Cavae
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As poverty was squeaking in her pockets, she could not afford professional medical care in the city and the fact that she was not listed in any documents made her a nobody and even non-existent for the city. So to heal her wounds she had to go to some unofficial doctor. The best place for this was the underground city of Cavae.
It was a city hollowed out of the rock in the remains of old mines. After all the valuable raw materials had been extracted, the mines were closed and the people were deprived of jobs and prospects. With no means of subsistence, no work, no money and no hope, people were left underground to hide from the Magdorn persecutors on the surface.
Since few in the town suspected that the whole town was hidden underground, it became a shelter for any fugitive. The bashing never arrived there, as the passages are well hidden and elaborate, which is why a lot of people who became inconvenient for the system found refuge here. People fled here who, despite prohibitions, trained in forbidden medicine on their own, in alchemy, engineering or even magic.
The population of the Mortuary itself was large but Cavae could not be measured. People died here every now and then and others appeared in their place. Ivy estimated that there were as many people underground as in the Old Town and Albedo combined. Therefore, it was easy to find someone who knew their field here.
One of the entrances to the city was a piece in front of her house. Therefore, when she emerged from the sewage at Fetos she moved westwards. The entrance was located in the ruins of an old stone mine. They were hard, beautiful and precious. It was thanks to them that the most beautiful buildings and decorations in the city and the castle were built.
Now there was almost nothing in the underground. The vegetation was very poor. Ivy, ferns, mosses and rock lichens grew here. Most of it was poisonous, but years underground had taught people how to make poisons not so harmful. With animals it was even worse. As the population was extremely high, food was always in short supply and people ate whatever they could find. Bats were praised because they were the biggest delicacy. There were most vermin, reptiles and molluscs. There were really huge species of beetles or spiders hiding underground, which were the main part of the diet. From time to time, it was possible to hunt rock lizards or ground wrigglers. Bugs, on the other hand, were in abundance. Soup made from spiders and rock roots was available to everyone. Those whose teeth had long since fallen out preferred porridge made from dried and ground sprouts or larvae paste. Despite its nightmarish taste, it was quite a good source of nutrients.
The biggest problem for the people living here was the difficult access to water and the 24-hour lack of light. The only source of light was the lucant stone filings that were abundant underground. Over the years, people had worked out how to survive in such harsh conditions, but it was a miserable life. People were emaciated, almost blind and pale. Ivy was glad she had taken the risk and escaped on trust, but she understood that someone who dabbled in magic or forbidden technology had to flee deeper.
She walked through hollowed out corridors and staircases. She passed huts carved out of stone or those built from leftover mining materials. She passed houses, shops and even inns or factories. A barter trade functioned here because people rarely had the opportunity to spend money. No one who lived here permanently left this town. Therefore, Ivy had a very easy income here. She was one of the liaisons between Cavae and the surface and the city. She worked mainly for favours but could get many goods here that she would never be able to afford on the surface.
She passed faces she knew only by sight but also people she took orders from or those who were complete strangers to her. In a place like this it was easy to get lost but she was already experienced at walking around it. She passed almost identical huts but knew perfectly well which one to enter.
She entered a chamber where the entrance was covered with ivy. She immediately found herself in a medical room. Provisional beds and shelves of medicines and bandages. All the bunks were occupied and an already elderly woman was working at one.
She was already short and a bit hunched over. Her once dark shoulder-length hair was now shrouded in a grey glow, but still waved beautifully, which was noticeable even when covered by a white scarf. Despite her old age, she always looked beautiful. Her dark skin, despite the lack of sunshine, always seemed to glow and her wide smile masked any wrinkles. Add to that her beery eyes emanating love. She was one of the deities of Cavae, a medicine woman named Kara.
She fled to the city when she was only twenty-five years old. Her family was not so lucky and she was left all alone. The whole household learned magic to be able to heal the sick. However, they were soon discovered and forced to flee. The years spent underground and the tragic past had a great impact on the woman, but not on her good heart. She treated the sick, helped those suffering with dignity to pass away, entertained and put to sleep young children and showed the love so rare in this place. Ivy performed tasks for her on many occasions because it is very beneficial when a medic is in your debt
She stood behind the woman and began to speak quietly to frighten her slightly
"Doctor Kara as always on standby?" – she chuckled amused and Kara turned towards her and sent her a warm, wide smile
"Ivy! You haven’t been here for ages. I was so scared for you" - she hugged the girl tightly. Ivy never spurned women but the hiss of pain when she violated her injured shoulder and punctured lung, unfortunately, forced her to do so. Kara immediately pulled away from her and looked at her with concern in her eyes –" Well, yes. Since you are here it means something must have happened" – she threw a resigned look and Ivy only managed to smile stupidly. She also didn’t have time to talk or explain her new wounds. All her life she has been on the run and flying from task to task. She doesn’t have many friends or time to chat often but she has many contacts. Although she also had the need to talk sometimes about what was on her heart
"I know you don’t have time to rest but if I don’t recover soon I won’t be able to function. I promise to bring something special next time. I’m going to be around the city a lot now, so ask for what you want, just fix me, because the next fight I won’t survive" – she sobbed out with regret and sadness. She was not angry with the woman or the world, but angry with herself. That she had allowed herself to be brought to such a state and that now Kara had to waste her energy on her when she could have spent it on some other needy person. Still, she had to, as she hates to do, ask someone for help
"I know Ivy for what it is. I’ll heal you and you know full well what I need" – she said with a quiet regret hidden beneath her smile and helped Ivy remove her belts and shirts
"I know, I’ll bring whatever I come across. I can see it’s hard" – she let the woman treat her and looked at the people lying on the beds. Some were wounded and since their wounds were not healing they had to ask Kara for help. Most of them are sick, because the filth and bad conditions make many diseases spread here at a fast pace. And worst of all, access to medicine is almost impossible. Cavae lives on what the good people from above bring in, and these good people are scarce, which is why the underground is not overflowing.
"Why don’t you tell me what happened to you recently? You haven’t been here for a long time. Anything interesting going on? Don’t answer anyway, I can see from your wounds that you have" - she said, slightly amused, and Ivy blushed a little, ashamed. She felt silly showing up here in such a state after such a long absence. She came back like a dog with her tail tucked, which unfortunately happened to her all too often.
"I get up and work from assignment to assignment and life goes on in the same rhythm. Sometimes it’s better and sometimes it’s worse. I’ve been moving around a lot, I’ve been to Old Town and Albedo and I’ve fought quite a lot and also tried to refrain from fighting. I’ve won a lot of times but as you can see I’ve also taken a decent beating" - she replied, slightly embarrassed by some of her exploits and trying to put the recent significant events into perspective somehow. Now she also realised how many things had happened in such a short time because of her, it was a miracle she was still alive.
"It is obvious that you have not been idle. Your body is taking it badly, but I know there is not much you can do about it. I will heal you so that the pain is manageable, the bones are knit together and the muscles are functional” - she said as always in her gentle voice, in which I could feel her concern. Ivy knew that Kara was too good for this world and that was why she was so needed by others
"Thank you. I promise to bring in as much medicine as I can. I see my last supply of medicine is running low, but maybe now I can find something special while I’m scouring the city. In any case, know that I will return the favour" – Ivy wanted to cheer the woman up somehow so she decided that being honest was the best way to do it.
After the whole procedure, she hurriedly put on her shirt and belts. She said goodbye with a slight bow and headed for the exit.
"Ivy!" - the woman called out lightly and the girl stopped in mid-step and listened intently - "Thank you for what you do" - she said with a smile and visible emotion. Ivy felt silly seeing how good the woman thought of her which immediately changed her mood
"Please stop. I’m not doing this like you or the rest of The Angels out of a good heart. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever had one and I only help so that useful people like you are indebted to me. That’s all. I only do for myself so don’t form too high an opinion of me or you’ll be disappointed. Be well Kara" - she stated dispassionately and disappeared behind a wall of ivy. She put on her hood tighter and headed for the next place already in a worse mood. She was not a hero or a good person at all. She could not help, only kill. Instead of telling herself she was good she preferred the term useful and matter-of-fact. With this thought, she ended the unpleasant thread and returned to reality.
She had to take advantage of the fact that she was in the city to collect as many orders as possible. She already had a route mapped out in her head and was heading for the greatest inventor of the underground city, Iwo.
A man similar to Kara or most of the refugees had hidden here from the guards and officials. He took up engineering and his amazing inventions did not please the high-ups. After all, they couldn’t allow a human to have better ideas than an elf or other entia. So after months of harassment and assassination attempts, Iwo fled outside the city and found refuge in Cavae. Despite having fewer materials, worse conditions and poor access to knowledge, he did not stop his passion even for a moment. He continues to create inventions that contribute to better living conditions underground. Wrist launchers and hidden blades are also one of his patents.
His makeshift workshop and flat were located in the lower parts of the city. He built them in a hollowed-out tunnel which he divided into floors. Ivy entered through the entrance at the very top which served as the kitchen and dining room. Instead of Iwo, she met his wife, Haye, in it.
Haye looked a mediocre relation but compared to the people living underground she looked exceptionally beautiful. Short black hair with fringes. Dark, slightly slanted eyes, a small nose and narrow lips. Her skin was exceptionally flushed for someone living in Cavae, and silky smooth without even a single wrinkle. Ivy admired her for the serenity with which she strides through life and her cold approach was even idolised by many. But someone who binds herself to a sassy inventor has to reckon that she cannot complain about a lack of excitement and the ability to control herself is something mandatory
"Haye, good to see you" - called Ivy in greeting and when the woman noticed her she approached her with a light step and gave her a gentle hug. Ivy appreciated that she respected her space and that she knew exactly when Ivy wanted to isolate herself and when she needed another person
"Ivy, how good it is to see you whole and healthy. Me and Iwo think of you often, I am so glad you are visiting us" - she said as always with the calmness of her silky voice that Ivy loved immensely
"I came to see if you needed anything. I’m going to walk around the city for a while, so I’ll be able to pick up something special if I can" – Ivy could see that people needed a lot of things in the city, but it was impossible for one Ivy to change everything. Nevertheless, she did her best and prioritised items for Kara, Iwo and Haye before any other necessities.
"It’s nice that you’re trying but you know very well that we would appreciate anything, but you don’t have to strain yourself. So far we are getting by. If anything, Iwo’ll probably want some junk from the city. Come on, he’ll be glad to see you" - she instructed with a smile and they both started up the stone stairs to the lowest floor where the workshop was located where Ivy immediately recognized the tinkering man.
Iwo was, as always, smeared on his face and his work attire. His dishevelled dark brown hair fell awkwardly across his sweat-wet forehead. His bright eyes were covered by narrow-framed spectacles of his own making. His face was slender and emaciated, like most. Nevertheless, it was always adorned with a broad smile and in his eyes, instead of despair, there was excitement. He did not look at the difficulties. His modest workshop and his beloved Haye were enough to make him happy.
"Honey! Put that scrap down for a moment and say hello as you should" - shouted the amused woman. Iwo turned contentedly towards her and when he spotted Ivy, he left the table and walked over to greet her. He took off his dusty gloves and greeted the girl with a handshake
"Ivy, you haven’t changed a bit. It’s nice to see you’re back in one piece" - he chuckled contentedly as he began to flick her hand with great excitement
"I’m doing my best. Nice to see you too mad professor"– Ivy enjoyed getting along with Iwo but the man never complained. On the contrary, he wore the title of mad scientist proudly like a coat of arms on a shield
"Why don’t we sit down and talk? It’s been a long time since we talked together. Tell us what’s been going on upstairs since your last visit!" – Iwo walked up to his wife and put his arm around her. Ivy was always surprised that a scrap of love survived in a place like this. The one that united these two was exceptionally beautiful and pure. Sometimes she even dared to dream that one day she would experience a similar feeling and that she would build such a happy marriage as these two in love with each other.
"I would love to tell you but I cannot. I will be in town a lot of the time now. I’m here because I want to collect additional orders. Go ahead if you have a special order" – Ivy really wanted to talk, but she couldn’t afford to waste her time. She also didn’t want to impose on the couple. Instead, she decided that she could help them by carrying out an order. It was also her main way of showing affection, because she was not good at explaining things and she showed her affection by helping out as a mercenary.
"Unnecessary question! I could use absolutely anything! From tools to materials to diagrams. I even have some new ideas for improvements already! By the way, I’d forgotten how my invention works, have you managed to use it yet?" – he became animated talking about his ideas and gadgets and Ivy could not hide her amusement. A grown man and he was as happy and excited as a child over a new toy. But she also had to admit that she herself enjoyed the thought of his inventions so she herself began to smile slightly
"Yes, it’s great. It fits the arrows perfectly. The mechanism is simple so I can use it quickly and effectively. In addition, it works flawlessly. I haven’t had a single malfunction yet, which is a huge plus. As always, you have poured your genius into a perfect creation. If you make me more of these devices, tell me what you need, I will personally provide you with the materials"- she said solemnly and admiringly, and the man started to jump up and down with happiness. He ran quickly to the table and started rummaging through the rubbish. He found a few sheets of paper and quickly handed them to her.
"When it comes to the weapon, I already have a design ready. Here is a list of the necessary materials so that I can build the mechanism. If you manage to get them, you can be sure that I will use them to make something special for you" - he explained with a glow of happiness in his eyes. Ivy took the pieces of paper and put them in her backpack, hoping to gather the parts when she went out on the town.
