New problems
He listened carefully to Jasmine but with each additional piece of information, instead of arriving at a solution to the case, only more confusion was forming in his head. He began to analyse every thought from every angle but all he came to was the edge of his endurance. Before he lost his temper he stood up and walked to the window to avoid accidentally throwing himself at the blonde with reproaches. He had to think everything over now, so he started to walk around the room and talk to himself in such a way that he could better organize and think everything over.
"The person responsible for killing the prisoners is not involved in the assassination attempt on the Prince, but is guilty of the death of the guards at the gate in Albedo. Although, on the flip side, supposedly, if it had not been for this suspected activist the incident allegedly might not have happened and the guards would still be alive. I could have cleared it up at the castle and caught the culprit for the murder of the guards but then they would have been interested in this pseudo hero and linked him to the assassination case. Then, unfortunately, I would have a problem getting information and I would be separated from the case again and I would be back to square one. Or worse, they would discover that I had defied royal orders and was investigating with Caspian on my own and that would spell the end for me and the prince. Now the question is : Should I clarify the matter in Albedo or continue the investigation on my own? On the one side the guards have died and on the other the prince may die. Think Edward, think... Why is it that instead of clarifying things only get more complicated?!" – He growled to himself and stood still. He took off his cloak and undid a few buttons of his shirt, because his emotions were making him boil inside.
He had to think seriously about his next step, knowing that any decision would have unpleasant consequences. He wandered around the room looking for answers and involuntarily glanced at the girl sitting at attention, who became even more tense when he looked in her direction. He preferred to be sure, so he leaned slightly towards her
"Is that all you know about this self-proclaimed madwoman?" – he tried to sound as indifferent as always, but the girl was afraid when he said the words
"That’s absolutely everything! I swear. I promise I’ll find out more. I already have a mercenary and the men of the Vaclar to hand them over to me when they get some!" – she spoke with trepidation but he knew she was telling the truth. So now one point remained
" And what do you know about this murderer? What were her motives? Is she also from some organisation?" – now depending on the answer he will have to decide what steps to take and who to hold responsible
"By no means! She’s not an activist! She’s just a mercenary. And a harmless one at that. She ended up in the square by accident and killed those children because they wanted it themselves. They didn’t want to die at the hands of the elves, that’s the only reason she did it. And from the guards she wanted to escape. She shies away from fighting and if that madwoman hadn’t interfered they would still be alive! She’s a good person who tries to live in the shadows as much as she can! Besides, she’s the one who collects all this information and she’s the one who saved the prince and me from trouble back then. She’s one of the few people you can trust. I swear. You trusted me before, now you can too!" – she even swore with tears in her eyes and he knew that she was not lying now either. From her words, a guard murderer is less problematic than an activist and the massacre at the gate was an accident. Still, he struggled to think that he would have to let go of the case of the murdered guards.
Besides, it was Caspian who trusted her. To him, she was still just a human who could deceive and betray them at any time. He just decided that since the whole murderer thing could still be useful it was better to keep her alive and focus on the activist
"Let it be believed that you are telling the truth. The Albedo incident was an accident that only happened because of a crazy activist. But it doesn’t change the fact that I will remember who was to blame for the death of those elves. So now you’d better make sure that this trusty mercenary of yours doesn’t run into any of the soldiers and that she never dares to raise her hand against the guard again. For now, we will focus on this activist and the Wild Snakes. Gather as much information as you can. We will have to confirm or exclude the possibility that this girl from under Fantaber and the spy are working together. Also, for the time being, don’t you dare mention the Albedo incident to anyone. If you have any information, pass it on to the accountant and someone from the castle will come or send for you personally. Live your new life and stay out of sight, gather as much information as possible and try not to get into trouble" – he gave the order and the girl immediately nodded, so he decided it was time for him to go. He picked up his wardrobe and headed for the exit, leaving the blonde alone in the hope that she would not do anything stupid and would only be of use to the investigation.
He went out into the street and decided that he needed to cool down before he returned to the castle. He also needs to think about how much he can pass on so that by chance the Prince doesn’t do anything stupid. He was greatly disappointed that the thug by whom he had to sit all day in boring and annoying meetings was a mercenary who was helping to catch an assassin. How he hated his job sometimes. He had gotten himself into quite a mess and now he had no way to turn back, he had to keep pushing forward. Once again, he sighed in a long breath and put himself in order so as not to disturb the passers-by, who began to look at him as if he were crazy. He thought it best to take advantage of the fact that he was in the city and use his strength to search for information in possible sources. So he headed for the Belvedere file room, hoping to find something he could link to the case.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRMJBVGPmL
Hard Part Begins
The way passed quietly even in spite of the patrols which she neatly avoided to the extent that even passers-by did not regard her, which is as it should be. And since the route went without a hitch she entered the Cellar satisfied and politely greeted Bono with a hand gesture. However, she didn’t want to accidentally sit down at the bar so she immediately moved to the back and with a decisive movement opened the door to Ben’s office to immediately hide behind a wall. This time, for a change, there was a small axe stuck in the wall instead of a knife. She ignored the new interior decoration of the corridor and stood in the threshold but before her foot could touch the floor Ben began to berate her
"Don’t you fucking dare show me your face!" – Ivy froze in mid-step and stood disgusted looking at a pissed off Ben who was aiming another axe at her
"Easy! I’m here for a job, not your head, so sit your ass down and talk to me properly" – she raised her hands and tried to somehow calm Ben down. She was unusually calm and didn’t want the man to spoil her mood but this man looked like he was about to have his mother-in-law visit him
"Now the fuck did you come for an assignment? The whole town is under siege by the guards and you think someone would get the idea to do business in a situation like this!!!?" – he shouted furiously and stabbed the axe into the ground. So he chose discussion over violence and that was a big plus. Ivy even understood his anger and felt a little silly. But then again, who would expect a few dead elves to turn a town on its head. But she pretended not to know anything about the matter and sat down at her desk and Ben, fortunately, did the same.
"Relax. Since when has the guard been a problem for me? I’ve been running away from them all my life and I’m doing the same now. Don’t act like a cunt now and give me an order" - she threw in an impassive manner, wanting to change the subject, but the man was not fooled and angrily banged his fist on the table, so much so that an indentation in the shape of his knuckles formed on the desk.
"Stop fucking pretending like nothing happened! You think I didn’t realise you had a hand in that!? Then you came to me covered in blood and asked me to do a job! Not to mention the fact that you also fleeced my clientele!" – he pointed his finger at her and Ivy could hardly hide her silly smile. She tried to keep her eyes on her shoes and not burst out laughing, but she liked to play a prank on Ben sometimes, and this one was one of the best. But now she couldn’t let him get angry with her because she wanted the job. Therefore, she took a deep breath to sound completely calm and without any shadow of satire
"Ben, come on now. You’re acting like you’re in trouble for the first time in your life. Calm down and think about it calmly. I know you’ve got a job to do but you’re a pussy and you’re afraid to give it to me. We both also know that I will do any task because I need the money. Therefore, stop being hysterical and give me something big so that I can gold you and myself. Maybe then your anger will go away and you’ll forgive me somehow" - she tried to sound reassuring, even though she really wanted to pull Ben out of his hole and talk some sense into him.
If you want to work as a docker in Magdorn, you have to have guts and nerves of steel, and if he’s flipping out because there are more patrols in town, it means that his business is thin and fragile and that he won’t be able to satisfy the high and demanding clientele, and then he’ll become the town’s insignificant grandfather for pathetic jobs. Ivy also knew that Ben knew exactly this so she put her foot down and waited for the man to calm down and get down to business
"I have a certain client but it’s a delicate matter. The risk is high and if something goes wrong there will be nothing to reap from you. Are you up for it?" – he threw a sly smile as if he wanted to frighten her but only turned her on more
"Are you still asking? Tell me what the action is and get ready to pay” - she said with an obviousness and calmness that even Ben beamed slightly
" My client recently had some problems with the officials. They were concerned about his research. They said it might be controversial and seized his notes so the committee could check them. They are holding them in storage and he is delaying the matter as much as he can. Your job is to break into the warehouse, steal the notes and plant a fake. Willing?" – he asked with a raised eyebrow, but he knew the answer perfectly well and her sly look only served to reassure him.
" Don’t ask stupid questions, just tell me where to start!" – She quickly put Ben in a good mood and he looked like a flesh and blood docker again. As always, he pulled out a folder from under his desk and then leaned on the desk with his hands balled into a fist on which he rested his chin. This was the way she loved him the most, because it was a sign that he was about to get a new job.
