"I have a theory."
Raziel leaned against the wall of the tavern, his arms crossed at Vasco.
"Oh, a theory?"
Dante looked up from where she sat beside the prisoner whose head had slumped onto her shoulder in the middle of reading a short child's book. She picked up the prisoner's hand, tracing a vein in his wrist. She was scheming—she was making her scheming face. "If it's about Ketil, you should know he doesn't share your affections. Know it before you get yourself hurt."
Vasco stopped, eyebrows furrowed. "Where did you arrive at that little conclusion, little girl?"
She shrugged, Jameson startling awake at her movement. "For you or for him?"
"This is a pointless conversation," Raziel muttered under his breath. "We have a task at hand, we should focus."
"Focus on what?" The prisoner said, stretching slowly.
Dante continued, unfazed by Raziel. "It's written all over your face, Dracon. That wistful longing in your eyes..." Dante smiled, standing to her feet. "I am not nearly as oblivious as you believe me to be."
A small smile fixed its way on Vasco's lips. "Well then, little girl, spill your secrets."
"We don't have time for this nonsense, Dante. I don't know when they will return or if they will return to begin with! I don't need you fighting with the escort—"
"No, I'm interested in what she has to say. Did he say something about me?" Vasco's voice was soft, his eyebrows raised.
"Oh he said nothing, but Ketil does not feel affection—not in that way. Be it his death that caused it or just who he is, I can't tell you. But he has no feelings for anyone and does not desire them."
Vasco stared at her for a moment, his eye narrowed in thought. "You're not lying."
"No, I'm not lying. I don't lie, especially when it comes to him." Dante wiped her hands against her skirt, looking to Raziel. "Am I lying?"
"No, not a bit."
A bit of fire in his eyes died, but he quickly hid it. "Enough about Ketil," he cleared his throat. "I have a theory about our little friends. They are speaking to Tsar Reznik, yes? They are speaking to him and receiving some sort of command because Anubis is the Royal Bastard."
Jameson's head perked up. "What the 'ell? A riesun related to the Tsar? It's not just improbably but impossible. Your kind is dying and he's the one killing them!"
"It is a small secret that the Tsar collects useful riesun of nobles as a type of slave." Vasco stared at his hands before balling them up into fists. "I have seen them, I have heard of their stories. I have seen the brand against their backs. Status is the only thing that saves them and even then they are just shells of a human."
There was silence as Dante and Raziel exchanged a look.
Raziel nodded slowly, "you would all find out eventually." He took a breath, pacing their small room. "We are the Order. We complete missions for the Tsar."
"Then she is the Cursed Royal." Vasco let out a sigh that echoed around the room.
"If he killed her, he would violate the Law of Blood. The practically sacred law handed down by the Lady Rejna in protection of innocent children."
Jameson looked to Dante with a crooked brow and she nodded. "She has freedom and that freedom extends to us...but that doesn't cover us completely. Inquisitors will still gladly kill us."
"But now..." Raziel trailed off. "If he can get around the law, then he will kill both Ketil and Anubis."
There was silence as Raziel sat down in a chair, his head slightly bowed and brows knitted together.
Vasco's soft footsteps approached him before he looked up. Vasco extended a hand towards him, Raziel stared at him as the man continued to extend his hand.
"Raziel, I know we've had our moments and you don't like me, but we can put that behind us yes? Start new? I can see how much you care for the Order and I admire that. I want to become a member of your ranks. So perhaps we can start anew? If you can call me by my name and not 'the escort'."
Raziel paused before taking his hand in his gloved hand. "Alright, Vasco, I am willing to start again."
Vasco shook his hand fervently before stepping back. He turned his back to the man, fixing his low ponytail. "Perhaps we don't have to go at each other's throats, now?"
"Perhaps," Raziel whispered. He stood as the door to their room opened and a man in a dark overcoat stepped in.
He passed by Dante and Vasco grabbed his arm. "Hold up there, sir, who the hell do you think you—"
The man reared back, punching Vasco in the face before turning to Raziel without a moment of hesitation. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?!" His voice was a low whisper and Raziel felt his blood freeze within his veins.
"Lio, why are you here?" He held his ground as the man grabbed him by the collar.
"What the hell were you thinking, Raziel?! You're going to let them get killed!"