"Thanks Iwo. I promise I’ll grab the stuff. For now, take care" – she threw in a goodbye and headed for the exit. – "Oh, one more thing" – she turned around quickly and ran up to one of the maps to mark a small point on the map – "I recently found a cool place. There is a dilapidated shack here. In the hidden basement there is a whole workshop with all the equipment. I wanted to take it home but you will find it more useful. If you have a moment you can grab a few parts under the cover of darkness. It’s not far from the entrance so you don’t have to worry about being detected or caught" - she explained with a smile that at least this way she could contribute to Iwo’s mood. She also knew that the man would use them in some wonderful way to help her or the people of Cavae
"Thanks Ivy. Just so you know I will benefit from this knowledge. Good luck and come back safe" – the couple said goodbye to her with a warm smile and led her with their eyes to the exit. She already had some classes but she had to go to one more important place. Every time she was in the underground she had to go there to meet him.
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Arthur
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She walked towards the heart of the town. It used to be the headquarters of mine management and today it made its home and workplace for one of the city’s chief self-appointed administrators. She was walking to visit her friend Arthur.
For his services to the town and his dedication to defending its people, the people hailed him as their King. He also hails himself as the Lord of the Underworld, but because he does everything to somehow save the city from destruction, and the people from a miserable death, he fully deserves it.
She stepped onto one of the bridges leading to the hanging fortress and walked confidently inside. There were always some people bustling around the building so she could easily ask where the boy was. She was not surprised to be told that she would find him in his room. She walked confidently but quietly inside. She leaned against the wall listening to the boy’s instructions and the advisors’ recommendations.
She looked at him as if he were her god. He was, in her opinion, an ideal. Both in appearance and in character. He was a head taller than her, which he always used to make fun of her. In spite of the unfavourable conditions, he was quite fit, even though his job required him to sit rather than move. He had a fair complexion and perfectly smooth skin with a slight vertical scar on his lips and a slit on his eyebrows. His beautiful long dark hair was tied up in a ponytail and the sides were cut. He had beautiful, slightly slanted, black eyes which gave him a mysteriousness and which could see every scrap of her thoughts or soul.
He was always serious, sometimes intimidating but for Ivy he always had his special smile tucked away. He was a born leader. He drew crowds to him with his charisma, and convinced his opponents with his reliability, organisation and brilliant ideas. He was serious and possessive and on the other hand mischievous and funny.
Ivy would never say out loud her opinion of the boy because she knew that Arthur was just waiting for her to bow down to him and admit that maybe she had feelings for him. But she won’t. It would be against her nature. After all, she is not be able to have feelings and just plain lame about it. She was also unsure of her feelings and emotions so she didn’t really know what to call their relationship. And most importantly, she didn’t believe in her love. She was a cursed child living in the gutter and someone like her didn’t deserve to be loved. She had also never learn how to love, so she would not be able to show those feelings. Therefore, instead of reflecting on her feelings, she preferred to stand by and support Arthur in his endeavours. She liked having him as her friend. He annoyed her like few others, of course, but he also understood her like no one else.
He was in the middle of deliberation when he noticed her leaning against the wall. Not even for a split second did he change his facial expression or tone of voice. He naturally proceeded to summarise and give instructions. He quickly and efficiently concluded the deliberation and bid farewell to his guests.
As soon as the door closed and only the two of them were left in the room, Arthur immediately approached her in a loose step with his hands in his pockets and a sinister smile on his face
"Well, well. Would that someone had been thrown from above into the underworld? I’m not surprised they’ve had enough of you but no one wants you here either, my little mouse" - he threw with a biting grin and pulled her hood down against her will. Ivy stood with her arms folded and involuntarily rolled her eyes. Arthur loved to tease her at every possible opportunity, even those requiring seriousness
"It’s nice to see you too Arthur. I came because I smelled a stench and thought someone had died but that’s just my good opinion of you. But now that that’s cleared up I’m going back upstairs, bye!" – She stated huskily and turned on her heel. Arthur giggled lightly and held the door with the hand, which he placed right next to her head
" You’ve only just arrived and already you’re leaving? Rude. I’d come off as a bad host if you left with nothing. Come here and talk to me now. I want to hear how much you missed me" - he demanded as always with his sinister and somewhat passionate tone. Or rather, he was giving orders because his opinion was non-negotiable, which in a way Ivy loved about him
"I’m going to surprise you, but this time upstairs, without you, is the best time of my life" - she said with a forced smile and skipped him as if nothing had happened, to sit down at the table. Arthur, on the other hand, sat down on the counter next to her to be, as always, even taller than she was because he knew that Ivy had a height complex
" It’s sad. Because I missed you, and I missed you a lot. Someone like you is missed here, especially now" - he admitted thoughtfully and Ivy knew he had a lot of problems on his mind, the whole town even. She always tried to help him as much as she could. She even wanted to speak up but Arthur quickly beamed again – "But that’s not very interesting. Tell me what’s been going on since I last met you. Magdorn still standing?"– He asked already with sparks in his eyes in anticipation of her story. Ivy liked talking to him because she knew that the boy understood her and their discussions always seemed interesting and beneficial to her
" I’ll disappoint you but yes, nothing seems to be destroying this damn town. Recently there was a bashing in Fetos again which wiped out half the settlement. Worst of all, they captured a group of children. They tortured one in Fetos and took the rest to the square in Albedo to finish them off. I ended up there by accident. I wanted to leave, but hearing the guards make fun of their suffering made my blood boil. I killed the children with the poison blade, so they didn’t even feel leaving this world, and then I ran away. I mean, I wanted to run away. Some activist interfered and I had to take out some guards at the gate and then the whole town was shaking its pants, pathetic. If it hadn’t been for that madwoman I would have just run away. And then she still wouldn’t give me a break and preached those big pipe dreams of her” - she murmured angrily and shut up before her nerves would let go. She also folded her arms across her chest and turned her head to murder some non-existent spot on the wall with her eyes and chilled out a bit
"It’s apparent that things aren’t much better upstairs than here. People are still dying at the hands of the city and the world is standing by and passively watching. These kids were so lucky to have met you, at least they left this world with dignity. And by the way, you rubbed the guards’ noses in it, my congratulations little saboteur" – he poked her lightly on the shoulder to lift her mood and dispel her gloomy thoughts for which she was grateful to him and already calmer – "And will you tell me about this activist? The vision of someone who also opposes the guard sounds interesting" – he said with a smile and Ivy sighed quietly. Apparently the topic had descended to something other than the deaths of the Fetos children, but the subject of the pathetic movement was not a pleasant one either
"In theory it doesn’t look too bad, but in practice it’s a waste of effort for such lemmings so I say straight away, don’t get your hopes up. This madwoman stopped me at the gate and I was forced to fight. She seemed to want to help and it turned out worse than I would have liked. But I ran away and waited outside the city. Then I went back to check on the bodies of the children but they had already been disposed of. So I was going to the Basement to take care of some errand but then this activist stood in my way again. I ignored her and went to Ben, but he had nothing for me. As I had nothing to do, I plucked the clientele and went to get something to help me forget the day. I sat against the wall enjoying the vodka and dope..." – Arthur quickly smacked her upside the head with his hand, but she knew perfectly well that he was going to do it so she didn’t even flinch or care about the blow and carried on as if nothing had happened –" but I couldn’t even do that because this idiot was accompanying me. I got pissed off and told her to confess, hoping she would leave me alone. She didn’t tell me her name but I know she has a unsuitable, cool nickname, Reaper. She and her movement wanted to take me down for killing children but when they saw I was against the guards, she offered me to join her bottom group. They have a beautiful idea of liberating the people from the whip of the city but it ends in beautiful pipe dreams. She thinks that pushing the elves off their posts by force will fix all the problems, as if she doesn’t know the concept of anarchy and disorganisation. And the worst part is her motives, you know what she said to me? That it’s necessary to fight because the people have worse pay and are lower than the elves in the city. Well horrible as fuck! And yet she tries to tell me that she knows what I’m fighting for and in fact she doesn’t know shit about people. She’s a miserable mongrel who wages a personal war and hides behind people and doesn’t really know anything about them. I’m sure she has no idea about what’s going on in the west beyond the wall of the third ring, no idea about the Mortuary or Cavae, and what real suffering is. It pisses me off that everyone is blind to these concerns but someone who claims to be trying to help and only makes things worse is even worse. I think you know what I’m talking about... "– she started to gesture with her hand looking for the right words, as was her habit when she was getting worked up, but she didn’t even have to ask because Arthur understood her exactly. He grabbed her arm lightly and they both knew they understood each other without words. His touch also made her much calmer
"The idea of helping is something we need, but a bloody revolution is the last thing that should happen. We know from history that such transgressions end with really violent consequences. In addition, the idea itself is doomed to failure. If the people of the city rose in revolt angry at their living conditions, that would be the end of them. The authorities have so far given them some rights, but if they raised their hand against the authorities every one of them would end up like those here in Cavae or Mortuary, and so the effect of the uprising would be the opposite. It’s a shame to waste so many lives for shallow dreams in the name of nothing" - he said with cold seriousness and Ivy clapped her hands in satisfaction at hearing what she wanted to hear.
"The wise one is a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for your words of logic! Please, tell me more" – she shouted loudly with her hands up. She didn’t like to listen to people from the city complaining about their lives, but Arthur was a great analyser of the situation and knew how to manage and do the right thing, so she could only talk to him about the real facts.
"Keep telling me that! It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a compliment out of your pretty mouth, my little mouse" – he caught her chin in his hands and smiled radiantly at which Ivy’s face quickly turned blue
"Could you please keep the situation serious and stop taking sentences out of context? Don’t flatter yourself like that, I just wanted to hear something I wanted to hear" – she grabbed his hand and pulled herself out of his embrace gracing him with her eyes which caused him a slight salvo of his classic laughter
"Spare me. I just know that sometimes your mind forgets and says what your heart tells you to say" – he combed his hair back to take a few unruly strands from his forehead and straightened up proudly to start exuding that superiority and confidence of his that Ivy loved and hated at the same time
"Now my heart tells me to punch you in your pretty face and thin your teeth a bit, but you’re lucky I don’t feel like arguing, let alone fighting" - she said dryly and leaned back in her chair more comfortably. She had only been up from the operating table a few hours ago and was miraculously able to move. Of course, old man O’Neill had put her back together as best he could and Kara had poured some power into her, but she was still exhausted and her body had not quite recovered
"My guess. If you’re here, that means you’ve probably taken a blow and come back with your tail between your legs asking Kara to put you back together, am I right?" – he asked bitingly and Ivy had to bite her lip to keep from biting back and starting an argument.
" Today I’m going to have an animal kindness day and I’m going to admit you’re right. Satisfied?" – She smiled widely and bared her teeth, obviously falsely – "I got hit a bit more than usual and I wanted to recover faster and check what was going on in Cavae, so I came. Fortunately, nothing much happened to me”- she said with a convincing smile in order not to worry Arthur unnecessarily, but the memory of how sore she was a moment ago sent shivers down her spine.
"Did some elf hurt you?" – he turned his head away but Ivy felt him stiffen all over and tense his muscles. Then she had to fight with her whole self not to squeal with delight at seeing Arthur get angry at the fact that she was in danger of being hurt. He rarely said it out loud but she had seen him sometimes look at her scars with a desire to take revenge on those who had inflicted these wounds on her. It was the same now, making her forget the pain, and she was disappointed to see a serious Arthur who thought Ivy could not see the concern hidden inside him
"It wasn’t so bad, although I looked extremely unwell and slept for two days because of my injuries. But I don’t hold it against him. This elf seemed different from the rest. Of course he was also the most annoying elf I’ve ever me, t but unfortunately I have to admit it was a pleasure to fight him. Now, it’s hard to find a decent warrior in Magdorn and this one was really honourable, smart, clever, quick, poised, organised, analysing everything around him and quite interesting. I thought he was going to kill me but then the fight turned into a nice exchange of blows, and if it wasn’t for his provocative taunts I probably would have got more enjoyment out of it. But it’s still a duel and I ignored my injuries and everything around me so I got surprised from behind, but it’s no big deal"– her voice still sounded unwavering but she reflexively grabbed at her chest where her lung had hurt until then and where her memorable scar had now formed - "But with that I came to my senses and ran away. And I even did the job and it all ended quite positively, in the end I’m still alive and I’m okay now" - she spread her arms and smiled slightly but sincerely to gently reassure Arthur, even though she loved to look at him when he was worried about her
"You say you’re fine but I can see how you’re breathing strangely and moving slower, like you’re sleepy or drowsy. And you’re not good at lying because you’ve grabbed your side, so it’s clear you’re still in pain you can’t hide. That sums it up in a word 'all right'?" – he gave her a punishing look from head to toe, and Ivy felt chastised like a little child for a stupid mistake.