"The client is Professor Brutus O’Neill. He has an establishment, unfortunately, in Albedo like most scientists, inventors or alchemists. You report to him to hand you the fake notes. Then you’ll break into the city guard’s file room at the courthouse on Belvedere. You’ll have to do a lot of digging and fiddling to make sure the guards don’t catch you, but if you say you’ll do any task, go ahead. Have a good trip and good luck. You’ll find Brutus’ burrow by the inner wall, I think you can do it. Just tell me, when do you want to start" – he said for the sake of formality when she had already managed to get up from her seat
"Now. I have nothing to do and if I hurry I can get it done by the evening. I’ll get a few more things and then I can get going" - she explained on the run and headed for the exit. As always she had an indifferent expression on her face, but inside she was extremely happy. She needed a new assignment, some purpose and some money.
She started running towards the north gate of Kamino to reach Stoneware. There she quickly found Domino’s men and bought poisoned arrows and bombs. She spent a little but still had to replenish her supplies and when she was sure of her equipment she set off towards Albedo.
She jumped across rooftops alternating with hiding in narrow streets. Clearly the district was still alive with the incident from under the square and the gate
"Pathetic" - she commented, rolling her eyes as she looked at the routine stops and checks. In the Mortuary every now and then someone died in the middle of the road or someone beat someone, raped someone or murdered someone and somehow no one ever shook it off. But the residents living between the walls were perpetually frightened and by the silly brawl they were shaking their pants, which only reinforced how weak and pathetic they were.
After a long while, she walked along the roofs by the wall and looked for a suitable spot
"What might a mad scientist’s workshop look like?" – she wondered looking at the various buildings. She made her way down the road and bet she would look through the windows. She discreetly looked at the interiors of the buildings so as not to disturb any of the occupants. Some were ordinary shops and some were residential buildings and she had no idea how to recognise the mad scientist establishment among them.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AH8djA0Mk
Brutus O’Neill
As she strolled along the buildings, she noticed a somewhat dilapidated house and a door smeared with blood. She decided that this could be a clue or at least something interesting so she went to the back of the building and checked the possible entrances. She decided she felt confident enough to enter through the door, which wasn’t even locked, so she went inside without any problems. She started looking around for anything unusual or dangerous. On the surface it looked like an ordinary flat, but the smell of blood bothered her, it was faint and kind of weathered but she knew it well from the Mortuary. She knew that there must have been quite a massacre here recently, except that she didn’t know the signs of a fight.
She found herself in the hall and began to think. To her left she saw a kitchen with a dining area and some kind of door, most likely to the bathroom, and to her right a living room and a ladder leading upstairs. She stood and listened for a while but without much effect. She checked the kitchen and the bathroom and went from the living room to the bedroom. Since she didn’t find anything upstairs, she went upstairs.
She climbed up the ladder quietly and listened. She knew someone was here. The attic was low, just like the rest of the flat, so she crouched down. She moved between the debris on until she noticed a small light source on the table and some moving shadow. She took out her blades and looked out for an opportunity. When she was sure the figure was at her fingertips she immediately immobilised it by putting the blade to its throat
"Why the nerves? Let’s get along, eh!" – mouthed the panicked gnome. Ivy pushed the blade away and loosened her grip to free the wretch.
In appearance, he did not stand out from his race. After all, Gnomes are low creatures measuring at most about a metre thirty. Their trademark is a bulbous nose, as legend has it, a remnant of the horn that ancient gnomes had. Although they are related, no one would mistake them for dwarves, as they are slimmer and better built. This gives them an advantage, as gnomes are not only equally good fighters, but are also more agile and skilful.
The one here looked relatively human, wearing a white kit and leather gloves. Ivy inferred that he was already elderly. He had white hair only on the sides and back of his head and the very top of his head was perfectly bald. Plus bushy eyebrows and honeycomb eyes. The man looked at her with an angry look and Ivy already knew that an unpleasant chat was coming. Gnomes were notorious for their hatred of other races, so they preferred to live in isolation somewhere in the mountains or underground.
"Why did you come here? Do you hate life? Get out of here before I change my mind!" – started to chuckle and Ivy didn’t feel like arguing in the slightest, especially with a gnome. So she overcame the urge to sigh protractedly, she had to behave in front of her employer, and took off her hood to start the conversation as she always did, dispassionately, briefly and to the point
"You are a scientist and you live by the wall. Your name isn’t Brutus O’Neill by any chance?" – she spoke loudly and quickly. She wanted to change the subject before the gnome got quite triggered and bore her with insults or dismissed her from the task
"Maybe so... I won’t tell you anything anyway! Get out before I decide to cut you piss!" – he growled in her direction and Ivy once again realised why she hated entia. She swallowed the bitterness that had gathered in her mouth and continued to try to sound gentle
" Loosen up Gramps and listen. Ben sent me. I’m here to do the job you asked him to do, so calm down and cooperate, you’re the one who should care about the job, not me!" – she threw it out quickly and fortunately the gnome shut up for a moment and looked at her carefullma
" Such a miserable human puppy wants to break into a file room? If you want to get yourself killed then go somewhere else. I’m looking for a mercenary, not a madman!" – he walked around her and tried to insult her in every possible way. How she hated discussion and especially with mean gnomes. She shook her forehead theatrically and took a few breaths to calm herself, ignoring the insistent old man
" If I didn’t know my job Ben wouldn’t have given me the assignment and I wouldn’t have gone after you so easily. If I did, you’d be dead by now, so cut the bullshit and give me the fake notes" - she said irritably, disgusting the man. He stopped and grimaced, but clenched his teeth and finally let it go.
"Be that as it may. If you want it, go ahead. Follow me and I’ll explain everything to you" - he instructed sternly and immediately headed downstairs and Ivy obediently followed him. He walked down the hall and then walked into the living room. He pushed back the bookcase and revealed a staircase leading into the ground. Ivy didn’t like this but she knew she was experienced and clever and would be able to cope if there was trouble.
She walked down many steps until she came upon a sizable medical laboratory full of notes, books, charts, medicine and scientific objects in the form of the bodies of people and other creatures, which immediately explained the intense smell of blood in the flat
"I’ve fucked up" - she muttered to herself, looking resignedly at the human body placed in a strange vat of ice
"There is no point in feeling sorry for them. Those who were still alive came to me by themselves and the dead did not complain when they got here" – he laughed quietly looking at the tables with the bodies
"Can you explain to me more or less what kind of research you are doing?" – she asked, trying to keep her voice natural, but it was difficult for her to hide her slight anxiety. As soon as possible she wanted to know where she stood and to her surprise the man immediately became animated and there was a flash of fascination in his eyes. He deliberately stopped and climbed onto a stool so that he could level with her in height
"I am a gnome, but instead of studying mechanics like most of my species, I have chosen to study living organisms. Through my research I have been able to discover and describe a multitude of different creatures. I have discovered and described hitherto unknown diseases and developed cures. By studying bodies, I am able to find out much more about how organisms function in our world. Recently, I have been focusing on the topic of evolution! Do you even know what evolution is?" – Ivy was about to answer, but the gnome was just being a rude gnome and continued before she could get a word out. -" Well, evolution, my silly pup, is change over time. Organic evolution is nothing but changes in the characteristics of given groups of organisms occurring over the course of generations. You can even see this with the eye by looking at a city, how adaptation has affected its inhabitants. However, I was most fascinated by the people, and those in the Mortuary! Do you know why?" – Ivy didn’t even react because she knew the gnome would continue and without her reaction -" Well, I noticed how many changes they have compared to people from the city or earlier generations. Do you know that supposedly the harder the living conditions, the stronger the organism becomes? Now I have evidence of this! People from the Mortuary are characterised by a greater resistance of the body. They are able to function even under less favourable conditions. Their body needs fewer nutrients and yet they are able to build tissues such as muscles and bones and heal wounds. They look like ordinary humans, but their adaptive abilities are astounding. At least for some of them it is so, because most of them are walking corpses who are closer to animals." – he concluded his energetic speech with a less lofty statement and returned to his tour of the laboratory
" As if I didn’t know. It’s normal to have to adapt to the environment in order to survive. That’s the only way I’ve managed to survive on minimal food, light and everything in general” - she said under her breath, continuing to look around the numerous research facilities until she bumped into a gnome who momentarily stopped
"Are you one of the wild ones?" – the gnome suddenly became animated again and started looking at her intently. He looked at her arms, legs and face and even stepped onto a small platform to take a closer look at her, which made her so nervous that she didn’t even hide it. She didn’t like it when someone looked at her and the gnome was a master of being pushy
"I’m rather like the rest of humans" – she threw out disgusted with the boldness with which the old man was looking at her face and especially at her hair, at which she involuntarily blushed out of embarrassment - "It’s just the effect of the curse, but the rest is quite average" – she threw out quickly and pushed the mad scientist away from her and tried to hide her head and blush under the hood
"Don’t you perhaps want to become one of my subjects? I rarely get healthy specimens from the Mortuary. I offer favourable conditions and a pleasant atmosphere!" – Ivy just rolled her eyes at him. Saying this offer, he probably already saw in his mind cutting her into pieces and putting them in jars like preserves for the winter, but she did not plan to end up like a cucumber in a pickle
" Instead of wasting our time, why don’t you give me the fake documents so I can finish the task, additionally commissioned by you!" – she growled, clearly emphasising the last part and took a few more steps away from the mad scientist. The conversation with gramps was depriving her of the necessary energy and good mood and all she wanted was to get out of here as soon as possible
" Be that as it may." – He quickly picked up the subject and changed the mood. He walked over to one of the drawers and pulled out a thick file of documents – "Here they are. You drop them off at the warehouse and bring me the original. Look in the technology or medical section. You even have some clues to the task there" – Ivy immediately took the documents and, after a careful look through, put them in the bag on her back. The exception was a small map with a possible route of action marked on it, which she put in her pocket to keep it handy
"I’ll do my best to get it done as soon as possible, but I can already promise I’ll get the job done" – she threw it out quickly and headed for the exit with the gnome
"Why are you so confident?" – he threw an interested look and Ivy began to think intensely about an answer that would satisfy the scientist
"It’s not confidence. I don’t like to be overly optimistic and above all, I’m a realist. It’s more to do with the fact that you yourself just now talked about people adapting to their environment. It’s the same thing. I’m a mercenary so in order to survive I have to do tasks, even if they are difficult. At the end of the day, there’s a difference between what we want and what we have to do and I just have to get the job done. There is no question of making a mistake or giving up. It’s hard to explain. I simply do my best to complete the mission and the necessary skills are acquired on the fly...." – she tried to somehow explain her twisted conclusions but was doing a poor job. Still, to her surprise, the gnome seemed to understand her, or was he making fun of her?
