breakthrough in the case so quickly
"So if they weren't mixed up, do you know what they were there for" - he asked rather dryly as if he had had enough of the silence that Jas had created to introduce a little tension
"Well, then there was someone else in the back! Apart from the girl who wanted to cut the prince's throat, there was someone watching him. I know that she has been following the prince for a long time and that is why she has seen everything from hiding. Apparently she is some kind of self-proclaimed hero who runs around the city and says she will liberate mankind or something. Vaclar sent his men after her because she spoils the reputation of the Renovators. It was this strange type who was lurking for the Prince, not the two from the gang. I've already arranged that if Vaclar's people get any information about this madwoman, I'll get it, so we can finish the thread with the Renovators. Now all we have to do is focus on the Wild Snakes and this freak. Don't you know anything about this new pseudo hero?" - she fired out hopefully and the elf grimaced. Somehow she wanted to dispel his doubts but she didn't want the topic to accidentally come down to Ivy
" The self-proclaimed Human Liberation Army. Sounds interesting." - Jas saw madness somewhere in his eyes so she didn't control what she was saying
"There's nothing interesting. She's just a shithead running around town because she's angry with the elves. I think she's harmless!" - she fired out quickly and the elf looked at her carefully. He pondered something until finally he leaned over and began to speak in a rather scary voice
" Have you heard anything, perhaps, about the incident in Albedo?" - he asked so suddenly curious at which she immediately turned pale
"That I have? Not a thing! It's impossible to remember what's going on in Kamino, let alone in other districts!" - she laughed hysterically and wondered where her acting skills had gone. The cold stare of the elf made all her confidence evaporate somewhere. She tried not to look him in the eye and to breathe calmly but most likely he already knew she was up to something. He got up from his seat and sat down next to her and when she wanted to get up he grabbed her hand and pulled her close. To be sure, he put his hand on her shoulder as if to show that he could kill her with one blow.
"I will ask again, and know that it is a great honour because no human gets a second chance with me. What do you know about the incident in Albedo?" - he spoke slowly and directly into her face and the accompanying aura of coldness froze the blood in her veins. The tension was so high that she only managed to apologise to Ivy in her mind before she snapped
" I know what happened in the square! But it's the fault of that human liberation freak. I mean, she didn't kill those kids, but if she hadn't been there, the guards would have been fine!" - she shouted straight into the elf's face but not much could be understood from her chaotic speech
" Could you speak more clearly? Think a little and make your rambling into a reasonably coherent statement" - he growled and took his hands away to let her breathe, for which she was extremely grateful, because she was starting to run out of breath. Now she calmed her breathing and tried to collect her thoughts
"So here it is. The person who killed these captives claims to have done it only to spite the elves. And she found herself in the square completely by accident. She doesn't walk around town and get into trouble at all! In her own words, these children themselves chose to die by her hand. And then the guards started chasing her, so she wanted to run away, but then this pseudo hero showed up and she got into a fight. I swear she didn't mean to kill them, but that's how it turned out. Then, when she escaped, this freak met her and at first she wanted to kill her for killing people, but when she saw her fighting elves, she offered her to join this ridiculous army of human liberation. But she immediately refused! She even stated that it's not worth the attention of a shit who is sad that people from higher rings earn less than elves. So much for that. The guards only died because of a stupid mistake but it's the madwoman's fault!" - she pleaded with tears in her eyes and prayed that Ivy would forgive her for her stupidity. She even thought she was about to flinch herself but the elf got up and walked to the window. She could see that he was angry and upset but she hoped very much that he would not hurt her
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