" Could you spare me the guilt trip? I’m not in the mood for that right now. I just got up from the operating table and Kara’s magic is still doing its best to repair my muscles so stop pestering me. What’s more, I know my body best and I know it’s in a really stable state right now. Plus, I don’t see the point of dwelling on the past which has little bearing on the future. I’ve been hit worse and will probably get hit many more times so there’s no point in dwelling on it. And for now... "– she knew that Arthur was still angry with her for her injuries so she decided to force him to do something else. So she got up from her seat and sat next to him on the table and casually placed her hand on his palm and smiled slightly -" Why don’t we talk about something more pleasant? I’m moving to the city soon and I’d like to spend some time there, so I don’t know when we’ll meet again. Therefore, why don’t we do something more pleasant, eh?" – she asked with a slight smile even though she actually regretted the decision. Arthur loved to take every opportunity to do something to spite her or something inappropriate and she knew perfectly well that he would do something like that again now. Inside she fought the urge to change the subject and the desire to escape from the sick imagination of a boy whose devious smile momentarily appeared
"I have a much better idea that will satisfy both of us" – he got up from the table and took her hand lightly and Ivy was afraid to ask so she just looked at him with questioning eyes – "It’s getting late so stay the night, we will have more time for each other. In the meantime, you can tell me about your task and get some rest while I take care of your body. A perfect arrangement" – he spread his arms and stood proudly with a sinister smile and Ivy didn’t hide her sigh of exasperation
"And where is the profit in that on my part? Not only will I have you on my head, but you will also molest me again as you please and I don’t have the energy to push you away" - she also got up from her seat and stood with her arms crossed over her chest and a slightly raised eyebrow seeing his innocent smile
"It’s not harassment because you enjoy it immensely and you yourself let me do it, but you wouldn’t let it pass your throat. And secondly, since we are not going to see each other for a long time, let us at least rest together, even in silence. I want to take a break from constant meetings and you will rest before the task. And don’t argue with me now just come, I don’t want to waste our precious time with unnecessary procrastination" – he grabbed her hand gently and waited for her reaction. Ivy tried to hold him in suspense for a little while but they both knew perfectly well that they both now wanted to get together before the new challenges. So she lowered her head slightly with a loud groan of resignation, to get rid of all thoughts and dilemma, and focus on something else
"Be that as it may. But I’m going to be in town first thing, so don’t expect us to talk until late without a chance to sleep!" – she returned the hug and let herself be led to his bedroom, which was behind a wide door covered with a heavy curtain.
Arthur went away to close the curtains on the windows that stretched across the wall and Ivy went over to the chest she had brought here so that she had somewhere to put her things.
She had spent the night here many times so this was no exception for her now. As she always did, she took off her rucksack, weapon belts and covers. Being here, she wasn’t worried about being attacked by someone or something, so she calmly stayed in just her trousers and shirt and sat down at the end of the huge bed which she loved most of all the furniture in the world because of its unearthly comfort which she envied Artur so much.
The boy lit a few more candles and began his ‘ritual’ which Ivy loved and watched intently. He clasped his hands on one of the shelves opposite the bed and took a deep breath. He then slowly removed his coat which he let fall freely to the ground. Then he undid his hair which he combed back once more and only then turned towards her. He looked at her, as always, with a sassy smile and walked towards her with a slow step. Ivy looked at him pityingly and shook her head but smiled slightly and jumped deeper to lean against a pile of cushions.
Arthur climbed slowly onto the bed and Ivy greeted him with outstretched arms and allowed him to snuggle into her body. The boy laid his head on the bend of her neck to take in the scent of her skin and Ivy wrapped her legs around him and began to play with his hair combing it through her hands. Normally she hated touch but she loved being close to him. He was one of the few people she allowed to invade her personal space without restraint. And Arthur was the exception in that she knocked him around more than anyone else.
They also both needed a moment to themselves now. Ivy needed to gather her strength after her new injuries and regenerate before her next task. Arthur, on the other hand, needed to attend to something other than Cavae. He hardly slept or ate and he had a thousand things on his mind, so she let him do a lot as long as he could rest for a while. She did not even rebuke him when his hands began to unbutton her shirt in search of new scars, which he inspected carefully and stroked them gently with his fingers, which caused her skin to tingle pleasantly.
"I knew it would end like this. Just my back touched your mattress and your fingers have already landed under my shirt" – she threw it off amused but not at all bluff. She knew that his touch gave them both pleasure so she wanted to enjoy it. Arthur, however, didn’t look amused and in fact looked slightly angry. And unfortunately she knew that look of his well
"I hate it when you leave Cavae. Then you always come back with a mass of new scars and all I can do is curse in my mind those who deigned to raise a hand to you and leave a mark on your body. If I could, I would break every single bone in the hand of anyone who dared to hurt you" – he spoke with a seriousness and composure that was even a little frightening looking at how bold his declaration was. But that’s what she loved him for, he too was not afraid to raise his hand to anyone who hurt someone or something he loved. It was for this reason that Ivy snuggled tighter into his body and began to place gentle kisses on his forehead or head
"Need I remind you that you also leave a lot of unmistakable marks on my skin?" – she asked, slightly amused, in order to distract him at least a little from his gloomy thoughts and to make him stop being depressed. Which soon had the effect of making Arthur rise slightly to look at her seriously and move his hand to her face to stroke her cheek.
"Because we know very well that I am the only person who has the right to leave marks on your body. You are mine and these marks prove that you belong to me and no one else can touch you as I do. Remember this, my lovely little mouse" - he looked proudly into her eyes and then lowered himself slowly to start placing slow but very passionate kisses on her neck. He also gently nibbled on her skin and left marks that stretched all the way to her collarbone.
His touch was her most beloved drug and she became completely intoxicated by it. Before she had time to notice her body surrendered to his caresses and the bliss, sadly, quickly turned to sleep. But neither of them complained, they both loved to fall asleep cuddled into each other. Ivy with her nose in his wonderful soft hair, and Arthur with his lips on her neck to tease her with his warm breath. It was also at times like this that Ivy wasn’t afraid to sleep because she felt incredibly safe and even her worst nightmare didn’t change that.
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Declaration of party
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He returned to his daily routine. Whenever possible, he ate breakfast either with his family or Edward if his schedule allowed him. He then attended classes in the library or at the training ground. His afternoons were spent sitting in the library or attending his father’s boring deliberations or pretending to be interested in the problems of tipsy lords or businessmen. He tried at all costs not to think about his own investigation or anything to do with it.
No one remembered his unusual behaviour any more, which had the effect of not shaking his undefiled reputation. He did his best to keep his head busy with something else. He was so lucky that the spring ball organised by his mother in the royal gardens was approaching. Now he could get on with the boring organisation and pretend to be interested in such events. In fact, he only liked them because of the fun, the women and the alcohol. He was bored with the boring and pompous ‘gentlemen’ of Magdorn and all of Viridisos. However, as a pierced successor he was aware of these responsibilities too. He also boasted a reputation as an excellent host, and an even better dancer.
Now, instead of thinking about investigations or boring classes, he wondered which lady he would honour with his presence at the ball.
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First Steps
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She lazily opened her eyes and looked contentedly at Arthur immersed in sleep. His hair was in disarray and a blissful serenity was painted on his face. It was in this way that she loved him best, when he was unconstrained by the hardships of his work and still in her arms. She could stare at him for hours now, but she knew she had to attend to her duties. She glanced at the clock beside the bed which indicated almost six o’clock in the morning. She knew that the sooner she got up, the sooner she could start the task so she was in pain but had to let Arthur go.
She gently slid his arms and body down onto the mattress and covered him gently with the blanket. Of course, she couldn’t miss the opportunity when the boy was oblivious and not kiss him on the forehead goodbye. She hated goodbyes but knowing that she was fighting to be able to enjoy his presence later was her motivation. So she quietly dressed her weapon, gathered the rest of her belongings and headed for the exit of the underground city. She exited through the main entrance and headed for her house.
She knew she had to take with her the necessary equipment that would allow her to stay in the city for longer. She checked her arsenal of weapons and stocked up on ammunition, poisons and bombs. She took out a first aid kit with strong medicines and bandages. She took out her old cloak which she mended with thread and scraps of cloth. She took out her excursion rucksack and the panniers fastened on her hips. She stowed the necessary weapons, first aid kit, poisons, medicines, maps and money. She knew she would not be returning home soon, or at least she hoped not. She wanted to run back and forth and complete as many assignments and tasks as possible.
She ran her eyes over the flat one last time and left in the direction of Stoneware. She bought the necessary amplifiers, something for anaesthesia and a few possibly useful substances. She entered the city and with a brisk step headed for the Cellar to talk to Ben
She entered the premises and with just a hand gesture greeted Bono and without a word went into the back room. She opened the door and grabbed a knife to save herself time and walked quickly to the desk
"Show me all possible orders!" – she instructed firmly and leaned her palms against the desk and a tired Ben reluctantly raised his eyes to her
"Neither good morning nor kiss my ass, you’re a pleasure" - he threw in a lazy and airy draught and Ivy rolled her eyes and slumped heavily in her seat
"Don’t get you started. You’re the docker and I’m the mercenary. You delegate the task and I take it. We’ve been doing this for years and now you’ve got a taste for formality? Maybe you’re suddenly interested in getting to know me better? What do you want to know, my date of birth, blood group, zodiac sign?" – she asked sarcastically with a mischievous smile and Ben reluctantly ran his fingers over his forehead
" Fucking stop...! A man’s just turned up at work, he’s had a fucked up night and from the very doorstep someone’s already pissing him off. Sit down like a human being, say Hello and be polite about what you want, not bullshit me first thing in the morning" - he growled irritably, but Ivy really didn’t feel like listening to him complain, so she agreed to his request.
"You act like you’re a hundred years old. But so be it" – she sighed resignedly and got up from her seat. Ben looked at her confused but did not say a word when she walked out of the door and closed it behind her. A moment later the sound of knocking echoed through the study
"She’s gonna fuck me up. Who the fuck am I working with?" – he hid his face in his hands and burnt out with resignation – "Come in!" – he howled seemingly vigorously through his teeth. Ivy entered the room as always with a stone face and sat down politely in her seat
"Good morning" - she said calmly and Ben couldn’t stand it and dropped the entire contents of his desk and stood up as if burned knocking over his chair in the process
"For fuck’s sake, I can’t stand you! Who the fuck spawned you? It’s not enough that you’re causing problems, you’re also fucking pissing me off!" – he shouted in her direction but Ivy did not understand his tantrum. She continued to sit with her foot planted on her leg and her face showed no shadow of emotion
" You yourself told me to sit down and greet you properly. Now it’s you who’s behaving indecently" - she shrugged her shoulders and admitted in all seriousness and Ben, annoyed by her calmness, tipped the desk over
"Get out! Now!" – he shouted firmly and pointed to her door. Ivy looked at him questioningly and when he pulled out his axe she obediently stood up and with a slow step and her hands in her pockets headed for the exit, closing the door loudly behind her.
She could not understand Ben’s behaviour, but decided that it was better to stay out of his way for the time being. Her only regret was that she wouldn’t get any work, but that’s too bad. She’d rather look somewhere else than mess with a pissed-off docker.
She walked out of the back room and looked at Bono, who was laughing at the bar. She knew straight away that the barman knew what had bitten Ben and she wouldn’t let go and would have to find out the details of the incident. She sat down behind the bar and asked curiously
"Do you know what happened to make Ben mad as a wasp?" – She asked quietly and Bono tried to bring himself to order. He leaned slightly over her ear and tried to speak reasonably quietly
"If I tell you, you’ll get the fuck off your stool, listen to this. The boss recently struck a deal with a new arms manufacturer. He delivers the goods and Ben’s men distribute the goods around the district. It’s a fast, simple and highly profitable business. For their first profits, they bought themselves a top suite at the Stella Club. They threw a fat party, booze, something stronger and ladies. The boss came alone with a group of trusted people. It was all fun and games, and suddenly the guy decided to order the best whore in town for the boss. Everyone was already drunk, so why not. The boss agreed and the two of them went to a separate room. The boss sat down and his partner brought him a girl and Ben almost had a heart attack when he saw his eldest daughter enter the room" – Bono could hardly finish the story without laughing. Ivy couldn’t hide her amusement either.
As soon as the barman finished his statement she started laughing and actually fell off her stool. They laughed in the best way and were only interrupted by a bang coming from the back room. They both looked at each other and realised that it was Ben who got even more pissed off hearing their laughter and started to demolish the office. Therefore, they both brought themselves to order so as not to get hit by the boss and Ivy returned to her seat
"Normally I don’t believe it. He bragged so much about her, that she was studying, that she was smart and decent and only uni was on her mind. But it’s good that he finally learned the truth that the whole town has known for a long time" – she pointed out still amused but quieter, so that Ben wouldn’t hear them again
"In your head it’s one thing and between your legs it’s another. I only wish I could have seen the look on the boss’s face when he saw it. I could have paid any money to watch it. It’s a wonder that he discovered so late what a biggie his daughter is in the city"– they both laughed and tried to hide it at all costs. It took them a while to come to their senses, but Ivy had to restrain herself because she came here on business.
"I totally agree with you, but I didn’t come here to laugh. I need a few orders and possible information, can you manage anything?" – she asked with more seriousness. Now she had to put on the mask of a perfect mercenary again so she was composed and serious. Bono also brought himself to order and began to consider her request
" If you didn’t get an assignment from Ben then you won’t get one from me all the more. But tell me what you need, maybe I’ll know something" – he recommended gently and Ivy prayed in her spirit that the barman had some concrete information
"Do you know anything about Wild Snakes?" – she banged on straight and hoped for any clue, even the smallest one
"Wild Snakes, huh? They’re not a prestigious group, so there’s not much information about them. They are a closed sect and don’t flaunt their ideology outside their circles. They may have an aversion to magical beings, but they are harmless. It is difficult to determine who is a member because they lead a normal life outside of their groups. I personally do not know anyone who is a member, but every now and then I hear some rumours about them, the charms of the bartender’s life" – he said with indifference, which was understandable. As a bartender he had heard a lot, so hardly any information could surprise or move him.