" You don’t have to make an effort, I think I know what you mean. Anyway, I’m counting on you to complete the mission and not get caught. But I promise that if you do get caught, I will take care of your body in the name of science!" – Ivy rolled her eyes at the enthusiasm with which the old man spoke about the possible scenario of her death, which boosted her morale before the mission.
" Thanks but I’ll have to cool your ardour and say I’ll be back in one piece. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get my reward as soon as possible and get on with the next task." – She threw in a quick word and said goodbye with a slight bow to the old man before heading out the back door. She had to get to the Belvedere quickly, which was also well guarded on a daily basis, and that she had to break into the guard’s storehouse only made the situation even worse. But she could see that the more difficult the task the greater the payoff.
She recognised that she had to minimise detection so she decided to use the sewers. She hid in an alley and, after making sure no one could see her, jumped into the sewer. There was a lot of experimentation waste floating in the sewage from Albedo so she had to avoid contact with the liquid and avoid some of the passages. She had it so good that it was only a short distance from under the wall to the file store to walk through the sewers.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhuyfX5YY6
The file room
She was familiar with the sewer so she knew exactly which passage to take to exit by the warehouse itself. When she got there she made sure of her equipment one last time. This time she decided to use the small launchers at her wrists designed and created by Iwo. She replenished her ammunition in the form of paralysing poison darts and quieted her mind. Nothing mattered now but the mission. She put her hood more tightly over her head and her scarf over her face and stepped carefully out of the sewers looking around the area.
She decided that it was best to climb in from above through one of the windows. She started to climb up and while doing so looked around for guards inside. She climbed to the top floor and slipped neatly through the open window. She ended up in one of the rooms with an inventory of books and documents. There was one guard there but he did not detect her presence.
Ivy sometimes wondered why elves didn’t want to use their heightened senses, but as it worked to her advantage she never returned their attention.
She made sure the man couldn’t see her and began to check the map of the room. She pulled out a piece of paper with directions and compared it to what was in front of her. The file on medicine was located a floor below at the very end, and the one on technology at the very end of the corridor on the floor she was on.
She cautiously exited the room and decided it would be safer above the guards. Therefore, she climbed the beams and quietly moved to the end of the corridor. She couldn’t count on any guards not noticing her forever, so she was as alert as ever. All the time, she kept her distance and moved without making a sound, even her breathing became more moderate.
When she reached the right alley, she decided to make use of her new acquisition. She took aim at the guard standing under the file shelf, which was her possible target. She took aim and flicked her wrist and the mechanism fired a small dart of poison which instantly paralysed the guard. Ivy quickly jumped down and carefully tucked the body into a corner. The poison was effective for about half an hour so she had to be quick. She started to look for the relevant signage but found nothing about the gnome’s research.
Wasting no time she set off for the floor below. Unfortunately, it was better guarded so she had to distract the guards with something. She crouched on the railing of the stairs and grabbed one of the folders from the nearest shelf. She threw it over the heads of the two guards talking to each other. It looked as if one book hit the next one, causing the contents of the entire bookcase to fall on the heads of the confused men. It caused quite a commotion so the guards quickly ran to that side. The floor remained empty so she could calmly grab a beam and jump down to the lower floor and start searching in the now clear alley.
She opened the appropriate drawers knowing that she had to hurry. Fortunately, the professor had a whole drawer dedicated to his research. Ivy put the fake ones in place of the documents and put the original in her backpack. Now all she had to do was dodge the guards and return to collect her payment.
To make sure she would divert attention away from herself, she opened a window and threw a regular bang bomb and another with a slow trigger into the alley. She jumped onto the beams again and then onto the chandelier and slowly made her way down to the floor. Now if someone detected her she would use the bomb and run away so she was a little calmer. The moment she escaped onto the beams the bang of the first bomb rang out and the guards from the floors started to come out. Now she had an easy escape route. She got down on the ground moved towards the exit.
She pushed open the door but her hand suddenly stopped and her brain registered pain. The stimulus was slow to arrive so it took her a moment to discover that her hand was pierced all the way through and immobilised by the knife stuck in the door! With a hiss, she pulled the knife out and squeezed the bleeding spot. She quickly wanted to turn around to look at where the shot had come from, but before she could even flinch another knife plunged right into her face wounding her cheek
"Try to twitch and the next one won’t be a warning" – warned a slightly but firmly male voice. Ivy was surprised to discover that the voice was coming from only a few metres away. And yet, a moment ago, there had been no one on the floor! The man behind her must have been an elf.
He moved silently and masked his presence. But this one was different from the previous ones she had faced. She felt fear and anxiety. As if an aura of darkness covered the entire room. As if death itself stood behind her! For the first time she felt that she might lose the battle and die without a word, killed by an elf and in the middle of a mission. – "Not an option!" – shouted a voice in her head. She cannot die at the hands of an elf! She hadn’t spent her whole life gathering knowledge and experience just to die now. It was finally time for her to use all her previous knowledge and experience
She saw that she was dealing with a professional, but instead of being afraid of a fight, she tuned in for a new lesson in „how to defeat the most powerful elf you can face”. She analysed the situation and found the answer: "I have no idea, play for time!"
"They’re upstairs and they can see us both. You’d better not move" she said slowly and tried to sound calm
"Who are they?" – asked the man and to her advantage the door opened and she used that split second to throw an aroma bomb. Elves have a much more sensitive sense of smell so the scent would be extra disturbing. As dust began to rise around the room she immediately dashed running to the door and did not look in front or behind her.
She had to take the chance that the elf was confused by her bluffing. However, she knew that this was only the beginning of the fight. She extended her daggers to help create a passage and ran blindly through the crowd outside
She had only run a few metres when she felt another knife pierce the skin on her leg. And without turning around she knew that the elf was already chasing her. She expected him to be fast so before he could block her path Ivy jumped onto one of the flat roofs. She was about to jump onto the next one when, in a complete stupor, she stood up. Not only had the elf overtaken her, he had anticipated her plan and surprised her by jumping onto the roof from the front.
Now she stood face to face with probably her greatest challenge. The elf was tall and well-built and indecently handsome, as if he knew no moderation in being attractive. He wore an extremely elegant outfit but Ivy doubted he was a mere aristocrat. So not only was he handsome, he was also rich, add to that the fact that he was an elf and combined those qualities that Ivy hated the most and what was simply unfair to possess all these things at the same time!
He stood completely still with a stone face and looked at her with contempt with his dark grey eyes. Ivy was always thinking realistically and trying to find a solution, and yet every time she looked at the man, all she saw was her own death. She felt that she was shaking all over and that she was unable to make a move or think of anything clever.