A thin blue mist swirled around the room, and the man turned to see Vasco back on his feet, eyes narrowed in concentration as his ability swirled around Lio's body to no effect.
"Vasco, stop! He's one of us!" Raziel tried to yell but the man in the dark cloak had already thrust his hand out, something like a shadow slamming into Vasco and pushing him into the wall.
"Lio, stop!" Raziel slapped him across the face, a handprint blooming against his skin. "Stop, okay?"
"You let her go alone," Lio muttered, his blond eyebrows lowered in anger. "You let her go alone to her father!? Are you insane?! He's going to kill her!"
"No one is dying," Dante said quickly, helping Vasco to his feet as Jameson shielded her with his body. "Anubis will be back tomorrow. And who are you?"
Lio looked back at her, golden hair spilling over his face and back, escaping the braid that attempted to contain it. "My name is Lionel de Bosque." He turned back to Raziel. "Where is she?"
"With Mikhail," Raziel grabbed him by the arm. "Ketil is with her."
Lio snorted, "Ketil couldn't win a fight if his life depended on it. The Tsar will have her killed."
Raziel stared into his dark eyes, "drop it. She's coming back this morning. She is safe."
"You don't know that, she could be dead." He lowered his voice, jabbing a finger into Raziel's chest. "Don't try to reassure me when I am angry."
"Calm down. And how long have you been here?"
"I've been following you for the entire journey," he adjusted his gloves, dusting snow from his shoulders. "It's not hard to figure out where you are staying in Dastberg. Anubis always picks taverns on the south side of the Jalta. I recognize your horses anyways."
He took another long breath, grabbing Raziel by the arm. "Come with me."
"Can I put a coat on first? I'm not dead like you are."
Lio's face twisted into a sneer at that, "I don't have time for your jokes, Raziel. Put on a coat and follow me. We need to talk."
"About what?"
"About this!" He gestured to the room and at Vasco who rubbed his jaw.
"And who the hell are you to come in here like a bat out of hell?" Dante opened her hands, palms shaking. "Leave us alone."
Jameson shielded the younger girl with his body, his eyes staring down the man. He wasn't much, but the look in his eyes was that of a feral dog. His sunken cheeks and patchy growth of beard only added to his animalistic appearance. Dante glared from behind him, but she held the true strength of the two.
Lio stared at her, "a little canary, aren't you? You are so unaware of the mine you've been placed in. So unaware of your own coming death."
"Leave her alone," Jameson muttered, his voice low.
"And who are you?" Lio took a deep breath, "a normal, aren't you?" He laughed looking back to Raziel who quickly put on his coat. "This is your Order? This is her band of heroes?"
"We're heroes?" Vasco said with a snort. "It would've been nice to know that before I joined."
"We're not heroes," Raziel threw his collar up quickly, meeting Vasco's eyes. "Lio, now is not the time—"
"Come with me." His eyes silenced any thoughts of refusal, grabbing Raziel's hand.
He looked back to the others. "Stay here, I'll be back."
"Raziel—" Vasco started before Raziel cut him off.
"Stay."
He followed Lio through the tavern, the golden-haired man weaving through the small crowd like a shadow. "Why can't you just wait for her?"
"Because I know him!" Lio yelled back, his back to the noise of the tavern. "I know what he's capable of." He turned back, silhouetted against the light. "Because he killed me and if it was up to him, he'll kill her too."
"Lio, you're overreacting."
Lio grabbed him by the coat, drawing him into the empty stables. The cold wind slapped his face and he adjusted his collar, facing him. "You need to calm down, sir."
Lio fixed him with a look, "easy for you to say, you've never died. You didn't have a knife wedged into your back. I want to know everything you know about this."
"I don't know anything other than she was summoned before the Tsar. That's all I know. Mikhail wrote to her and I have a feeling Ketil is involved, but I don't know the specifics."
Lio stared into his eyes. "You're not lying."
"Of course not! Why would I lie to you? I'm just surprised she didn't tell you "
"I am going to find her." Lio inhaled deeply, lost in his own thoughts. "I don't trust him and I'm not going to st—" he stopped as a noise interrupted them. He pulled Raziel into an empty stall, ducking as two horses came through the doors.
"Can you care for the horses? I must tell the others." A woman whispered and Lio perked up at her voice, moving as silent as the shadows.
The woman and the man dismounted as she handed the reigns to the man. "Thank you."