"Have you heard of any incidents? Such as assassination attempts by their members?" – she asked trying to hide her curiosity, so she sounded completely impassive and hoped that Bono would not detect her acting and would not pursue the subject, but would just give her the information
" Murder at the hands of someone from the Serpents? Not likely. There hasn’t been such a case yet. Well, unless... Well, never mind. Rumours are different and on every subject" – he thought aloud but quickly gave up continuing the thread but Ivy immediately pointed out the moment of hesitation
" 'Unless?' Don’t keep me in suspense, just tell me what you wanted to say " - Ivy insisted, trying to sound calm and reassuring so as not to alienate Bono, but in her spirit she was dying to know what the bartender had in mind.
"It’s a shame. It’s just a rumour that no one has confirmed" - he tried to change the subject, but Ivy didn’t let it go. She leaned closer to the bartender and gave him a serious look.
"So what? I need anything and I’ll know if it’s right or a lie when I know what it says, so tell me!" – she instructed too insistently than she would have liked, but whether Bono would take it the wrong way would be something to worry about at another time. She also saw that the bartender didn’t care what she did with the information, so he leaned towards her again and started to talk like any other gossip.
"It’s a waste of time, but if you’re so keen on hearing tales, go ahead. I heard it a while ago from some trader who does business on the BrickStreet. Apparently every now and then someone disappears from there without a trace. He spoke of several cases and each involved an entia. As far as I’m concerned these are ordinary disappearances but the guy said that each of them had just been kidnapped by Serpents. In my opinion, of course, this is a coloured story. In the city it is not difficult to have someone disappear and the Serpents have never acted violently. It’s a fake, I’m sure. You don’t need to bother with that" - he waved his hand and went back to polishing his mugs. Bono’s theory does indeed sound reasonable, and if it wasn’t for the fact that she had met one of the fanatics trying to slit the elf’s throat, she probably would have thought like the barman herself. But now the story could actually be plausible and Ivy could find a useful lead in the investigation
"Do you happen to know who the trader is?" – she wanted to know more details but she knew Ben didn’t delve into stories that went beyond Kamino or Albedo. She could only count on his perceptiveness and his memory for customer
"I don’t know the name. I also only saw him once. But from what I remember he was quite distinctive, I’m also sure he’s not human. He wore a hood but I saw his fiery strands of hair. I am convinced that he is a dimidium of the element of fire, he smelled of sulphur a mile away but he did not emanate magic as if he was using spells. I know only that he does business on the BrickStreet, but that’s all. If you want to listen to fairy tales so much, go ahead and look for a needle in a haystack" – he dismissed her with his hand and returned to his work.
For Ivy it was the perfect opportunity. Wild Snakes, ironically, hang around entia and there were plenty of them in the east of the city. She had a lead and now she decided to check it out and she was very hopeful that the mystery man would lead her to her destination
"Thanks Bono, you have given me the information I need. It’s time for me to go. I’ll be hanging around in the west of the city for a while so I probably won’t be coming for an assignment anytime soon” - she said as she left and got up from her stool to run for the exit.
"Go with luck!" – called Bono dispassionately and Ivy left the premises. Her goal now was to find the mysterious merchant who was a fire dimidium. Therefore, without delay, she set off for the BrickStreet
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BrickStreet
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The BrickStreet was the main industrial centre of the town. Numerous factories, manufactories, plants or factories. The factories had easy access to numerous raw materials thanks to their close proximity to the western fields and pastures and, in particular, their close proximity to the Alavard mountains, which were rich in all sorts of ores, metals, stones or other raw materials and even elements. This made the western part of the city and the centres behind the eastern walls highly developed, rich and highly populated.
There are not many people there and mainly strong creatures such as orcs, trolls, cyclops, malauks, gnomes, ogres, dwarves but also other, smaller, magical creatures live there. Ivy was not keen on wandering around the settlement because of just these powerful creatures. Elves were at least similar in size and she knew their capabilities in battle, whereas with larger opponents there was a risk of open combat. She preferred to operate in the shadows and defeat the enemy after prior analysis and the creatures inhabiting the BrickStreet were larger and mostly stupider and less predictable than the elves. Still, she was willing to take any risk to get the job done.
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First contact
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She went through the sewers under the city and came out in the Old Town near the border of the settlement. She preferred to go through the gate so as not to arouse undue suspicion and to come out in some secluded place without the risk of being trampled by some giant as she emerged from the manhole.
She started to take the main route, moving through the crowd to avoid the eyes of the guards patrolling the street, and neatly bypassed the powerful golem guards and entered the district without any problems.
However, the biggest challenge was yet to come. She had to find one trader in one of the most populated districts. She couldn’t navigate the rooftops because the numerous chimneys would have prevented her from seeing anything anyway. She had to walk along the main street to get a look at the traders, but she had to be careful not to arouse the suspicion of civilians and be spotted by the guards. What she feared most, however, was stepping under the feet of some orc or giant and being left with a wet spot that no one would bother to wash off.
She walked trying to maintain a neutral bluntness and posture to look natural where in fact she spent a lot of effort to look closely at the traders, not to get in the way of some big guy and to avoid the guards at all costs.
She walked some three streets up and down but to no avail. Not that she didn’t suspect that this trader would be in a less obvious place than a stall on the main road. She just wanted to be sure and look around for interesting places, hiding places, clues, how the guards were moving and a possible escape route.
However, instead of wasting more time searching in the dark, she decided it was time to look for some concrete clues. She spotted a suspicious bar from which a guy in a coat had emerged, meaning he had something on his conscience, just like her. A place on the level of the Cellar, which meant she could find out something interesting here.
She entered the tavern and cautiously but carefully scanned the whole room. Her first impression – some squalid shithole full of drunks and junkies, which was indeed her vibe. There were a few orcs discussing vividly, a few unconscious shifters and a small handful of hybrids sitting in various parts of the establishment. As a precaution upon entering, she immediately thought through a possible escape route or the possibility of a fight, although she fervently hoped that she would be able to leave the establishment without sticking her neck out.
With a slow step she approached the bar and sat down on a stool but still did not drop her hood. She pretended to be interested in her paraffin lighter when the now aged bartender lazily approached her.
He had a grey moustache curled at the ends and slicked-back grey hair. In posture and appearance he was an average man in his fifties and the only distinguishing feature was an artificial glass left eye. She had no idea what kind of creature he might have been, but she was sure he was not human because she could see the veins of an obscene blue colour standing out on his arms.
"I’ve never seen you here before. What can I get you?" – he mouthed dryly and offhandedly. Experienced by years of work, Ivy knew that she had just started her fight for survival
She had to be extra careful when talking to strangers. Now her every word and gesture was at a premium. She had to be careful not to alienate the man but also to extract as much information as possible. She had to appear unthreatening while keeping a close eye on her surroundings for potential clues. She could have asked about the Snakes straight away, but she wasn’t sure if it was worth arousing suspicion when she herself was unsure of the rumour and its reality. The safest option would be to ask about the trader, but she also had to do it in such a way as to show that she was coming for business and not for murder. She now wanted to show that she was just a messenger trying to sell information.
"Pour me your specialty" - she instructed smoothly and winked meaningfully at the older bartender. She had to pretend to lower her guard and be completely relaxed. Without taking his eyes off her, the man reached under the counter and pulled out a bottle of some moonshine. Ivy threw a few coins on the table and eagerly drank the beverage she loved far more than any other alcohol, and this one here was exceptionally tasty with a distinct note of sweetness. She drank the contents of the flask in one gulp and put the glass down on the table, leaning on the table top with one hand and staring intently at the man with a light-hearted pose. - "Do you know any traders who can be recommended?" – she asked, pretending to be carefree in order to catch the subject and start her plan
" There are a hell of a lot of traders in the district. Each one is different and specialises in a different field. Be specific" - he said again in his dry tone without lifting his gaze from the polished glass. Ivy laughed lightly and continued her light-hearted game
"My mistake. Perhaps it would be better if I asked directly. Do you happen to know a trader who is a fire dimidium?" – she said lightly feigning amusement but looking carefully at the man and watching the reaction of the entourage around her looking for possible contacts of this man. The innkeeper, however, continued to stand unmoved, only gently raising one eyebrow
"Probably not one and not two. But why would you find a trader if you don’t even know what kind of goods he sells?" – the man asked lightly and Ivy now had to think carefully about the rest of the conversation. She hadn’t noticed any particular signs that the innkeeper was in league with the trader, but she wasn’t sure either, and years of experience had taught him to play dumb in order to get information and warn if necessary.
"I am a messenger. I have heard that this dimidium is rumoured to be spreading some rumours and I may have stumbled upon a clue that may be of use to him. I want to sell this information for a small price. It’s nothing to me and since I can make some money, I’ve decided to find him and try to make a deal” - she said dispassionately and poured herself another round.
She knew she sounded sincere and her intentions were harmless. The innkeeper didn’t even blink this time. He watched her carefully, looking for signs of lies and deceit, but Ivy knew perfectly well that she was being watched and that she was going through a test that she had to pass and she knew she would pass.
"And what information do you have?" – he asked as if in jest, but she knew he was trying to find out more without exposing himself
"Why, do you want to earn money for my hard-won information? Not with me" – she pretended to be indignant, but the smile quickly returned to her face in order not to discourage the barkeeper – "But, if this trader offers me a measly payment, I will gladly come back to make a deal with you, of course, at a fair price" – she said with a slight smile and again winked meaningfully. She looked overconfident and inexperienced and hoped the man would buy it.
"I may have heard someone mention a merchant a few times, but I’ve never encountered one myself. Instead of bothering me you should look somewhere else, and ideally a pissant like you shouldn’t get into adult business at all" - he threw her a dry look with a forced smile and Ivy struggled to keep from rolling her eyes, she had to play dumb and happy after all.
She couldn’t even count the number of times someone had insulted her just because she was young, or because she was a girl, or an orphan, or because she lived outside the walls. In any case, she was already desensitised to the subject. Sometimes she even benefited from it, because the opponent did not take her seriously and she could defeat him without even drawing her weapon. Now she decided that she had already extracted all the data from the barman, so she wanted to check something else. She rose lazily from her stool and stretched her arms over her head
"No it’s not, I’ll look somewhere around the main market. But if you remember anything, I’m going to pop in again. Thanks for the alcohol, it was great" – she threw a few coins on the countertop with a smile and walked away from the bar. She put her hands in her pockets and pretended not to notice that everyone at the bar was watching her intently.
As she said this, she moved slowly towards the main square. This was obviously part of her plan. She wanted to deceive the potential spies and she soon found out that she was doing the right thing. She knew someone was watching her ever since she dropped the subject of the fire dimidium, which caused her concern. One man who had been leaning against the door frame in the inn, wearing a dark overall coat, was now following her at a safe distance.
Ivy did not have a natural talent like other creatures or elves, but she noticed that over the years she had developed abilities that made it easier for her to survive. When she concentrated properly, she could sharpen her senses enough to make it easier to fight, spy or escape. Her body had also changed a bit, but she didn’t have time to think about that now. When her instincts kicked in, all thoughts faded into the background and she focused only on her target, like a predator on its prey. Just as she had planned, she headed unsteadily towards the market, still feeling the spy’s gaze on her. She passed the stalls and the mass of passers-by and, for the sake of appearances, looked at the various goods and discussed with the sellers.
When she reached the desired place she began to act. She stepped between narrow passages and when she was sure that the man had lost sight of her for a while, she climbed to the top of one of the buildings to get a better view. It was a good thing she had done some reconnaissance beforehand and made sure that the alley, although almost in the centre of the busy market, was quiet and unvisited. She squatted on one of the balconies and watched the man step uncertainly into the narrow alley.
Through the black hood and cloak she was unable to see details. She could tell only by the way he moved and his figure that he was a man. She wasn’t close enough to smell anything, either, so she didn’t know if the figure was human, dimidium, shifter or some other entia. What she did know was that she had to be very careful.
She loaded a small launcher on her left wrist with an arrow of stun poison. She took careful aim that when she was sure of the man’s steps she quickly leaned out and took the shot. She also immediately jumped off the balcony into the alley right next to the man and clipped his legs so that he was lying on the ground. Her spy fell to the ground and the poison quickly took effect as he didn’t even bother to draw the dagger at his belt, frozen in mid-motion. Ivy, once she was sure the man wouldn’t move and they were alone in the alley, sat on top of him and put one of her knives to the stranger’s throat.
Gently but quickly she removed her hood to see his face. He had no way of protesting and through the knife at his throat he did not get a word out. He only looked at her with murder in his golden eyes. There was a grimace of anger on his face but it did not move the girl.
He had dark skin but Ivy was unsure if he was human. His hair was extremely short and black but she didn’t notice any signs of horns or anything disturbing. All she could confirm was that he was really handsome and even a grimace of anger didn’t change that and actually gave him character.
She also decided that it was time for the man to explain everything to her personally while the poison was still working. She took the dagger and raised herself slightly in order not to embarrass the man and to show that she had no bad intentions.
"You are someone from that trader. Otherwise you would have no reason to follow me" - she remarked with her classic indifference in her voice and face. The man could talk, but could not move. But she could see that he was trying to get up at all costs
"And you are a crook. Such a messenger you are, eh?" – he growled in her face with contempt and a smile full of mockery. He was boiling with anger but Ivy was not moved by it. All she wanted was information, not to deal with a strange man.
"I may not be a messenger, but I’m not a threat either. I’m just a mercenary, not a threat" – she tried to sound gentle, but the man looked her straight in the eye and laughed hurriedly.