"Did you really think that I would fall for your bluff? I knew you were alone from the moment you climbed through the window on the top floor" - he said dispassionately and Ivy’s eyes bugged out. He knew from the start that she was in the building
"And yet you let me make a mess and get rid of the guards...?" – she fired more to herself than to the man and his quiet snort broke her out of her thoughts
"Because I’ve been lacking entertainment for a long time" – he shrugged his shoulders and didn’t give the girl time to breathe. He grabbed his sword and immediately charged. She was so lucky that years of practice had honed her defensive reflexes and even unaware she could dodge the blows. She swung swiftly to the right but the man made an unexpectedly graceful turn and struck her in the right shoulder with his sword, as if he had anticipated the fact that she would dodge.
The impact was so powerful that Ivy was immediately on the ground and clutching her arm tightly. She knew she had crushed a bone, which caused her to release the dagger from her hand and look at the bored elf with murder in her eyes
"I thought you would provide me with more entertainment but as I see it people are still weak. You haven’t changed a bit over the years. But nothing, let’s get it over with. Take off your hood and scarf, I want to know who I’m killing" - he said with resignation and pretended to be interested in his own blade, completely ignoring Ivy. It is obvious that he did not have her as an opponent
She even thought it was over, but she just experienced a certain feeling. She felt a rush of adrenaline which made her ignore the pain and her muscles work despite fatigue or wounds. Thanks to this, she was able to stand up and grab her weapon to proudly face her new challenge
"Come and take it down yourself!" – she tried to jump, but only to deceive, because at the last moment she made a slide and found herself on the ground to cut the man’s legs. Before he had time to turn, she managed to inflict a shallow wound behind his back and then bounce a few metres away. The elf knelt motionless for a moment making Ivy think she had evened their odds until his quiet laughter rang in her ears
"I thought I was going to be bored to death. I’m counting on you to keep me entertained longer" - he stood up slowly and threw off his cloak and his waistcoat. Ivy also stood up and walked around carefully mirroring the man
They both moved at each other at the same time. Ivy knew the elf was too strong so instead of blocking the blows she tried to parry them but the elf quickly figured out her intentions. They began their exchange of deadly blows in which Ivy put all her heart and strength but even that was not enough
"I expected more" – he threw a biting punch with a sinister smile at which Ivy was clearly annoyed, but she still tried to keep her temper in check as she knew that the man was provoking her
"I could say the same. Such a big elf and he can’t handle a teenage girl? Really pathetic" - she bit back, although she found it difficult to speak clearly through clenched teeth as she fought off his attacks with all her strength.
"I’m just giving you a head start because I’m a gentleman and I don’t want to discourage you from fighting" – he made a sudden dodge from her charge and Ivy almost fell over if it wasn’t for the elf grabbing her by the cloak and putting her upright. It was a humiliating move and the elf enjoyed it immensely. Ivy was only glad that her face was covered otherwise he would have laughed at her even more if he had seen her scarlet blush of shame which she had to control in order not to lose face
She quickly pulled herself out of his grasp in order not to give him the satisfaction and tried with all her might to sound and look menacing in order not to let herself be pushed around like that
"Really? Because I think that you expected me to not be able to hurt you!" – she quickly jumped back and threw several knives in the air. The elf did not manage to move away from two of them, which penetrated his arm and leg. A little shallow but always a wound –" Is that blood? Are you bleeding for such a trivial reason? Thin for an elf" – Now it was she who was biting but the man did not take her actions or words seriously. He even laughed in a mocking tone and as if nothing ever happened, he pulled out his blades and threw them a bit further away, not caring about the wounds
"Is that what you call bleeding? I cut myself worse with a piece of paper than you hurt me. But if you want I’ll show you what a real wound looks like" – he quickly ran up to her and began to thrust his blade which Ivy struggled to repel and block with her daggers. He was pushing at her harder and harder with his body and Ivy was already almost at the very edge of the roof so desperation told her to strike a blow. She took advantage of the gap to swing behind and inflict something but the elf then did something she didn’t expect.
He blocked her blades with his sword so that they were at the level of her chest and himself with his free hand struck her in the stomach with his fist, and right in the diaphragm. Ivy felt a tremendous pain which prevented her from taking a breath, so the weapon fell out of her hands and she landed on her knees and tried to catch her breath.
"My apology, I was supposed to be a gentleman but I guess it didn’t work out. It’s a pity, I didn’t hit you hard at all, it’s just that you are extremely weak since you let yourself be defeated by such a blow" – he shrugged his shoulders and looked at her with pride and superiority so indispensable for elves and which made her want to puke even more.
She could see that she was a little battered but she had to take the plunge. She had fought a lot of battles in her life and when she was in a much worse state. Now she was overcome with fear and let herself be approached, but from now on she was going to pull herself together. All her strength went into overcoming the pain, so she was able to quickly calm her breathing and grab the daggers, but only to clip them back onto her hips and get up from her knees.
"Good girl. After all, it’s not time to give up so easily. I’m sure if you try hard you’ll be able to hit me" - he graced her with a broad smile as Ivy rose and tried to get her body back on track. She was now standing steadily and planning her next moves. She also unlocked the mechanism and extended her hidden blades
"I don’t need to try, I’ll just stop limber up" - she threw herself quickly into a run and started pushing against the man. She moved much faster as she slowly began to figure out the rhythm in which the man was moving and attacking. She saw that in a fight based on strength, she had no chance, so she used her small stature to dodge his blows and inflict small cuts with her blades. She was more confident now which was having an effect. The elf still managed to hurt her, but she also managed to finally reach him with her blade in a direct confrontation and inflict a few wounsmil.
Although they were now both a little cut up, there was no denying that they were both extremely pleased. Suddenly their deadly exchange of blows had turned into a show of skill, not to say that it was now downright sparring where they each showed off their slick moves. Ivy even wanted to squeeze in a few dance steps but she came to her senses just in time and jumped a few metres away to take a breath and calm down a little, as the fight was becoming more and more to her liking for which she chastised herself in her mind
"Do you want me to slow down a bit for you? You seem to be very tired by now" – they both straightened up and started circling around the roof in anticipation of their opponent’s attack with the elf still looking at her with superiority and a biting smile
"That I’m supposed to be tired? You’d better look at yourself and your sweaty shirt. More like fighting I’m only tired of your bullshit" – even though she had a scarf over her face she was sure the elf knew she was smiling and started grinning like a fool herself.
A glance was all it took for them to start fighting again. Their charge was still intense but now it had turned into something even different to the usual show of combat. Ivy felt as if she had started to dance with him and their hearts were pounding out a rhythm to them as they moved and exchanged blows. She began as if listening to his body and a strange conviction dawned on her that she had just been talking to an elf not by exchanging words but just by exchanging blows. She was almost certain that the man was getting similar feelings from the fight as she was and his slight but sincere smile only confirmed her in this belief.
Now they didn’t care about hurting each other but simply showing off, which was now extremely easy as they each allowed their opponent to show off a move that was more phenomenal than deadly. Ivy convinced herself in her mind that she was beginning to enjoy fighting the elf, and despite her voice of reason shouting at her inside, her body completely ignored it in favour of giving in to the passionate battle with the man.
Ivy blazed an unimaginable hatred for elves as a species and the one she was now fighting annoyed her most strongly with his lax attitude towards her but she still realistically analysed her surroundings and no matter how annoying the elf was she had no way to deny the man’s skill. She had to hand it to him that he had an excellent understanding of combat and was quick to figure out his opponent. He was unimaginably strong and at the same time damn fast and agile. He moved with grace and charm and at the same time with great strength. He was also much better looking than other representatives of his species, thanks to his extremely well-sculpted body and his whole indecently handsome face, which annoyed her the most.
As her only praise, she could confidently tell him that she appreciated the fact that the elf was putting his opponent on an equal footing. He may have thrown her biting taunts and remarks but after the exchange of blows she could tell that he appreciated her as an opponent which was truly appreciated in the warrior world. She also found that the man was by far her biggest leak she had ever faced, so she made it a priority to defeat him.
"Who would have thought that people don’t suck so much after all?" – he started his rant again when he threw away his sword and fought her only with two short slanted knives that fitted perfectly into her retractable hidden blades
"Who would have thought that among the elves there would be one who is not afraid to get his hands dirty?"