She turned around and Lio stepped out of the shadows, grabbing her around the waist before pulling her into a kiss.
Anubis jumped away before falling into his arms, hands balled up in his coat. Raziel looked away.
"That's a good way to get yourself killed!" Anubis said, pulling away. She smiled in the darkness before slapping him hard. "What are you doing here, Lio? I could kill you!"
"He's been terrifying the rest of the Order and threatening to tear through hell to find you," Raziel said, standing beside Ketil.
Ketil shared a look with him, hatred and anger burning behind his eyes. He looked back to the golden-haired man. "Hello Lio."
"Østberg," Lio said, holding Anubis tighter to him and kissing her quickly. "Good to see you're still alive and pale."
"For now," Ketil whispered.
Anubis stepped back from him, eyebrows furrowed. "Has anyone seen you? They'll have you killed. Dastberg is not safe for you."
Lio shook his head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "No one has seen me, mi hazdt. There is nothing to fear."
"You have no idea then," Ketil muttered. He laughed on the verge of hysteria. "It's likely that we're all going to die."
There was silence before Anubis sighed.
"Ketil's right. This mission is going to be the end of us." She dropped her head, pressing onto Lio's shoulder. "Ketil, just tether the horses and meet me in the room. We have news."
"We're upstairs," Raziel said as the Polarian stared at them with wide eyes. "I think it's the third room to the left. You'll know it's us."
He nodded as the three of them turned back to the tavern.
"How is Mikhail?" Lio said finally, his hand firmly grasped in hers.
Raziel walked behind them, his lips pursed in thought as Anubis practically ignored the world around them. "That is the thing...I'm not sure. I'm not sure if he knows what he's getting himself into."
"He never has," Lio said, the corner of his lips stretching into a wide and old smile.
"I'm going to need your help on this mission." She nuzzled him and Raziel lost them in the noise of the crowd, following the both of them up the stairs and into the room where the others awaited.
"He's back," Vasco said with a sneer as Lio opened the door to stare at them all.
"Apologies," he said with a feigned smile and thick southern Rajsend accent. "I don't have much of an excuse, but I am dead."
Anubis stared at all of them, at once indistinguishable from a military strategist. "This is Lio. He is a..." she met Dante's eyes, turning away, "...a good friend of mine from a long time ago. Unfortunately, he is like Ketil and dead."
"The Prince doesn't punch people in the jaw. It's not much of an excuse, is it?" Vasco muttered from where he slumped against the wall.
Dante stood, Jameson sitting this time, his face a mask of exhaustion. "Yeah, Ketil has never acted like that!"
"Let's just say that I am an older model," Lio looked to his hands sheepishly. "Anubis did not have a strong ability back then and so my death and subsequent restoration was somewhat flawed. Wrath seems to be my defining trait."
Anubis stared at him, her eyes slipping to Raziel. She stuck a hand in her cloak, producing a rolled up piece of paper. "Take this."
He did, taking a step towards the lantern in the room as Ketil stepped through the door. The man looked dead now. His eyes were distant and slightly red. His skin was devoid of any color.
"What is this?"
"A map." Anubis said as Raziel unfurled the paper to reveal a map of Polaria.
The others clustered around him as he laid it against the table, tracing the roads with pursed lips. "Why does it lead to the Boar's Keep?"
Ketil let out a long sigh. "I am going to kill my sister."
They all fell silent as Raziel turned to him. "You can't kill her. You're not capable of it."
"But he will," Anubis said with a certain finality. "And Mikhail is going to overthrow his father."
Vasco crossed his arms, "what does the Crown Prince have to do with this?"
"He's one of us, a riesun." Anubis took Lio's hand carefully. "If his plan works, we kill Empress Aslaug and put Ketil on the Polarian throne. If Mikhail can install himself on the Rajsend throne, then we can vanquish the Inquisition and save the life of every riesun living and yet to live in both empires. There will be a ship waiting for us in the morning, stocked with everything we need for the journey. I will give specific instruction on the ship as taverns are not safe for secrets."
There was silence as they all stared at her with a mixture of shock and enthusiasm.
Vasco spoke up first, his hands balled up into fists. "When we complete this, will we get to punish every one of those bastards who tormented us?"
A hint of a smile flashed upon her lips. "Yes."
ns 18.68.41.176da2