"A harmless mercenary? Are you kidding me? You think I don’t know why you have all these weapons? You’re one of those cursed Serpents!" – he stated with pride in his voice and Ivy couldn’t contain a slight lift of her eyebrows. She sighed resignedly at the man’s pointless talk and pretended she hadn’t heard his silly declaration at all
" I have nothing to do with the Wild Snakes. Do you understand? Nothing at all" - she said slowly and loudly so that something would reach the stubborn man. - "I also have no plans to harm you or anyone else. I just want to confirm some information, nothing more. That’s all, is that clear?" – she hoped to convince the man somehow, but he still looked at her with disgust and determination in his eyes. Ivy didn’t understand what people and other creatures were so hard to convince, after all she was telling the truth and it could be seen and heard from a distance. If she had wanted to kill him she could have done it a long time ago and without getting tired of talking which was immediately apparent but she guess the guy was blind and deaf because she felt he was talking to a wall
"Do you think I believe you? You lured me here and now you’re simply trying to lull my vigilance because you’re waiting for a good opportunity to kill me. Are you waiting for someone to come along or are you going to wait until it’s dark to take me to some dark hole of yours?" – he asked bitingly through clenched teeth as if he wanted to stop himself from interjecting a few hostile words and Ivy wondered if they were both speaking the same language
"Did you hear what I said to you or did you not hear what I said to you?" – she was quite taken aback by the man’s anger. After all, she had just told him, loud and clear, that she had nothing to do with the Serpents! – "I’m only going to say this one last time, so listen carefully. I don’t want to hurt anyone, not you or anyone else. I also have nothing to do with Snakes so let it go. I’m just looking for someone to follow up on a lead for my investigation. I’ll get the information and I’ll disappear, so stop spinning some crazy theories and just cooperate!" – she instructed a little more possessively than she would have liked, but she needed the man to understand her. He was at a loss anyway, if she had wanted to get rid of him she would have done it already but instead she immobilised him nicely and didn’t even threaten him much with a weapon. And he still wouldn’t cooperate! After all, that’s not how you do it!
"I don’t give a damn about your beliefs. Did you scold the other entia like that too?" – he asked already with more composure and Ivy swore she saw sadness in his eyes. When he spoke of the missing entia there was a hollowness deep inside. She concluded that he must have had some sort of closer relationship with the missing creatures. She even felt sorry for him but still showed nothing. She got up lazily from his belly and stood before him resignedly resting her hands on her hips
"I really don’t have a clue about them and I don’t care what your connection is to them. I want to know a little bit of information as to why you are blaming the disappearances on someone from the Serpents, that’s it. I really sympathise with your loss but I am not who you are looking for. If you want to mete out punishment to the perpetrator, then cooperate and then maybe we can get to the truth together, eh?" – she said without enthusiasm, because she could not even think of it. She really doubted that she would be able to placate the man. And she was right. He was looking at her with a sinister smile and she could see triumph and madness in his eyes.
" Now, that you mention punishment, it’s your turn" - he chuckled amused and Ivy had no idea what he meant. She’d been concentrating on the man’s wide grin so by the time her brain registered someone’s presence it was too late. Before she could turn around someone had already managed to hit her on the head. Then there was only a screech in her ears and the world began to blur and spin first and finally everything was shrouded in darkness.
She did not expect to die in such a pitiful way in some forgotten alley on the BrickStreet and at the hands of someone whose face she could not even see. She only managed to register two more voices, one of a man lying on the ground and the other probably of her tormentor. However, she lost control of her body to such an extent that she was unable to recognise the words before she completely drifted off.
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Questioning
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She heard a slight humming which slowly turned into a blurred sound and finally a voice speaking in full sentences. Despite her headache, she was able to recognise two voices from the alley. And if she could hear them it meant that she was still alive. She did not know whether she should be happy or not necessarily. She was afraid to open her eyes because even without that she knew that the world was spinning which made her nauseous and dizzy.
She tried to perceive stimuli with her other senses and it soon occurred to her that she was restrained. Reluctantly she lifted her eyelids and to her credit the light was not as glaring as she had expected. She cautiously turned to look at her hands bound by rope. Her weapon belts and backpack had been removed but she spotted them a few metres in front of her, along with her coat and boots.
She raised her tired eyes reluctantly and looked at the two men. They were lively discussing something. One was the one she had immobilised in the alley and the other was an orc.
He was unusually tall, some two metres tall and with classic dark olive skin. Years of evolution had made even the strangest monsters take on a more human form. They didn’t need the mass of muscle. Now they were still strong but without any glamour. In addition, they were also smarter and more agile than their former ancestors. This one here was a perfect example of a classic orc living in Magdorn.
He was well-built and dressed in light armour of leathery brown leather. He wore the classic belt for the orc tribes, his was lined with light fur as was his removed hood. He had a bow on his back and two kukri at his belt, but this was probably not his only weapon. His hair, long dark dreadlocks, was decorated with metal beads and loops. His face was unusually friendly, even despite two sharp fangs protruding from behind his lower lip. In his pretty amber eyes she could see peace, concern and terror? In any case, Ivy thought he was even charming and not fit to be a thug. But appearances can be deceiving, because she was sure that he had hit her over the head with something
She didn’t even want to listen to the men’s conversation so she started tugging lightly on the rope to check its tension and possible flaws or anything that would make it easier to free her
"Well, Well. The sleeping queen is up?" – chuckled the dark-skinned man bitingly and started walking towards her with a slow step, hands in pockets and head raised proudly. Ivy did not say a word and with her posture she did not show a shred of fear or any other emotion. -" I think it’s time you told us all out everything nicely, don’t you think?" – He crouched down beside her and lifted her head with a dagger which he placed under her chin. Instead of panicking, Ivy began to devise possible escape routes. However, in order to do this first, she had to buy herself some time and hoped that she would learn something interesting in the process
"I don't think so cuz I don’t have anything more to tell you. Besides, I already told you everything I wanted to tell you in the alley so I’m sorry, you should have listened"- she threw out resigned and with feigned regret. She didn’t kill him and even wanted to cooperate, his problem was that he didn’t take the opportunity. The man, however, did not seem as if he had thought through her words or his behaviour. He looked at her focused but snorted in her face and turned to his companion
"Now you’re joking? I wonder if when she was kidnapping the entia she was this cunning too?" – he wandered his weapon around her neck but she kept her cool and tried to scan the room for some kind of exit
She found herself in some sort of warehouse, most likely abandoned because it reeked of mustiness. She also noticed a couple of holes in the ceiling but could not hear the characteristic bustle of the street which meant she was in some rarely used place. Which meant it was unlikely that anyone would respond to her screams. Not that she wanted to cry out for help, after all she might have unnecessarily alerted the guards and that would have been even worse. She had to get out of this situation somehow and not waste any more time
"Why don’t you just untie me and let me go, instead of telling me stories? Or at least explain what I’m doing here and what your problem is with me!" – she asked with a slight reproach and the man stopped the blade at her neck. She then felt a slight sting and a narrow trickle of blood slowly trickled down her body
" Do you really think we are idiots? You think we don’t know that you and your gang are responsible for all these disappearances?!" – he growled in her face and slightly deepened the wound and Ivy held back clenching her lip to keep from hissing in pain
"Yes I do think you are idiots. I’m explaining to you for the fucking umpteenth time that I have no connection with this case and I’m not going to hurt you, for fuck’s sake" – she growled in annoyance at the man’s ignorance but quickly regretted it. The man took the blade and without warning slapped her. Ivy involuntarily groaned silently as she had not expected the blow. The pain made her realise that she had fallen into quite a mess and she had no way of getting out because of the annoying dark-skinned man
"A little more politely, bitch. Now I’m the one asking the questions and you’re going to answer. Now talk about who you are and what you were looking for Cyrus?" – He grabbed her face in a strong hug. His posture and aura may have exuded calm but in his eyes she could see the desire for revenge and her blood. Nevertheless, she was not going to cooperate. Since he didn’t want to talk to her in the alley then she wasn’t going to give way to him either
"I already told you I don’t give a shit about you. I’m not the one you’re looking for you moron!" – she growled even though the man’s hand was effectively making it difficult for her to speak. She thought he was going to crush her jaw however, she didn’t even flinch when he punched her in the face with his other hand. Ivy felt the pain again and groaned. A moment later another trickle of blood, this time flowing from the arch of her eyebrow, decorated her face
"Where are the lost entia and what have you done with them?" – he asked another question and his voice was impassive and firm but Ivy knew she was spoiling his mood and she wasn’t going to stop at all
"You’re messed up. I don’t know anything because I have no connection to the case!" – she shouted outright for which she flinched again, this time on the other cheek. She was starting to get angry and instead of rational thoughts her head was awakening to the possible punishments she would inflict on the man if he broke free
" Why were you looking for Cyrus?" – he didn’t interrupt his interrogation and Ivy spat blood in his face and smiled broadly
"You’re a pathetic detective and you take a hitting as good as you ask questions" - she said bitingly for which this time she took a punch in the nose. This blow was hard enough to knock the back of her head against the wall behind her and the world disappeared again for a moment. She could see that the man was getting on his nerves, but that was the plan.
"Are you acting alone now or with someone from your ridiculous sect?" – the man stood up and faced her with his hands in his pockets, indifference on his face and pure anger in his eyes. Ivy, although drenched in blood could not contain a slight laugh
"This conversation is going nowhere... You really don’t listen to me! It doesn’t matter what I say I’m going to flunk anyway because nothing gets through to your empty head! - she said tiredly and resignedly. She hoped that maybe this time the man would ask her a different question but no change. The only thing that changed was the punishment, because this time she was hit in the face with a shoe so hard that she felt her nose break
"What have you done with all these entia, where are they and are they even alive?" - Ivy groaned at the next question before she even flinched because she could already see that she would flinch even if she kept quiet
"I don't know shit and I don't give a shit...." - She didn't even have time to finish before the man hit her with a kick to the stomach. She was hit straight in the diaphragm and her breath froze in her chest so even if she wanted to she had no way to speak. In addition, the pain and the tense body made her fall over on her side
"Are they alive? What have you done to them? Where are they? Talk or you'll get hit even harder!" - he exchanged impassioned questions and, despite the fact that she was lying on the ground, he did not stop kicking her in the stomach and chest. He had fallen into a routine and Ivy had no way of defending herself.
Each blow brought a new salvo of pain, even stronger than the one before. She could not scream or even moan from the pain through the blood that pooled in her mouth and from lack of breath. She felt that, despite the pain, she was beginning to drift away because she could not draw air. She thought she was going to die, but an orc standing further away finally came up and stopped her executioner
"Enough of this! You'll kill her if you don't stop and then we certainly won't know anything!" - he grabbed him and dragged him as far away from her as possible and didn't let go until the man had calmed down. Now she could calmly fall on her face, choking on blood and fighting for every breath despite the immense pain.
She watched with a blank stare as the man pulled himself out of the orc's grasp and leaned against the table. She didn't even listen to what he was saying, she knew only that he was shouting something. He argued with the orc for about a good few minutes. Then he mellowed and started to collect himself. He grabbed some weapons and his cloak and left, leaving her alone with the orc.
She figured she was safe for now so she started saving her strength for her escape. She may not have looked her best but thanks to the man's focus on dealing blows, he didn't look at her hands. As soon as she woke up she started to loosen the knots and it took her barely a moment to pull them off her hands. All according to plan. Now all she had to do was wait for a moment of inattention from the orc and she would be able to escape in peace. She closed her eyes and pretended to be exhausted. Of course she was tired, but she was determined not to fall asleep for fear of not waking up. So she lay there with her eyelids closed and tried to calm her body down, waiting for the right moment.
She lay motionless for several minutes, even when she felt an orc coming towards her. She struggled to keep her cool but could not afford to fight now. She waited patiently and pretended to be unconscious. She was terrified when his strong hands touched her face b ut she gave up the attack at the last moment. She thought the orc was going to strangle her with a rag soaked in some kind of poison, so she was surprised when she realised that the orc was wiping her bloody face with a rag soaked in water.
She lazily opened her eyes and looked confusedly at the worried boy. She could see with what sadness he was looking at the bowl of water which immediately turned scarlet and at her body marked with bumps. She looked at him for a moment until their eyes met and the orc frowned slightly and moved away abruptly. Ivy didn’t understand the boy’s reaction so with a hard and groan she rose to a sitting position and leaned against the wall. It cost her a lot but she wanted to find out what the boy’s unusual behaviour was all about
"So are you playing good guard and bad guard? This friend of yours unleashes a fuck-up and then you come in the form of a saviour?" – she asked sarcastically which was a great challenge because even speaking or smiling slightly made her uncomfortable. The boy, however, sat unmoved. He reprimanded her with his eyes and ignored her biting comment and dipped the cloth again and gently wiped her face and neck.
Blood still ran down her body but the cold water soothed the injured areas slightly. Ivy, of course, did not protest. She was even pleased when massive hands gently stroked her skin through the cool material. Unwittingly she even purred contentedly, thankfully quietly enough for only her to hear. She thought she would be pampered even longer, but when his hand slipped and touched her nose, she squealed.
"I'm so sorry!" – he say quickly and began to stop the bleeding, as gently as he could. Ivy ignored the pain just to analyse the situation, which I summed up with a quiet giggle
"I’ve seen a lot, but I’ve never met such a good thug. Do you spoil every one of your victims like that?" – she chuckled slightly amused. He was a huge, powerful orc and yet she could see sadness and compassion in his eyes and his whole being exuded kindness and support. Ivy felt that he radiated warmth, as if he were some kind of good guardian spirit she had never had.
"Don’t say anything, unless you want to rant now about where the missing entia are" - he say gloomily, but Ivy could see that he was not here to interrogate her. Instead, he carefully wiped her skin clean of blood.