"Towards every opponent are you so harsh or only elves have the infamous honour of listening to your wretched mouths?" – he immobilised her hand by grasping it with his gloves for a moment, as if he simply wanted to talk to her
"Any opponent would have been lying dead a long time ago, so he wouldn’t have had a chance to talk to me. You are an exception in that I am simply giving you a head start because I am a lady when it comes to fighting" – she used his own text against him and gracefully pulled herself out of his embrace to continue the fight which she wanted to win at all costs
"You have as much in common with a lady as dwarves have with elves. It’s just hard for you to admit that you can’t beat me, but you’re trying to put on a good face" – now he was fighting her with his hands only, so she too put away her blades and started their hand-to-hand combat, which she sincerely loved and had long since practiced
"I think I can say the same. It’s clear from the start that you didn’t expect any resistance from me and suddenly I’m better than you thought. Now you feel silly admitting it, so you divert attention with some bottomless taunts, but you do a poor job of hiding your admiration for me" – their hand-to-hand combat was much faster and more brutal. They attacked each other’s vitals and Ivy was impressed that the elf knew such a rare fighting style to be able to block her blows before they came to blows.
She had to admit that he scared her a little with his skills but she still wasn’t going to give up and attacked even faster. She wasn’t even bothered by the man’s proximity, even though his sultry smile had a bull’s-eye effect on her.
"It’s true that you are above average for humans, but don’t flatter yourself. If I wanted to, you would have been lying dead on that roof long ago" – he immobilised her hand, which he put between his elbow and breast, and held it in a tight embrace. They both stood in concentration and Ivy dared to look him in the face with her wide open eyes which slid out from under the hood
"In that case, why am I still alive? What’s stopping you from giving me the final blow or at least arresting me?" – she asked in an unusually gentle tone that the elf clearly did not expect. She kneaded him with this question and he was clearly pondering some clever answer and Ivy gave him quiet time to think. She felt his aura change and his body mellow more noticeably. Her heart quickened wanting to know the answer when he opened his mouth. Ivy felt herself holding her breath as she waited to hear his voice when an unimaginable pain momentarily pierced her.
She moaned loudly and the surprised man released her from his arms. It took her a moment to recognise the situation. She knelt on the ground and put her hand to the arrowhead that protruded from her left breast. The arrow missed her heart but she felt pain with each breath and saw the blood begin to leave her body. She concentrated on the pain and ignored her surroundings but her instincts now managed to alert her that there were already guards on the roof and standing a few metres behind her back.
Because of the elf she had lost herself in the fight and ignored her surroundings but now thanks to her instincts she was back to reality again. She tilted her head slightly to look behind her and saw her opponent ignoring her and walking up to one of the guards and picking him up by the collar to hiss angrily right in his face before he could respond
"Who gave you permission to attack?! This is my fight and my opponent!" – he froze the guards with his aura of coldness. He sent the guards away and wanted to continue the duel, but Ivy was no longer there.
She knew she had to get away before she bled to death, so as soon as the elf turned, she threw a smoke bomb and jumped off the roof to crawl to the sewers. She didn’t even stop for a moment. She knew that if she did she wouldn’t find the strength to get back up. She only prayed that her instinct would allow her to use her remaining strength to complete the mission.
She wandered through the sewers until she came across a suitable hatch. With difficulty, she crawled out and headed for the door at the back of the scientist’s house. She leaned on it and knocked several times. After a moment when the door opened she managed to smile at the annoyed gnome
"The job is done" – she struggled to speak but managed to state proudly only to fall unconscious to the ground a moment later.
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Conclusions
He could only see puffs of smoke. When he jumped down the alley and knelt down he only managed to feel the smell of the girl’s blood fade. He could have set off in pursuit before he lost track of her but he decided that if he let her go now she might be able to heal her wounds and one day she would have the opportunity to entertain him with a fight again. He knew that as a soldier he had made a mistake in letting her go without killing her at once, but all the irritation and anger that had been building up in him for a long time did not allow him to defeat her just like that. Suddenly he had a chance to vent and relieve himself and that’s exactly what he did. But so far he had failed as a soldier and as a fighter, because he had not been able to finish the fight or let off steam as long as he wanted to. He cursed quietly under his breath and got up from the ground when the other guards reached him.
"I'm coming back to the castle. Make sure if any files have disappeared and send me the details by messenger. It’s best if you keep the incident a secret. After all, I don’t see myself writing a report about your insubordination and your inability to protect even a stupid pile of papers!" – he ordered firmly and the soldiers immediately agreed with him. He jumped up still to get his coat and waistcoat to cover his wounds and returned to the main street. He summoned a free coachman and ordered him to be taken to the castle. He knew that when he returned there would be a boring talk and explanation as to why he had not been at the briefing, but he would deal with that when he returned. For now, he let himself process the feelings he had experienced during the battle.
He leaned against the window and put his hand to his mouth to hide the smile that could not leave his face. He could not remember when on his way he had met an opponent who understood combat as deeply as he did. Now, when no one was looking, he recalled all his and his opponent’s movements and how he understood the girl through the fight. He despised people but this girl was quite good at fighting. He could try to beat her but he felt that if he did so he would make an irreversible mistake that he would later regret. The last time he had fought such an opponent was when he was still fighting in the war many years ago. It had been a long time since then, and he did not expect to meet anyone else in the world who would be able to keep up with him and who would be a human being.
And it was precisely because the memories of his youth were awakened in him that he behaved like a light-hearted man and did not spare her unfavourable provocations. Normally he is always composed and emotionless, and now he will be chastised for a long time for having behaved like an exaggerated private who fought with a woman for the first time. Embarrassed with himself, he groaned in drag and hid his face in his hands. He thanked the gods that he was alone and no one had seen him, otherwise he would not have been able to bear it if someone had seen and heard his biting glances, his comments and the smirks he directed at the girl. He wanted to forget his unforgivable behaviour so he concentrated on recalling the very and moves he had exchanged with his opponent. He let himself dwell one last time on the fond memory of the much-coveted duel before he hit the castle and resumed his function as an excellent soldier once again.
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Concerns
It had been a while since the elf had left her flat but she couldn’t focus on anything else. He may have admitted that he believed in Ivy’s innocence but she wasn’t sure if he wouldn’t start looking for her on his own to take revenge. Somehow she had to check on the girl but she didn’t know how to do it. After all, Ivy was like a cat and walked her own paths and appeared when she wanted to and not when she needed to.
"Enough! You need to calm down Jas! After all, she’s a mercenary, she can handle it. She dealt with the guards in Albedo and with Vaclar’s men in the Old Town! She’s safe and sound and I’m worrying unnecessarily!" – she announced to herself wanting to calm down a bit, which worked, after all she is extremely convincing. Instead of worrying and risking the appearance of wrinkles, she decided to concentrate on her new life. After all, she had just acquired a new flat and property.
Satisfied, she set off in the direction of the office to review the documents and Ivy would be found in her own time. In addition, she wrote a letter to Aaron to inform him of her new location.
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Diana
He reached the castle quickly but entered through the less frequented corridors. He decided not to tell anyone about the fight in the city. It would then appear that he let a possible threat go free because he wanted to have fun and that would be a great detriment to his career.
He quietly made his way to the medical wing and entered one of the empty rooms. He prepared a first aid kit and removed his cut clothes. He was about to start disinfecting his wounds when someone’s hand stopped him.
"Is this your blood? What happened to you?" – the familiar doctor scolded him, to which he could only silently curse in his mind that his plan to remain unnoticed had backfired
"A few scratches, nothing much" - he said dispassionately to sound as natural as possible, but still he was unable to dissuade the woman from his condition. She immediately snatched the gauze from his hands and set about dressing the wounds
"But you never get hurt in the fight. How could someone reach you with a weapon?" – the woman did not stop working, but she also did not stop investigating the truth, which met with his obvious irritation, which he wanted to hide in order not to appear ungrateful
" I did a little sparring with the prince and gave him a head start so that he would not be discouraged in his training”- he said lightly and hoped that the girl would believe him because he knew how to mask a lie. Of course, he hated to lie, but he knew that more than lying, he did not want to worry a woman unnecessarily
"Nice excuse, too bad it was burnt. I know very well that Caspian is at his place and playing with Zarya because I was supposed to cover for her in case someone was looking for her" – she burnt out satisfied and Edward sighed depressed at his failure
"Why did I just bump into you? The whole hospital wing and I ran into the sneaky Dr. Diana Leman. The world must have picked on me" - he commented amused and hoped Diana would forgive him for his pretty eyes, which of course did
They were of similar ages and had met because of the familiarity of their families. Their friendship from Drydalis had carried over to Viridisos. Diana was a rather tall and extremely slim elf with purple hair tied in a low bun. She had beautiful large red eyes, a slender face with well-defined cheekbones and narrow lips. Her complexion was almost as pale as the prince’s, literally they were both pale as a wall.
She always walked proudly upright and with a clear dislike of everyone and everything she reminded him of the young Princess Aurelie, and thus looked more like a lady of the court and not a medic. To him she was a good friend, but she still tried to make something more out of their relationship and was sometimes impossibly pushy. Nevertheless, Edward tried to put up with her because she was one of the few old friends he had contact with all the time and was close at hand.
"Don’t try to fool me with sets. Tell me what happened that you come here in wounds" - she put her hands on her hips and gave him a warning look. He knew that the woman would not let him go until she heard some convincing story, so he preferred to be honest
"No big deal. I went out on the town for a breather and to enjoy myself. I got into a fight, but since it’s been a long time since I fought, I decided to give my opponent a head start and have a little fun, that’s all" – he said quite frankly and he knew that Diana knew it. He also knew that he had won when she cringed in annoyance and went back to treating his wounds with magic to get him back into shape faster. However, he still managed to stop her and grabbed her hands lightly
"It is enough for you to heal my wounds. I deserve to be scarred, especially since I fought a long time ago and you shouldn’t waste your strength on me when I just wanted to have a little fun" – he held her hands and waited for her reaction and only let her go when Diana sighed and slightly agreed with her head. Edward was now sitting politely on the couch as the woman attended to his cuts
"If you wanted to enjoy yourself you could always visit me. I might have left a few marks on your body but I certainly wouldn’t have cut you like that inferior opponent did" - she whispered seductively in his ear and wandered her hands over his naked torso
Edward was well aware that women would even kill for his affections, but he put his military duties first and did not allow himself to let a relationship upset his order. And the whole castle knew that Diana was doing her best to win his affections but he did not want to get involved in any deeper relationship. He was also a gentleman and did not want to take advantage of a girl just to unwind and walk away afterwards. As always, he wanted to break out of a woman’s embrace somehow, so he grabbed her hands gently and forced her to listen to him carefully
"I guess you would take care of me properly but you know I don’t want to choose between work and a woman. I adore you Diana but my position doesn’t allow me to take care of you properly. I really don’t want to get your hopes up and then disappoint you" - he said resignedly and Diana reluctantly took her hands away and went to collect the medicines
"I hear the same thing every single time. Chasing and cleaning up after the prince has become more important to you than any other relationship. Just because you show me some affection doesn’t mean you’ll lose your job right away!" – she said angrily and put her hands on her hips. Edward didn’t want her to be angry with him. He always wanted to have the girl on his side especially as he had known her longer than anyone else at the castle and could trust her. So he stood up and approached her slowly with an apologetic look and a humble attitude
"It’s not what you think. I love our relationship and would give a lot not to have to deal with Caspian’s stupid ideas anymore. But I also know that you deserve someone who gives himself to you completely and I can only offer short meetings and a night together every now and then. Besides, you know I don’t want to get too involved "– he admitted resignedly and stroked her cheek and Diana sighed but visibly softened
" Who says it’s always going to be like this? I’ll just win you over" - she stated lightly and connected her lips with Edward’s. The man seemed tense but did not push the girl away as he was too surprised by her sudden reaction. She, seeing that the elf was not protesting, pushed him onto one of the hospital beds
"Oh, Diana! We’re both at work! At any moment someone could walk in here or I could be summoned!" – he tried to convince the woman somehow before it was too late. Diana, in the same time, closed the door from the inside with a sly smile and started to take off her kit and undo the buttons of her shirt. She also quickly walked over to the bed and sat down on him before he could get up
"Then we’ll hurry up and do it quickly before anyone notices our absence" - she said amused and began kissing him greedily. Edward knew that Diana wouldn’t stop caressing him so he gave himself over to her. He undressed her and allowed himself to take advantage of the fact that the woman had given herself completely to him and he still had plenty of strength he hadn’t had time to use during the fight.
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Medic
She was overwhelmed by emptiness and infinite darkness, but the moment she began to comprehend that she was beginning to analyse her surroundings she also began to feel other stimuli. First she felt pain. All-encompassing and reliving to the marrow of her bones. She even wanted to squeal, but even this made her uncomfortable. On top of that, she couldn’t get any air. After a while, her hearing and smell began to return. She was in a quiet room that smelled of blood and alcohol of some kind. She struggled to open her eyelids, but the strong light forced her to close them quickly. Now she felt both pain and discomfort. It took her a lot of effort to look away, but somehow she managed. Once again she opened her eyes and after a while she began to distinguish images. She saw a room, probably even a familiar one, and a figure pacing at a table where there was a huge mess
"Where am I?" – through a dry throat and extreme pain, she could barely speak. The figure, however, managed to hear her and was momentarily at her side. She moved the crystal lamp aside so that she could open her eyes calmly.
"Are you awake? Fortunately now. I finished sewing you up a while ago and I wouldn’t want you to start jerking off. But in a way it’s good that you’re conscious and that the initial procedure went well. Dead you would be quite valuable too, but alive you are much more worth to me!" – threw a satisfied old man as he busied himself at the table with bloodstained instruments and gauze
" Professor O’Neill?" – she had to make sure she wasn’t delusional and above all she wanted to know if she was safe.
" So the head is functioning normally? That’s a good sign. I was afraid that the anaesthetic would make you fly away, so I gave you a lower dose" – the gnome looked at her carefully. He studied her face and her reaction to stimuli but as soon as he mentioned the painkillers she immediately hissed with pain. Suddenly it seemed more intense and pronounced to the point that she struggled to catch her breath
"It hurts..." – she cried out through her teeth not knowing how to position her body. The old man immediately approached one of the shelves
"Where do you feel the most pain?" – He asked without stopping his search. Ivy decided that this was one of those questions of a truly debilitating nature
"Everywhere!" – she stated with evident anger. The gnome grabbed a suitable vial and used a syringe to inject her intravenously with some greenish substance. She felt a strange chill, but with every second she felt a greater stupor and the pain subsided. She felt herself drift off a little but was still conscious
"How now? Can you hear me clearly?" – he asked, shining a small light in her eyes
"I can hear. A little tinnitus in my ears but I can hear, and the pain is easing" – she felt relieved that she could say more and breathe more comfortably
"That’s good. It should keep you going for a bit longer but in time you should fall asleep. I have not managed to attend to all the injuries so it is better to lie still so as not to aggravate your already nightmarish condition. I will have to carry out one or two more treatments to get you back on your feet”- he said with cold seriousness and returned to his cluttered table
"How did I get here?" – she asked uncertainly. Her head was buzzing with the recent events, but she needed to calm down and understand how she got here.
"What is your last memory?" – he asked while looking through the numerous instruments. Ivy now had to strain her foggy mind which was not easy at all
"I took an assignment from a docker. I got to your place and had to swap documents. I got there and succeeded. I did it but someone stopped me from leaving. He was so fast and strong, it was as if I had met death itself. I thought I was going to run away but he was different. Not only did he catch up with me, he surpassed me. It was as if he knew where I would go and what I would do. He anticipated my every move. He had a terrifying advantage. I had never encountered anything like it. I already thought I was going to die but with each successive blow I felt I wanted this fight. He was like a master and I longed to learn his art up close. He was also terribly provocative and I played to his strengths but after a while it even became enjoyable. After that it was just sparring and even dancing. We didn’t want to kill each other but to show off and have fun. I would never have thought that I would think so positively about the elf who tried to kill me, but I did. I even saw that he was not going to finish me off, but because of this I lowered my guard and let myself be surprised. Someone shot me from behind. The guards would have got me but I took advantage of the confusion and ran away. I used a smoke bomb and disappeared into an alley. After that it was worse. I remember less well but I knew I had to complete the mission. I only saw the door and then it was darkness" – the more she spoke the more her head hurt, but despite straining her mind she could not remember what happened to her after the fight or how she ended up here.
"You managed to crawl to my door and fall on my floor with a stupid smile. I dragged you to the table and rescued you. Now at least I know how you acquired all those wounds. You are cut almost everywhere and the worst was that arrow under your ribs and your right shoulder. You have a crusted piece of bone so you probably won’t be back to moving your arm soon but I’ll take care of it right away. You could only move it through adrenaline and probably your own stupidity and ignoring your condition. But the most important thing right now is your lungs. There was a lot of blood there, but you were wise not to remove the arrow, then you would have died. But somehow you managed to crawl here before you stopped breathing and lost consciousness. So you did your job, but at a high and painful cost"- the old man said dispassionately, continuing to look through the mess on the table.
"I have done my job..." – she stated contentedly, ignoring the gnome’s biting remarks. With a slight smile, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest for a while. The medicines were just starting to get to her and she had already surrendered to the darkness with more serenity.
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Clarification
Ever since Edward had closed the door in his face he had had a mass of questions in his mind about meeting Jasmine. He would probably brood over the subject but Zaria would not give him time to do so. Instead of leaving his chamber after breakfast she stayed with him for the rest of the day. He didn’t meet Edward and didn’t go to class and instead spent intoxicating moments with the girl and in the breaks he would regale her with a game of piano or billiards or tuning up in the dressing room.