She felt sorry for him and was angry with herself for having to treat him badly but she couldn’t delay any longer. She sighed quietly and when the orc put his two hands to her face Ivy immediately reached out and grabbed his wrists. She was so quick and her behaviour so surprised the boy that he didn’t even manage to react when Ivy quickly picked herself up, turned, pinned the orc against the wall and with a quick and powerful knee strike hit him on the head to make him hit his head. Until he was stunned by the yew she grabbed the rope and began to loop it tightly enough to buy herself as much time as possible.
She walked quickly away from the orc and moved to the table to reach for her daggers. She could have escaped but she would have ended up at square one so instead of fleeing she decided to take advantage of the fact that she was in a winning position and interrogate the, now former, executioner.
It was difficult to stun such a powerful opponent so she was not surprised that the boy quickly regained consciousness. With her weapon already in place, she approached him and knelt down. Before he could jerk away Ivy grabbed his arm and began to speak before he could panic
"I’m not doing anything to you! I swear. I just wanted to get free and I know you wouldn’t let me get away. I want to talk!" – she shouted quickly being completely sincere and hoping that the boy would listen to her. However, her raised hands did not convince him. She didn’t want to accidentally risk getting hit again, but she wanted to find out something, so she sighed and threw the daggers a few metres behind her – "Now you feel a bit more confident?" – she asked with a forced smile, to which the orc only sighed - "Listen, I really have no idea what’s going on here. This is all some kind of mistake. I have nothing against you or your companion. Nor do I know anything about the missing entia. But I promise that if you listen to me I will try to explain it somehow, can it be?" – she asked hopefully and every moment of procrastination made her heart beat faster. The orc, however, after a moment raised his eyes at her full of understanding and Ivy felt a relief beyond description
" Let it be. Tell me why you came to the inn and looked for Cyrus" – he instructed almost reluctantly but Ivy was extremely grateful that someone was finally willing to listen to her. She calmed her breathing and analysed her speech to reveal as much relevant information as possible
"I’m looking for information about members of the Serpents. I went to a trusted bartender who told me a rumour. Apparently there have been disappearances on the BrickStreet and I thought this might be a clue. All I knew was that there was a fire dimidium behind the rumour. I had come all the way here from Kamino and I thought I’d bail him out of his hole with some interesting offer. I drew attention to myself and when someone swallowed the hook, I decided it was time to act. I grabbed your companion, and I swear I didn’t mean to hurt him. I merely immobilised him and asked him a few questions, to no avail anyway. Then someone, probably you, hit me on the head and I found myself here. I realise that you are someone who is looking for the missing but I am not your target. I myself found here to see what all the fuss was about." – she spoke slowly and calmly. She hoped that at least the orc would listen to her and not ignore her like the man earlier. This one sat and looked at her in concentration, which showed that he was indeed considering her words.
Ivy kept a stony face but with every second that his amber eyes looked deep into her soul, her heart slightly quickened its rhythm as she waited for his verdict in the hope of not having to fight or explain for hours to no avail
"Were you looking for information about the Serpents? What for? Don’t you have anything to do with them?" – he was unusually calm and alert but these are good and desirable qualities so Ivy did not condemn his questions at all, on the contrary, she took it as a sign that the man really wanted to talk to her
"I am not with anyone from this sect nor do I collaborate with anyone" – as proof, she turned around and showed the spot on her back where the members wear a tattoo – "I am acting on my own, or rather on a specific assignment. I had to take a certain lead that led me to one of their members. Normally I would have ignored the case and considered it a solo stunt, but when I heard that the sect might be involved in some shady dealings I decided to check it out. You have to believe me, now I care as much as you do about getting to them, I really do." – There was nothing but sincerity in her green eyes and the Orc could easily see it, she was sure, as she saw his tense muscles mellow momentarily
" Be that as it may. If you wanted to kill us, you probably would have done it already. Let’s just say the crisis has been temporarily averted. Now that we have clarified this, will you release me?" – he threw uncertainly and Ivy could not control the smile that crept into the corners of her mouth.
She may have been risking, but her instincts told her she was doing the right thing. Without hesitation, she reached for the rope and loosened the knot. She released the prisoner and helped him up. They both stood and looked at each other contentedly for a moment until the young orc put out his hand towards her
"Anyon" – he said with a laugh which Ivy quickly reciprocated
"Ivy" – she grabbed his forearm and it dawned on her how strong and yet agile the young orc’s hands were. As they exchanged pleasantries they moved towards the table.
The boy immediately grabbed a small box and pulled out a small box from it. It was an ointment which he intended to rub on the place where he had been hit by Ivy. Now she became extremely stupid and her face reddened with shame
"I’m sorry, I panicked a little..." – she snatched the little box and scooped a small portion of the ointment onto her fingers. The orc measured her with his eyes but did not protest. He sat down on the table and let Ivy rub the sore spot with her small hand. She wanted to repay him for wiping her bloody face even though they had been enemies just a moment ago.
"You look worse than I do, so don’t be sorry" - he said after he had finished and moved away from her to concentrate on looking for something in the first-aid kit.
Could it be that he had been abashed by her touch? Ivy didn’t even want to wonder lest she start feeling overly fond of the entia. Above all, she also preferred to focus on herself as she could still feel the drops of blood running down her neck and face. She grabbed her backpack and pulled out her trusty first aid kit. She took out the wound ointment and, biting her lips, rubbed it into the cuts. She further secured the wound on her neck with a bandage.
Now she had to take care of her stomach and chest. She carefully undid the rest of her shirt buttons and pulled it off, which she concluded with a hiss of displeasure. She had already developed bruises and several smaller haematomas. She was so lucky that her ribs and entrails were not so badly injured. Otherwise she would not have been able to move and take care of herself.
She quickly took out the appropriate vial and breathed several times. The stench was nightmarish and the taste even worse, but she had to take something to alleviate the pain and to recover faster. Miraculously, she did not vomit and when she had got her breath under control she reached for another ointment. This one was pleasantly fragrant and on contact with the skin became pleasantly cool.
"Perhaps I can help you?" – cast an uncertain look at the orc who feebly hid how he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She turned her head slightly to look at him as he scratched his neck avoiding her gaze. He looked extremely adorable as he frowned and his slight blush only made it more so. It was strange for her to look at such a gentle person in such a muscular body
"It's nice but no need. I’ve dealt with worse wounds,” - she said softly, recalling all the cuts she’d struggled to crawl home or Cavae after. She shuddered at the memory of some of the wounds that left her with memorable scars. She also refused because she did not trust him and would not let herself be touched by strangers.
She quickly rubbed the ointment into her body and secured it with bandages. Finally, she took a deep breath and quickly pawed her nose. This wasn’t a challenge for her as she had a broken nose almost every few weeks so she knew how to deal with it and was used to this kind of pain. She took out another vial and soaked it in a piece of cloth which she placed on her nose to relieve the swelling.
"In the meantime, why don’t you tell me about these rumours? The Wild Snake are neutral, so it’s quite unusual for someone to suspect them of kidnapping" – she thought it was time to start the topic. She wanted to waste some time before the drugs took effect and she was able to move around in peace
"It’s not a rumour, it’s the sad truth." – He whispered resignedly and sat down next to her on the table. Even as he sat he was much taller than her, but she tried to pretend that it didn’t bother her at all – "For some time there had been rumours about the disappearances of the entia. They had nothing to do with each other, some were women some men, all of different ages. It’s normal that occasionally someone will go out for a day or two but it happened notoriously and the trail then faded away. The families thought they would be back soon so the guards didn’t give a damn about getting tired of searching. But time passed and no one came back. The guards, however, ignored our concerns so we took action ourselves out of concern for our loved ones. We formed a small group to put an end to it. We started patrolling the neighbourhood and asking questions. We thought it was pointless but eventually we came across something. We found a body, the Snake boy. He was already dead, lying massacred. He had his dagger and poison with him but unfortunately he was dead. And a few metres away lay the body of some young Cyclops. He had died from the poison but had probably managed to take his executioner with him to the grave. Then we put it all together. The Wild Snakes have always hated the entia and now they have started attacking them. We don’t know if they are killing them or kidnapping and holding them but we have clues that lead to them. That’s why we have to catch them and get our lost loved ones back" - he said with sadness but also hope. It had been a long time since Ivy had seen so much compassion and noble emotion in any being. She herself felt her cold heart begin to quietly crumble under the orc’s sad eyes
"Normally I would consider it a fairy tale, a mere rumour, but I’m afraid it’s true." – she said without enthusiasm and the boy shifted his questioning gaze to her so she continued – "In Kamino I witnessed a strange incident. A girl tried to kill an elf. A courtesan accidentally saved him, but it doesn’t matter. Anyway, I thought it was some kind of revenge on a lover or something but the boy insisted he had never seen her. And when I checked the body I discovered a tattoo on her back. I thought it was some personal tug-of-war but she was carrying a blade and poison specific to their rituals. I did not expect that someone so neutral would be able to carry out a ritual murder in the name of their ideology. I was hired to solve this case so I started looking for possible ways to confront the sect members. The rumour I heard led me here. I really hope that the rumour, all of it, turns out to be a simple misunderstanding, but in order to confirm or disprove it, I need to get to their members and explain it" - she said with calmness and a slight hope in her voice. She didn’t like entia, but if Anyon cared about saving them, she could believe that it was worth saving them. - "I know this is a personal question, but are any of the missing people close friends or relatives of yours" – she loved gaining knowledge and going into detail, especially about her assignments. She knew her question might be misconstrued but she was keen to get as much information on the case as possible. However, she felt bad and stupid for not being able to shut up when Anyon lowered his gaze and sighed
"Fortunately, my family is all right. My friends are also looking out for each other. Maybe it doesn’t give me the right to get so involved but I just can’t let anyone else have to suffer the loss of a loved one. I want the estate and the Arma to be peaceful and I want every single person to be able to live a peaceful life without having to worry about their life or health and that of their loved ones" - he said sadly, but there was great hope and joy in his eyes. Ivy had to pinch herself because she thought she was dreaming. She had lived in a world without compassion, where showing any feeling was a sign of weakness and a cause for shame. And now, a complete stranger shows her a face full of sadness, grief, concern, hope and help. It was as if she had died and was talking to a mythical angel. She thought that goodness had died out or hidden somewhere in the depths and in fact it was just sitting next to her
"Quite an unusual approach looking at our world,” - she stated with a forced smile. She was habitually thinking aloud but the orc looked at her with a questioning gaze which made her slightly puzzled –" What, you don’t think so? What is the point of selfless help? The matter doesn’t concern you and you risk your life and waste your time to help someone who probably won’t even thank you, will simply use you and leave you?" – she said this with sincerity and seriousness and yet the orc did not seem to understand her. He looked at her with pity in his eyes which she extremely disliked, as if he had slapped her.
She did not want anyone to look at her with pity so she snorted in annoyance and got up from the table to dress in her shirt and put on her weapon
"Don't you dare looking at me like that. I don’t need your pity or sympathy. I am stating an indispensable fact. And just because I said it doesn’t mean that I was affected by it either! – she growled with seriousness in her eyes, but deep down she even fought against telling the truth.
She had been stabbed so many times in the back when she was trying to find the remnants of humanity and compassion that no physical blow could move her too much. She wanted to change the subject as soon as possible because she could no longer bear the look of pity that was drilling a hole in her back.
"Now that we have clarified everything, why don’t you help me and lead me to this dimidium?" – she put on her mask of indifference and threw the unpleasant thoughts into the corner of her mind, but inside she was jumping with happiness when she looked at Anyon, who was already looking at her with curiosity and not with pity
" Now this is impossible. Before you do anything you will have to prove your innocence in front of the group. You may be telling the truth in my opinion, but your fate will be decided by the majority. We need to question you to make sure you are telling the truth. Especially since you’re human and can deceive us to get information" - he explained as calmly as possible, as if he was trying not to alienate her, but Ivy completely understood him.
Humans feared entia with reciprocity. This silent hatred has been going on for hundreds of years and probably won’t go away any time soon. She herself had a deep grudge and in fact was greatly afraid of magical beings. That she trusted an orc was due solely to her instincts, which had not yet failed her. Besides, she was sure that the orc also felt uneasy in her company. But for her it was the norm. In the end, even humans approached her with detachment
"I see. So will I have to answer to your aggressive colleague? If the truth were to hit him between the eyes, he wouldn’t see it." – she said resignedly, and sighed in a long sigh. At the mere mention of the man her bowels were starting to hurt again. For him, she was just a bag to vent her aggression and the embodiment of evil.
" Hax is not as bad as he looks. He’s just tired and desperate" - he stated with a grim smile that did not improve her mood at all. Ivy only guessed that the man must have had a good reason to get involved in the investigation and probably some personal grudge against people if he hated her so much. However, she decided that despite her curiosity, it was better not to ask about his personal reasons.
"So when can I explain myself? I am anxious to get to the Serpents quickly. And I say right away that I will do it even without your help" – she wanted to point out that she did not harm them just because she wanted to get some information and start acting. She knew that she would reach the sect members sooner or later and with them or even alone
"They’ll be back around midnight, we still have some time. You’ll have to do a lot of explaining and so will I" - he admitted and smiled resignedly. Ivy understood that he was risking a lot by freeing her. She did not want to have him on her conscience, so she wanted to convince the group at all costs and find the cult members as soon as possible.
She sighed and started to dress the rest of her weapons on herself. The pain still bothered her but she needed to replenish her arsenal to feel a little more confident in unfamiliar territory and when confronted with unfamiliar creatures. Also, with nothing better to do, she took out her pipe which she filled with opium to somehow calm her body and alleviate the pain. She still had some time to herself but common sense told her to prepare for the worst.
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Lilian
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It was already dark when he rose from his seat and closed the last book.
Hearing the brawl going on in the palace since early in the morning and everyone fussing about what fabric to choose, what colour tablecloths to choose, what flowers to put and in what vases, he knew he had to evacuate. He quietly went down to the kitchen in the morning and stole some fruit and some bread and holed up on one floor of the library somewhere in a corner and browsed through every book he could.
He lost count of the time and his numb bones gave a loud rasp. He wanted to go to his chamber and lie down on a comfortable bed but he didn’t like to leave a mess and footprints behind so he put all the books back in place and moved slowly towards the door.
In spite of the silence of the castle, he was still vigilant, which prevented a familiar figure from falling. The girl was carrying a pile of books that covered her face, causing her to bump into the door. Had it not been for Caspian, her pretty face would have met the floor. Fortunately, he caught her around the waist and looked intently at her annoyed face with a sassy smile on his lips
"I know I’m a prince, but I don’t like it when women fall on my feet" - he said amused and winked at her, to which the girl rolled her eyes and broke free from his embrace and started to collect the books scattered on the floor.
"If I had known that you would be here, I would never have taken up the task of tidying up my father’s desk" – she said with anger and snatched the books that he had started to collect from his hands
"Why are you getting nervous Lilian? It’s late so you’re probably tired but that’s no reason to be so rude. Especially since I saved you from falling and now I’m helping to clean up the mess" – he stated with a triumphant smile but the girl completely ignored him
Lilian Kornet was his peer and one of the frequent visitors to the castle. Her father was one of the stewards at the castle and officiated under the King himself. Therefore, from a young age Lilian spent a lot of time in the castle step by step accompanying her father. She had a flair for business and was interested in management from a young age to one day follow in her father’s footsteps. She was half elf, her father was from Drydalis and her mother was human, a singer he met while performing. He fell so in love that after the performance he immediately took her to him and elevated her to elite status.
In appearance, she was almost identical to her mother. Heavily tanned complexion, dark brown, slightly wavy hair pinned back carelessly with a bobby pin. Bright eyes the colour of ink and a perpetually rosy mouth that almost never lifted into even a slight smile. The only exceptions inherited from her father were pointed ears and the character of a loner
He had known her since childhood but their relationship had never been particularly pleasant. Caspian tried to befriend her many times, but the girl always pushed him away and ran to hide in her father’s office and surround herself with piles of papers and documents. He was then always annoyed that someone would dare to push him away so he often teased the girl as much as he could, but he was only a child so everyone considered it a silly tease. As they grew older, their relationship consisted only of exchanging pleasantries in the corridor or at meetings.
Nevertheless, Caspian always made small talk or simply tried to convince her, as he had such an innate impulse to look for allies everywhere. He also could not bear the thought that a woman could not stand him, so Lilian was somewhat of an insult to him, but for years he could not understand why she resented him.
Now, without a word, he collected some books and went with the girl to put them away. Of course Lilian did not like this but she did not start any conversation or argument
"I wasn’t expecting someone at such a late hour in the library. Your father was working late and you decided to help him?" – he asked lightly and handed the girl the books one by one. She didn’t even look at him and was silent for a while but finally decided to speak up, she probably knew that the prince would not let go of their conversation
" I’ve been meaning to do a little tidying up of my father’s shelves for some time now. I’ve just finished sorting out the papers and decided to get rid of the surplus books, which, by the way, I brought myself" - she said indifferently and began to descend the steps of the small platform. Caspian, as befits a gentleman, held out his hand but the girl only gave him a disapproving look and ignored him. She got down on the ground and moved to leave at which the prince rolled his eyes.
He did not understand where such haughtiness and resentment towards him came from in such a simple girl but he gritted his teeth. He knew that respect was earned through deeds, not status, so he simply tried to do his best to win someone’s favour. It was the same with Lilian. After all, he would be King one day and they might work together, so he wanted to warm their relationship somehow. He followed her and reached her when she was already in the corridor.
"Is it by any chance that the way to your chamber is the other way?" - she said without even looking at him, just strutting along proudly with her head held high, to which Caspian laughed quietly
"My upbringing does not permit me to have a lady wander all alone in the middle of the night. I will escort you to your chamber and return to myself, as culture dictates" - he said just as dispassionately and kept pace with her. Any other woman would have been honoured by his presence but not her. He himself had never considered her as his partner either, although many times at parties they had tried to match them, which they both hated very much. - "Please tell me, if it’s not a problem, will you and your family be at the spring ball?" – He wanted to somehow ease the tense girl’s tension with friendly conversation and hoped that Lilian would understand that his only intention was to ease the atmosphere. She, as always, was silent for a while, but the road was quite long and the conversation was killing time and even she could not deny it, so she softened slightly
"As always, my father’s duty is to accompany the king to the parties. He even helps with the organisation himself so it is obvious that he will be there with his mother" – she admitted with indifference but the Prince sensed that her muscles were already much less tense
"Maybe I phrased the question wrong. Will you honour everyone with your presence at the ball?" – he asked, slightly amused, as he could see that Lilian avoided social gatherings of this kind. She always stood out from her peers but no one of intelligence took her seriously in conversation so she was a terrible recluse in the castle. Caspian even lamented this, as he knew Lilian’s potential, but no one saw her as a candidate for discussion but a sulky little maiden.
"I would have given a lot not to go to the party but my father insisted that I turn up at least for a moment. I’ll probably do as I always do, smile a little at all the officials or lords and then quietly flee" - she said proudly and tossed back one unruly strand of hair. Caspian shook his head amused as he knew perfectly well what the girl intended. He himself sometimes sneaked out of parties when he was fed up with the crowd or was in a bad mood, and he was more sure than anything that Lilian would flee the ball.
"You make it sound as if the balls at the castle were a torture and not a prestigious party. I’m glad my mother doesn’t hear this. For the last few days she’s been pulling out all the stops to make sure everything is buttoned up perfectly" – he admitted dreamily, remembering all those servants running around the corridors and stressing under the time pressure, his mother choosing the perfect outfit for herself and the rest of the family and already seeing the look on Edward’s face when he pretends to be on duty all evening to get rid of more and more women encouraging him to dance.
"It’s not my world, it’s yours. I was made for more than just being a pretty doll that comes out of a box when you want to show it to someone. I have brains and ambition and I’m going to do something great" - she admitted proudly and with her classic calmness, pulling him out of his reverie. Now he looked at her, searching for where in her voice there was so much resentment towards him
"I don’t doubt it. I never said that you are a puppet in someone’s hands. On the contrary, I wish you success in your goals. I even hope that we will come to work together in the future. That’s why you can be a little bit less stubborn and sometimes pretend that my company is not a torture for you"- he admitted with a broad smile, to which Lilian snorted and paused.
"I’m not stupid. I can take care of myself and I’m not going to be one of your girls who would jump on fire for you. You’re not my type or whoever I should be bothered with" - she said dryly and looked away from him. He made no secret of the fact that she made him feel uncomfortable, but he calmed his breathing and shook his head not to be provoked.
"Don’t flatter yourself too much. I value your mind but that’s about it. I’m not going to tolerate your haughtiness either. You think I’m talking to you because I’m trying to get you into bed, but you’re sorely mistaken. I’m just trying to be nice, and do you know why? Because I see that you are alone in your actions. No one ever takes you into consideration and the only reason they tolerate you here is because of your father. You pretend to be a great lady but in fact you are the least important person in the castle. So stop pushing me away and constantly insulting me, because I am the only person who is sincerely cheering you on and trying to help you achieve your goal!" – there was only raw honesty and haughtiness on his face. He may have had the status of a womaniser and a ballbuster, but he was also a prince and the heir to the throne, and he would not let anyone negate that title. He was extremely kind and tolerant but even his patience had its limits. He also rarely got involved in anyone’s plans so he did not allow anyone to despise his kindness. Fortunately, this reached Lilian as she stood confused with her head lowered and stepped angrily from foot to foot
"I will yet show everyone how wrong they are. And I’ll do it myself, even without the approval of my father, mother, the castle or yours! - she announced angrily and moved ahead. Caspian, however, did not let her go; he grabbed her sleeve and restrained her. She looked at him angrily but he did not care
"You know what Lilian, even no matter what you say I’m going to cheer you on. But remember that even I have my limits. When you lose all support don’t come crying to me when you lose your last flame of hope. I believe in you, and know that it will be hard for you alone, cuz as the future king it is my duty to support my subjects, remember that" - he assured her calmly and sincerely, but Lilian was very indignant and angry with his declaration of help.
"You have no way to help me because you are blind and deaf to the real problems. I can deal with them myself and then you will have to seek the support of someone clever like me” - she threw out firmly and broke free from his grasp. She gave him a hard stare and sped up her pace to disappear behind the door of her father’s study. Caspian stood for a moment in the corridor but took a quick breath to calm the resigned girl’s actions
"No it’s not, I’m just trying to do my own thing. And that’s what I’m going to do" - he stated with indifference and took a swipe at Lilian’s behaviour. No matter what she said he knew what to do. She could be an important ally in the future. Besides, he had supported her from the shadows for a long time. If it wasn’t for him no one would even look at her ideas but he wasn’t going to say that out loud. It’s just that one day, when he runs out of patience, he will stop supporting her from the shadows and then the weight of the truth and her own pride will violently crush her. But for now he was doing his duty.
However, he did not want the girl to occupy his thoughts, so he shrugged his shoulders one last time and headed towards his wing to freshen up and get some sleep after a day in the library
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A breakthrough?
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She waited patiently on the table and hid her pain and slight nervousness. As always, she covered her emotions with a stony mask without a shadow of a smile, sadness or fear. She sharpened her weapon and listened carefully to her surroundings. She picked up even the slightest murmur, so she tensed up when she heard the sounds of conversation coming from the end of the building. She stood ready to react quickly and had her weapon at the ready. She tried to look friendly, but at any moment she could take someone’s life.
Footsteps could already be heard and Anyon got up from the table and looked at her meaningfully, trying to cheer her up and reassure her somehow. He went out to meet the newcomers when three men entered the room who were discussing something lively. They were in an unusually good mood. They greeted the orc and their faces only faded when they saw Ivy standing at the table. The orc tried to speak, but did not even have time to say a word when the dark-skinned man who had beaten Ivy found himself at her side
"Why is she standing here? By what right did you let her go!" – he pointed his blade at Ivy and shouted in the orc’s direction. She, however, did not even flinch. She knew it was pointless to talk to the man because so far none of her words had reached him. She merely folded her arms across her chest but was ready to strike at any moment
"Calm down Hax! She is on our side! Let me explain everything" – the orc spoke loudly and firmly. He wanted to calm the man down somehow and Ivy thought Anyon was more upset than she was, even though she was the one with the blade to her chest
"Don’t make me laugh. She’s just lying to get off. You’ll see, in a moment she’ll throw herself into the attack and kill us! – he shouted at the orc and the other companions
" If you don’t take this blade, you will indeed lose your life. But for now, be polite and listen to your friend and everyone will benefit" - she said dispassionately, trying not to smile sinisterly at the man threatening her. Instead, everyone looked at her and at Hax nervously
"I should have killed you when I had the chance. I knew leaving you alone with Anyon was a bad idea. What did you tell him? What lies did you tell him?" – he asked her reproachfully. If it wasn’t for the fact that she had promised to cooperate and wanted to find out quickly, this annoying guy would already be lying in a pool of blood and begging for a quick death. Ivy, however, had to stop these thoughts and somehow control herself
"Anyon, talk immediately about what’s going on here!" – instructed, trying to remain calm, one of the men. Ivy did not know who they were as they both wore hoods and cloaks covering their bodies and faces. She only felt that they were also entia
"She is also looking for the Wild Snakes. She herself even saw one of them try to kill an elf and defeated her. She is on our side, she is a valuable ally" - he stated enthusiastically. However, instead of euphoria, his words were followed by a silence that no one dared to break.
Everyone looked at Ivy in suspense and waited for confirmation of these words. She could have confirmed them, which would have been true, but she doubted if anyone but Anyon would have believed her. Instead, she decided it was better to show the facts.
She ignored Hax's blade and reached into her backpack. Each of the men tensed and were ready to attack but Ivy was quicker. She pulled a blade out of her rucksack and with a swift movement stabbed it into the ground next to Anyon. Impaled on the knife was a piece of human skin that she had ripped off the girl from the alley and it was specifically a piece with a tattoo in the shape of a snake's mouth
"I ripped it off her back. With this blade she tried to kill the elf. She also had poison on her" - she said dispassionately and ignored Hax's chastising gaze. The two masked men approached and snatched the knife from the ground. Now they all approached the table and looked carefully at the weapon and her
"The same as was by the body of the massacred boy" - one of the men stated with interest
"I told you she was on our side" - said Anyon proudly and looked at her with calmness in his eyes. She probably would have felt more confident if Hax hadn't tried to kill her with his eyes but she successfully ignored him
"The whole incident happened on Kamino. I thought it was some kind of revenge on her lover but I didn't like the way she wanted to kill him. That knife and poison is a typical part of their cult. I thought maybe it was the only weapon she had and that she was acting alone, but when I heard a rumour that entia were disappearing on the BrickStreet and that it was due to the Snakes, I decided I had to check it out. I want to find out as much as you do. There is no point in arguing or fighting now. Let's make a temporary alliance and get it over with"- she stated quickly with seriousness and hoped to avoid pointless chatter. Everyone listened to her attentively and afterwards looked at each other meaningfully
"The blade may be yours and you could have done the tattoo after skinning someone dead." - said one of the masked men reproachfully, at which she rolled her eyes. She might have been able to do a lot, but she certainly wasn't going to be so gymnastic for this assignment
" Why would I do that? Would I risk my life just to stand here now and deal with you? If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now with Hax in the lead" - she shrugged her shoulders and admitted with complete sincerity, for which she was reprimanded with her eyes by Hax and Anyon.