He knew that tomorrow he would be chastising himself for wasting the day but he could not tear himself away from the girl. He promised himself that they would part ways after dinner, to which he was taking Zaria so that she could concentrate on shining in the Queen’s eyes. So by dinner time they were ready and during the meal Zaria was focusing on the queen so Caspian could breathe a sigh of relief. He loved pleasures but knew he should focus on the assassination case.
He quickly slipped away from dinner and decided that he would go straight to Edward’s chamber to inquire about possible progress on the case. Silently and rather quickly he made his way to the chosen corridor. On the way, he pondered possible scenarios as to what data Jasmine might have obtained. He was immersed in his thoughts so he watched in disbelief as Edward tried to quietly enter his chamber dressed in only his trousers. Caspian stopped in the corridor and looked with Edward at each other in shock. Caspian looked at him carefully and by his lipstick marks, the scratches on his torso and his dishevelled hair he concluded that Edward’s day was not very different from his at all.
For a moment he stood stunned by the unusual sight but when Edward came to his senses and threw him a menacing look, the prince immediately came to his senses. Standing in front of the door, and not hiding his wicked grin, he began to take advantage of the unusual situation to start annoying his bodyguard
"I can just see how busy you were with the task. Were you in such a hurry to meet me that you lost your clothes on the way?" – he chuckled amused and an annoyed Edward pushed him away from the door and walked quickly inside. Caspian ignored his anger and stepped inside closing the door behind him and not taking his eyes off him as he walked angrily around the room –" So..., should I ask how the case is progressing or maybe...." – he cast an uncertain look at Edward, who hurriedly put on the first shirt he could find and thought for a moment, but finally grabbed his forehead and took a deep breath
"I know what it looks like, but it’s not what you think" - he began to explain, full of remorse and shame, and sat down heavily in his desk chair. Caspian decided that he wanted to know more detail about the unseemly history of the decent Edward so he walked over to a small shelf and grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses. He sat down across from Edward and poured them liquor to encourage the elf to talk and slightly de-stress him
"I turn into listen. I want to know how the most decent and virtuous soldier in the kingdom had to sneak half-naked into his own chamber, and this during working hours" - he chuckled amused with a mischievous grin and waited for Edward to tell him the story who was in a completely opposite mood to him
"I will immediately correct myself, I spent a day looking for information on the case and I found it. The fact that I ended up like this has nothing to do with it" – he sighed heavily and took a big sip of wine
"So do I want to hear progress on a case or a silly story? Suppose we start with something funny. Start with why you look like you escaped from a brothel" – Caspian wanted to start with less important matters and leave the information about the assassination for the end to focus on them more. Edward probably knew about his motives, so he rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, as he did when he was annoyed and looking for the right words.
"I went to the medical office and accidentally met Diana. I wanted to leave quickly but she had other plans. She ignored the fact that we both were at work and refused to let me out of bed. It was only a moment ago that I took advantage of the moment of her disregard, grabbed my trousers and fled to the chamber praying that no one saw me. Can we end this topic now? Yes I know, Saint Edward is not so holy after all, so what?! I have at least made some progress in the investigation, compared to you! I may have relaxed once at work, but you’re notorious for skipping class to fuck your court ladies! – he said reproachfully and Caspian felt like he was talking to an offended child. He hadn’t expected Edward to take his ridiculous remark so personally and berate him with such anger.
He also didn’t understand why the man was getting so carried away. Compared to the rest of the castle, his offence was just a drop in the ocean. No one here was spared the comforts and adventures. Many high-ranking military or officials shirked their jobs so they could sneak off to their mistresses or lovers. Caspian was always surprised that Edward didn’t happen to avoid work in favour of adventure. But he didn’t want to spoil his fine reputation for himself and him, so he decided he would end the subject because he didn’t want to get ripped off by Edward, especially since they often fought together and Caspian didn’t see himself getting ripped off for the rest of his life at their activities
"That part of your day I already know. Now it’s time to get on with something important. Tell me, how is our case progressing? Has Jasmine found out anything about the Renovators or the Serpents?" – he asked in all seriousness and there was no trace of his amusement. He knew that Edward inside was jumping with happiness that his topic had gone unnoticed. The elf sat down and put on his classic military face.
" As I mentioned this morning, I took Jasmine from Fantaber and placed her in a flat. I explained most of the formalities to her and instructed her regarding her property or management. I thought she would not be able to find anything in such a short time but she came to a very important breakthrough in the case. Well, she started looking among the Renovators. She even contacted the Chief himself and some unusual situation came up. Well, those two donkeys then at the back of Fantaber had nothing to do with you" - he stated with seriousness and Caspian seemed extremely surprised but pleased by this fact
"So we only have one trail! That’s great" – he admitted with excitement and a clear relief in his heart but Edward only bared his teeth and drew in the air hard
"Not exactly" – he threw it out quickly and the prince’s face faded and there was no trace of his enthusiasm –" This trail was wrong, but she discovered another one. At that time there was someone else in the alley. Someone who was watching you from hiding. It was this person who was being followed by two musclehead. Apparently, it was some nutcase who is a member of some self-appointed army for the liberation of mankind, or at least something like that. In any case, this pseudo hero is running around the city and gathering an army to overthrow the rulers. Vaclar decided that she was spoiling his Renewers’ reputation so, just in case, he had her followed. I don’t have much information on this madwoman but Jasmine’s mercenary had already had some contact with her. I even went to the file store myself to find more but to no avail. I know that the vision of an army and an uprising sounds scary but apparently she’s just a regular shit who is stupid and harmless. Nevertheless, I’m not going to ignore her. If she’s following you that means she’s a potential threat. If there is any information, Jasmine will contact us immediately, so for the time being we can be calm"- he concluded the report as always with seriousness and calmness, but Caspian was not at all reassured by the fact that he supposedly has one less problem, since another one has crept into his place.
"It was strange that someone else was there. It is true that there were a lot of people walking around the street, but I did not sense any potential threat or anything unusual in them" – Caspian tried to analyse those events in search of potential clues, but without success. His memory and impulses at the time worked a little differently through stress and alcohol making it difficult for him to pick up any relevant details. All he did was groan resignedly and angrily to himself – "So it’s come to the point again that, despite the breakthrough, we have to stand by and wait for further developments. Is there really nothing we can do to move things forward?" – he threw out his hopes and what little enthusiasm he had, but Edward probably knew that he had to quench his enthusiasm
" I know you hate inaction, but instead of pushing yourself into trouble, focus on your palace chewing. Eventually we’ll get to the point where instead of hiding behind mercenaries or intermediaries we’ll take care of the matter ourselves. You just have to be patient. Go back politely to your work and try not to cause trouble"- said the elf firmly, which again annoyed the prince, because as always he was right again.
"Not cool. All the best moments fly under my nose. I hope that I will find the assassin soon, then I will be able to pay him back for all my frustration" – he thought with a sinister smile about the punishment he will mete out to the man who deigned to raise his hand against him. - "In that case, let us return to our normal way of life. I am going to go to my place and tomorrow I will meet you for training. Of course, if Diana doesn’t stop you before then" – he said calmly before leaving and escaped before he had time to get his book thrown at him by the pissed off Edward, and he took a slow step to his chamber. He hoped that progress would come quickly and that getting to the culprit would be quick and easy. It was this thought that circled in his mind until he fell asleep.
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Recovery
A slight chill woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes and began to process her surroundings, which were still extremely blurred. She was able to move her body, she still felt pain, but now she was able to move her limbs slightly. She took a few more deep breaths, which still hurt, and carefully sat up. It took a lot out of her, but she clenched her teeth. She began to distinguish contours and her gaze traveled downwards. She looked carefully at her naked body covered almost entirely in bandages. They were, however, quite white, with no trace of blood which reassured her a little. She could still feel a slight throbbing in her head but now she had no feeling of fog when she tried to remember something which further improved her awareness of her condition.
She stood on the cold floor and began to walk around the room looking for the mad professor and her belongings. After a brief reconnaissance, she came to the conclusion that she was all alone. All she found was what dagger that wasn’t hers anyway. She grabbed the weapon and shakily moved towards the exit. She supported herself against the walls and climbed the stairs laboriously. She entered the living room and listened to the conversation that suddenly reached her ears. She recognised the voice of the gnome but the other two were completely unfamiliar. She leaned against the wall and waited for the professor to close the door in front of her guests standing on the threshold. After about two minutes there was the sound of a key turning in the lock. Ivy then stepped out into the hall and leaned against the door frame
"Someone from the office? Don’t tell me they’ve picked up on the fact that someone swapped documents" – She asked with a distinct air of fear. Looking at the elf who had attacked her she was almost certain that he could have watched her for a long while and discovered whose files she was rummaging through and then all her effort and wounds would have been in vain. Fortunately the gnome shook his head slightly with evident satiscomplete
"They came from the office to arrange a date for the trial. Since you delivered the original to me I am completely at ease. They won’t find anything on me and I will be able to continue my research in peace" - he explain contentedly and walked into the kitchen and Ivy followed him. She, too, was satisfied that she had succeeded in her mission so she could confidently consider the matter completed
"Since you are satisfied, I hope that I will get an expensive assignment from you again someday" - she said hesitantly to raise the subject of her payment. She pulled back her chair to sit at the table and put the weapon on the table, after all she didn’t need it anyway.
"I know, I passed on my gratitude to the docker along with his share. You also have my gratitude...and that should be enough for you" - he said seriously, and Ivy’s eyes bugged out.
"What about payment? I almost went down to do your job and now I don’t even get a penny?" – she asked indignantly, which was not easy since her body was still sore. But she knew that she would not let it go, she had yet to find a brave or stupid person who would try to trick her.
" So what if I saved your life!? I could have left you on the floor, thrown you a payment and watched you go down, but I didn’t! You think medicines grow on trees?!" – he shouted in her direction and Ivy momentarily calmed down. She hadn’t asked for help, but she knew that the gnome had to give up some of his time and resources to get her better. She would have preferred if he had given her some painkillers and a payment and she had somehow managed the rest herself. But it was after the fact and she did not want to come across as a rude person.
"Sorry. The fact that you took care of me is payment enough. My mistake gramps, don’t get mad" - she raised her hands in a resigned gesture of defence. The gnome snorted but softened. She think he had convinced himself of Ivy’s sincerity –"By the way, where are my things? I may realise you’ve seen enough, but it’s still a bit embarrassing to walk around almost naked in a stranger’s house" – she said slightly embarrassed. In a way it was normal for her to explore her body, but not when she was sober and to be watched by some old gnome was repulsive. She saved her dignity by the fact that the old man was a doctor and had seen many naked bodies in his life.
"I took off all your arsenal and washed off the blood in case they wanted to track you down, and the clothes, which were left in pieces anyway, I threw in the fireplace and burned. You’ll find something else" - he said dispassionately and set a plate with some sort of white slush on the table. Ivy looked at the plate and then at the man with questioning eyes – I"t’s porridge. You have to eat something besides your medication so you don’t go down. I could let you die, of course, but you’re such an interesting object of study that I thought you’d be more useful to me alive"- he said in her direction and began to clean up the mess on the kitchen counter and Ivy looked at him for a moment.
The gnome could indeed abandon her and it wouldn’t surprise her at all. After all, there weren’t many people in this world who would want to help her and especially not among the entia. But he took exceptional care of her and she didn’t end up cut up as a test subject at all. He took care of her things and helped her hide and still fed her. Now she seemed to be looking at some good spirit and not a whiny gnome.
She thanked the meal in her mind and devoured her portion of porridge with an appetite. She rarely ate anything substantial and fresh and the fact that she could eat a meal that did not break her teeth was already quite unusual. Therefore, she quickly emptied her plate with appetite and breathed contentedly. She folded her arms over her chest and looked at the man
"With me unconscious on the table did you manage to do any of your tests or research?" – She asked genuinely curious. She had seen the enthusiasm with which the gnome looked at her when he found out about her background and she knew that he would not miss the opportunity to take some samples or do some research
" You were losing blood anyway so I gave up collecting samples. You were only useful to me as a dummy for practicing operations, because there were some. By the way, you were my test animal for testing my new medical supplies. Would you care to tell me how you feel?" – He approached her and began to examine her eyes and the feeling in her hands
" My body still hurts but it has been worse. When I woke up I still had a strange throbbing sensation but without the ‘fog’ in my head. And since I can walk and talk and my memory is fine and that’s probably a sign that I’m healthy" – she admitted slightly abashed by the curious gnome who couldn’t take his eyes off her wounds and the reaction of her limbs – "Oi, gramps!, you’ve probably already felt your way so take your eyes and hands off me!" – she pushed the old man away and tried to cover herself with her hand embarrassed. She didn’t like to feel someone’s gaze on her and to be touched and the doctor was doing both, and with too open a manner
" If you think that I am desperate enough to want to look at you in a some dirty way, then you may have something wrong with your head. Know that I have no sympathy for other species or even for my own and for me you are nothing more than an object of study in which I have invested a lot of effort and hope so be kind enough to tell me how many fingers you see!" – he threw his hand in front of Ivy’s face. The latter was somewhat offended by the gnome’s words but decided it was better than her exaggerated accusations. She sighed and shook her head looking at the gnome’s extreme behaviour
" Five" – she stated resignedly. She guess she had never had any luck with scientists, doctors or inventors. Those in Cavae were only slightly less strange than the professor
"Excellent. Now stand up and do five jumps on one leg and then on the other. Come on, come on" – he hurried Ivy and, without looking at her confused face, pushed her chair away.
The girl was a little disgusted but obediently performed the task. The gnome was obviously watching her intently. She just waved her hand – "Let him do his tests and let me go" – she convinced herself in her mind. She took the leaps, slowly and struggling to catch her balance and breath, but she completed the task.
"Now let’s see your grip and speed of reaction. Catch!" – he stated quickly and, without giving Ivy time to react, he started throwing everything he had at her. From porcelain crockery to cutlery including knives to pots and pans. Ivy did her best not to break the china or cut herself with something sharp.
However, when it came to grabbing the pan and the flowerpot at the same time, her right side and the crushed bone came into play. With a hiss, she let go of the flowerpot, which shattered on the floor. She clutched her hand and clenched her teeth to keep from groaning pitifully. Instead of being angry about the pot, the gnome looked at her intently
"So that left the question of bones. In case you hadn’t been paying attention, I got rid of the shrapnel and replaced the cavity with a reinforcement. Still, you should take it easy so that the muscles get used to the new body and the material fuses properly with the bone" - he said and moved towards the loft. Ivy stood below the ladder and waited for a signal or movement.
She quickly had to move away to avoid being hit by her own weapon, which fell like a bolt from the blue. She glared at the gnome who, as if nothing had happened, came down from above and missed her arsenal.
"You can see and make sure if I’ve missed anything and I’ll bring you something else while I’m at it." – He said and disappeared somewhere in the living room to go to the laboratory. Ivy didn’t want to argue unnecessarily so she resignedly set about doing a weapons reconnaissance
The gnome was indeed telling the truth that he had cleaned her weapon. There were no stains or the smell of blood on it. She buried her blades in their respective sheaths and was pleased to discover that her equipment was in perfect condition. When she had finished checking her equipment the gnome appeared in the hall and handed her some clothes
"Pick something that will fit you and then put it on, it will stiffen your arm”- he instructed and showed her a dusty brace. Ivy looked through the clothes and put them on, avoiding the question of whether they were worn by someone alive or dead. But since she got them for free she wasn’t picky, after all, beggars can't be choosers. The important thing was that they were whole and even fit. She dressed the trousers and shirt and the gnome helped her put on the brace. It presented itself more like a shoulder strap so Ivy decided it was even a nice piece of her armour. She began attaching the straps and weapon covers to herself. She dressed her boots and coat which she was happy to put on. She liked coats so she was glad that at least this item was not burned. She was now ready and able to leave
"Listen professor. I know we didn’t get off to the best start, but I’m really grateful to you. For a gnome, you’re even okay. Especially since you didn’t let me die on the floor. If you have any business, go ahead. I will do any task" – she said lightly and seriously, but the Gnome dismissed her with a wave of the hand
"Let’s say we’re even. If I have an assignment, I’ll report it to Ben with a special dedication to you, punk. And for now, keep out of my sight unless you want to be my test animal, in which case you’re more than welcome" - he chuckled ominously and Ivy shook her head. She went outside through the back door and pretended not to see the man escort her out of sight with a slight smile
She put on her hood more tightly and set off in the direction of Kamino. On the way, she stopped at the town hall clock, but was not surprised by the time, but by the date the town calendar showed. She was unpleasantly surprised to discover that she had slept for two days. She could have carried out so many orders in this time and instead slept soundly. Even now she could not do anything about it, because her state of health did not allow her to. She knew that with her current condition she would lose any fight.
Therefore, instead of wasting even more time, she entered the sewer and headed straight for the Mortuary. She needed to heal her wounds and continue with her orders and start looking for information for Jas.
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