"People are tricky and treacherous. Even if you are telling the truth, which I really want to believe, I prefer to be cautious. We don't know you and we don't really have a basis to trust you. If you want to cooperate with us you have to prove your sincerity, otherwise I will personally kill you"- stated one of the masked men lightly and Ivy put her hands on her chest and raised an eyebrow. It was obvious they didn't have a clue about her if they threatened to kill her so easily. If it wasn't for the fact that she had caught the trail and wanted to stick to it, she would have killed Hax already in the alley and come after his mates with his decapitated head. But since she had undertaken the task she was going to see it through to the end. That was why she gritted her teeth and let the air out quietly
"I understand, I am not even surprised by you. I just want to investigate this case as soon as possible so I will agree to your conditions. I just want an overview of the clues and any leads so far, that’s all” - she raised her hands in a gesture of defence and waited for the verdict. The whole group looked at each other and walked away a piece further to discuss the case.
Ivy guessed that making a decision would not be easy so she sat down on the table and leaned her elbows on her knees. She was now at the mercy of the entia. If they didn’t want to cooperate she would start searching the neighbourhoods herself. And if they wanted to get rid of her they would pass a death sentence on themselves. Thus her fate and her own were decided by a group of inhumans who could not quickly come to an agreement. Ivy pretended to be bored, but she knew perfectly well that every now and then each of the men would turn to look at her.
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*** some time later
With every passing minute she was losing all hope of any cooperation and in her head she was already putting together a plan where she would start looking for the first clues. Maybe she would go and talk to Jas first? Or would she go get some treats for Iwo or medicine for Kara? Now she regretted starting the conversation with Anyon at all. She could have searched longer and found the whole Cyrus thing herself and she’d probably be on the trail of the Serpents by now. It was stupid to leave now but adding up the pros and cons she would come out better off if she acted alone.
She took advantage of the fact that the men were immersed in conversation and dressed her cloak and backpack. She didn’t even look for the door. She walked to the nearest window and looked out onto some deserted street. It was already extremely dark and she decided that she would wander around the rooftops for a while and then rest somewhere. After all, she was still injured and needed to gather her strength
"Where do you think you are going! We are just having a discussion here about whether to trust you or not!" – shouted at her an indignant Anyon who momentarily ran after her through the same exit. Ivy cursed in her mind that she had not managed to escape quickly, but she did not say a word and, with her hands in her pockets, turned towards him
" After all, I know. You’ve been discussing for a hell of a long time and you probably haven’t come to anything. On the other hand, I have decided that it is better for me to act alone, because time is running out and I am in a hurry. Thanks for the nice welcome and the mass of extra bruises, but it’s time for me to go" - she admitted dispassionately and waved her hand at the boy. She turned tense and intended to move ahead. She wanted to but her path was blocked by a huge black panther with golden eyes. Ivy immediately grabbed her daggers and was ready to attack the man who appeared to be a shifter
"Hold your ground! Fighting now is not the best time. Calm down and let’s talk" – Anyon stood between her and the animal and tried to somehow alleviate the conflict. She knew he meant well but with his statement she only caused her more irritation
"That’s what I’m fucking talking about! How much can we discuss? ! I’m not surprised that so many entia are missing since you can only discuss for hours and you beat every possible ally of yours into unconsciousness!" – she shouted resignedly towards the orc and the big cat. If she had known that her plan would end like this, she would never have entered the tavern, but would have searched for dimidium until she was out of breath. She had wasted almost the whole day and night and all she had achieved was a few new scars and cuts. She wanted to make up for her losses somehow so she dodged the orc and set off ahead - "Instead of wasting time and strength it would be better for each of us to go our own way, by the way I don’t want to count on your unnecessary mercy. Nice to meet you Anyon, I’ll try to track down the Snakes quickly so you don’t have to worry anymore. And you Hax, go fuck yourself" - she patted the orc on the shoulder and the big kitty showed her middle finger and walked quickly out into the street ignoring the growling of the big cat. She slipped her hood tighter over her head and moved faster along the street to then hide in the darkness.
She could go on patrol now but due to her injuries it was extremely risky. She also had to watch out for guards and entia looking at her with hostile eyes. Therefore, she decided it was better to wait until morning. She quickly entered the sewer and then pulled out the map to determine positions and next movements
"If I knew where the disappearances were taking place I could circle the appropriate area and so I have to keep the whole district in mind." – she stated with a little anger and mirrored the map. She was angry that her day had been so fruitless and wasted. -" Maybe I can at least pick up a couple of goodies?" – she decided that she would not let the day end like this. Her gaze immediately fell on one of the warehouses right next to the industrial plant. Ivy knew she would find something there that would be useful in Cavae by Kara. She folded up the map and headed through the sewers to the designated spot
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Nothing lost
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She was so skilled at stealing that it only took her a moment to get the substances she needed
When she emerged from the sewer she went up to the roof and looked at the security guards. Without any problems she went inside and stunned the guard. Without a hint of stress she carried the necessary crates and bore them to the sewer, after all, for her this is her daily job. She even managed to take some coins from the unconscious guards. She was lucky to come across cyclops. They may be strong but with their one eye they can’t spot a small and agile target like her. Within an hour she managed to steal the crates she was interested in, replenish her first aid kit and steal something special for Domino.
When the action was over, she returned to the sewer and strapped the crates down so that she could drag them more easily. Now she was spitting in her face that she had taken in so much stuff, as it was extremely heavy and the road ahead was long and winding. Therefore, by the time she managed to get the cargo to the designated safe house in Kamino, it was already morning.
The all-night effort had resulted in a deterioration of her health, but she was not concerned about it even for a moment. She had stolen so many substances that Kara should be able to produce a mass of medicine in peace. She left her hiding place and after finding a messenger, she sent a message to Domino to have his men take care of the transport to Cavae.
So she was pleased that she had managed to complete the assignment for Kara but angry that she had not made any progress in the investigation. And to make matters worse she looked and felt like a corpse. She knew she should heal her wounds somewhere and, as she was close by, she went to Aaron's shop. As she always did, she pulled her hood tighter over her head and through the less frequented streets she found herself at her destination. She even entered through the main entrance like a real customer.
Her entrance was signalled by a small bell and after a while Aaron honoured her with his presence. At first he thought it was a customer, but when he saw Ivy standing in his shop with her arms folded, he shook his eyes, pleasantly surprised.
"Well, well, it's been a long time since you've been here. I know you're doing some work for Jas, how's that going?" - He asked light-heartedly and went back into the back room and with a hand gesture encouraged her to follow him. She didn't feel like talking, but she really wanted to sit down and rest somewhere.
" As I see it, Jasmine is still keeping you informed of everything. I should have expected that." - she muttered quietly under her breath so that the man would not hear her, and sat down on one of the crates in the back - "Did she mention anything about her new place of stay?" - she asked, genuinely interested, starting the necessary conversation. She wanted to make sure how Jas was and how her report went. She also felt tired enough to remove her hood. Aaron, however, was ignoring her and tangling with one of the tabletops. He was probably finishing some other potion or ointment
"Sure she was. She sent me a letter and even invited me to visit. When I find a spare moment I'll definitely visit her but if you want to..." - the tray with the glass vials fell out of his hands and he stood as if he had been stunned and looked in disbelief at the tired Ivy leaning against the wall. She watched his dumbfounded expression with a raised eyebrow hoping he wouldn't start any unpleasant conversation
"You dropped something" - she said dispassionately, pointing a finger at the broken glass on the ground. She knew perfectly well that the man was shocked by her appearance, but she doubted that she looked that bad. Aaron, however, ignored the glass smashed on the ground and immediately approached her
"What happened to you?" - he tried to catch her face with his hands but Ivy stopped him by grabbing his wrists and freezing him with her stare. She didn't want to explain but sighed to acknowledge after a brief moment what had happened
"It's a slight scratch, unfortunately non-fatal. I wanted to extract some information and I thought patience and kindness paid off but all I did was waste time and all I gained was these wounds. Next time I'll start cutting up the body and only then ask questions" - she said seriously and stood up to start rummaging through the shelves to find some medicines she was interested in. - "Do you have any stitches?" - she threw into the ether without stopping her search. Aaron stood still for a moment but quickly stood behind her and reached up to the top shelf. He took out a small box and unceremoniously displayed it right under her nose -" Thanks Aaron, you're saving my ass." - She tossed the lavish payment she'd snuck to the cyclops from the storeroom onto the table and headed for the exit
"You'd better get back to your place and get well before you cure yourself" - he tried to stop her somehow so he stood at the door and threatened her with his finger but Ivy completely ignored him
"Where's Jasmine? I wants to meet her" - she thought she should share the information as soon as possible. She hoped she or her employer might know something about the disappearances. Aaron, however, did not go out of his way to meet her and growled at her in annoyance.
"Is it getting through to you? You're hurt!" - she was scolded but she wasn't going to take the redhead's words to waste her precious time on them
"And poor, and hungry, and battered, and while on an important assignment so stop mothering me just tell me where I can find her" - someone like Aaron doesn't understand what people from the Mortuary have in their heads. She had an assignment and that was more important than a few bruises or cuts. She also didn't want to be mean to one of her principals and the people who wanted to trade with her, but he had to remind himself that Ivy was just a mercenary who had to do her job. They continued like this in tense silence but Aaron finally gave in to her persuasive gaze and let go
"Fine, I don't care what you think or how you end up there. Just don't come crying to me later asking for help!" - he threatened her with his finger, but Ivy knew that she would sooner bow down and start praising the elves than get over her own pride and come crying to anyone for help
" You have my word and the assurance that I won't die while on this mission" - she placed her hand theatrically on her chest and watched the man soften slightly. He looked for something convincing in her statement but waved his hand and went over to the table and grabbed a piece of paper
"She sent me a letter. She now lives on Rey in the King Silas estate. She now has the whole townhouse to herself. It's one of the buildings that used to belong to the royal family. A building made of yellow stone and decorated with plants, I think you should find it without any problem" - he explained already in more gentleness. Ivy knew that Aaron always mellowed when the subject came down to Jas but apparently he himself had never been aware of it. She also decided that she was not going to be too hard on him any longer and that this much information was enough for her
"I'll be getting going then. Thanks for the tip and the stitches." - She threw him the rest of the stolen coins and left for the back of the establishment while he was in a good mood and did not want to scold her again.
She was still in excruciating pain but she couldn't stop or go back now. She didn't want to run across the rooftops or climb into the sewer again and in fact found it useful to walk through the city. She rarely walked the streets without hiding in corners and she wanted to be reminded of what it was like. So she put her hood on tighter and stepped out into the street and loosely headed for the second ring.
She had almost forgotten what the city looked like from this perspective. She passed people and entia. Others were just starting their day and others were returning after a night full of excitement. As it was in Kamino, she passed courtesans, peddlers, thieves, dealers, gamblers and anyone else who would spare no expense to avail themselves of these services. After all, Kamino was famous as the most entertaining district. At night this place did not sleep
Many people took advantage of the good things that came with the left trade or other shady deals. Of all the districts, this was the one with the fewest guards and patrols, making it the most frequented by Ivy. Looking at the people living here, she wondered how they could still complain. Thanks to loopholes, the residents could earn money on the left so there would be no shortage of money. They had resident status and were listed in documents as legitimate citizens of Magdorn. They had jobs, housing, families. And yet she began to wonder how people from the town could complain about their lives.
She didn't doubt that Reaper was right, and in the upper classes people were placed lower than elves or some entia. But even so, they still had voting rights, medical care, possessions and a promising future. What pissed her off most was that only a few knew the realities of the Mortuary.
It was a place excluded and ignored by the ring dwellers. The authorities knew that escaped prisoners and other criminals were hiding there, and so they told their citizens. No one suspected that ordinary people who had been disadvantaged by fate might live there. No one knew what kind of poverty, famine or epidemics prevailed there. And when any rumours spread around town, nobody believed them anyway. That is why the place is called the Mortuary. Everyone thinks it is a dead zone, which is somewhat true looking at the barrenness of the soil and the emaciated, half-dead inhabitants.
Also, no one believed Ivy when she spoke of thousands starving or sick so she stopped talking about them years ago. She knew that everyone on the west side of the wall was on their own and the city didn't give a damn about them. Unfortunately, the people had already come to terms with this thought hundreds of years ago, by the time their every attempt, uprising or armed uprising had been brutally suppressed. There was only death there and any hope of any future had died and crumbled into dust back in the days of King Alexander.
Plunged into her thoughts, she reached the second ring and King Silas Square. After a while, she found the right building and, taking advantage of a gap from the guards' passageways, climbed the wall to the balcony. She tilted the window slightly and was sure it was Jasmine's flat. She may have known the girl for a short time but she managed to recognise her distinctive scent of lavender with mint and a hint of nettle.
She stepped inside and listened for footsteps. She crossed the living room and headed for the kitchen, from where the sounds of bustling were coming from. Years of practice had taught her never to be sure, however, so she drew her daggers and in a swift movement was behind the girl's back and she put the blade to her neck.
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