Book 6, Chapter 10: Almost, but not Quite
Cresida polished off another cup of wine too quickly, set it down, refilled it, saying, “I won’t let him touch you.” Sip, sip, swallow. Set cup down, wag finger, “I won’t.”
“I know you won’t. Hey,” I said, thinking, this was a woman I didn’t like when I first met her. She seemed bitter, petty, but here it was mere jealousy, though that’s not what bothered me now. I wanted to ask her, ‘did you, by chance, see the dead chatting with me?’ and ‘how about the storm, you think I caused it?’ and I wanted to knock her out, tie her up, but that would only give her a concussion at this point, maybe kill her, and that, gosh, wasn’t very nice. So, I asked the only other thing on my mind, which disturbed me just as much as the talking dead, but was oh so unfortunately mundane, “Does he force you? Cresida, does he ra . . . force you in bed?”
“Ha. Ah-ha. No, no, there’s no rape in marriage.” Drink. “But I see how he looks at you. And who wouldn’t? You’re half my age and I haven’t given him any children.”
“Hey,” I reached across the table, taking her hands, “there is rape in marriage. And we already discussed my interest. I’m not going to, I’m fully committed to remaining a virgin. That’s me, The Virgin Princess.”
“Princess! The way you talk to men, the digging, you’re more of a commoner.” She leaned forward, asking, “Did you lie about who you were? Stole a horse, escaped the manor, that sort of thing?”
Holding my cup aloft, I said, “Bottoms up!” and watched her drink another. I took just a sip because, well, why test the limits of this mortal body?
The storm raged on, rain mostly splashing now, hitting pools of water all over the ground. Sometimes, it hit the canvas walls of the tent so hard, the force pushed a spray of water against my face. Cresida frowned when it happened to her, but she was so drunk at this point, that mostly led to swaying.
I could easily escape now. Head out, disappear west, find Morry – my big man, safety – and my cavalry force. But. But there was a mage here and he needed killing. The most dangerous person on the planet, if you discounted me.
Though my danger did not lay in any magical powers. Just a bag of knowledge at this point.
Yet . . . yet, I seemed still a goddess. The dead spoke to me, begged of me, and I denied them. Not a thing mortals could do.
I pointed my hand at the wall, willing an enormous laser to blast forth – nothing. Probably a good thing, it would have erased the tent wall and much of the forest, and probably jolted Cresida to sobriety.
Putting my hands to my face, I wanted to scream. Yeah. I could escape now, but to what end? Morry could take me back to our castle, we could build our army. I had four or five mage-killing arrows, made of the same metal my jewelry was crafted from. It killed them, they couldn’t stop it. But if our army couldn’t find him, if he was well positioned, how many soldiers could he kill first? My entire army? Worse, would he found another mage college, teach others his ways?
No, I needed to get close to him and remove him from this world, delivering him to the thousand-year torment of his fellows. It was his due and I gave my word. He was living on borrowed time.
Wearing the gold and charcoal iron, direct magical attacks couldn’t affect me. I’d killed mages before, and before I had my powers. I thrust a spear into a man’s belly. Cut the neck of a begging wizardess – she held up her hand to stop the killing blow, reducing the force at which my blade hit her neck, but not the end result, slicing through her jugular.
‘Please,’ she said, her voice clear in my memory, ‘please.’
Sorry. I didn’t want to kill, not then, not anyone, but she was in the process of attacking my soldiers, so her pleas to survive were unwarranted. She’d already bartered life for violence.
So, I could kill this mage. It required me getting close. If the army saw, if it was obvious, they’d likely kill me next. But at least this planet would no longer be under their thrall. It wasn’t just that they were stealing from the divine. Mages were too powerful, prevented societal progress, decided wars.
That meant I needed to stay with this damned army, get more information, learn where he is and try to get close. Probably, and complicating my not-yet-plans here, he knew what I looked like. Getting close might be difficult, dangerous.
Cresida was fighting unconsciousness. Her head slumped toward the table, pulled back up again, fell back down, repeat. I stood, went to her side, taking her gently by the arm, saying, “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” A part of me then sincerely hoped I wouldn’t soon be holding her hair while she voided her stomach into the chamber pot. If so, she was damn well taking it to the latrine!
In the manner of drunks everywhere, she tried to shoo me off with her left hand, but all she accomplished was to push her weight in that direction, tilting her torso, making it easier to pull her to her feet. Because she was taller, heavier than me, we staggered over to the bed and somehow I got her in it, the bedsheets over top.
No need to choke her out, she was out. Shit. I could escape now and I would not. And I knew, I knew that I’d come to regret not leaving.
***
Something brushed my hair and I startled awake, grabbing the captain’s wrist.
“Oh,” he said, “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I held on until he backed up. Then, sitting up, I said, “I’m a light sleeper.”
“So it appears.” Turning, he went over to the table, poured himself a mug of wine. “It’s late, but after the day’s news . . .”
Sliding the covers off, I headed over to him, sitting down, waving off his offer to pour me some, “No thank you. It must be almost morning.”
“Not quite. Still halfway through the night.”
“What’s troubling you? Other than the storm, I mean.”
“Storm’s a real problem, but perhaps it’ll break by morning. I’ve been given new orders.” Pausing, he watched me while saying, “To head to Laemacia. Do you have family there?”
“No.” None that I’d met. And, anyways, the backstory family were all dead, killed by the late Emperor Otholos, a usurper who took the throne from this body’s family. I suppose that technically made me the empress, but no one really cared enough or wanted to put me on the throne. At least, no one approached me asking to assume the role this body had been born into.
I wondered what Laemacia’s plans were now that their main army had been defeated. Hopefully to make peace with my kingdom, but you never know with empires. Serce, the former emperor’s brother and ambassador to my kingdom, was probably in charge. The might be good for me. The handsome man had flirted with me on many occasion, even suggesting we have an affair despite that he was attempting to arrange my marriage to his brother.
I needed to stay to kill that mage, but I also didn’t want to be caught by Serce. Possibly, he’d force me to marry him to cement his power over both Laemacia and my kingdom. A princess is truly in danger on her own! Maybe it was time to escape these people, rejoin my army. I missed Morry, too. The last time we were together, I kissed him, then he held me.
Except, I now wondered whether that was fair. I’d rescued and healed him and was a being of unimaginable power. Maybe, maybe he didn’t want to kiss, perhaps felt like he had no choice. Staring at the ground, slumping inward a little, worried I’d abused my position.
“Lady Sarah? I realize this is all very difficult for you, but I believe you’re safer with us than on your own.”
Breaking my thoughts, I looked up at him, “If you are leaving, I’d like to be given a horse and allowed to return to my family’s lands.” I needed to talk to Morry. The mage could wait. If he wasn’t upset with me, Morry and I could work out how to remove the mage together. But what if he was?
“There’ve been sightings of bandits, I’m afraid. A very large force.”
“What’s that?”
“A large force of bandits, to our west.”
I crossed my arms, looked away, “I’ll take the chance.”
“I can’t let you. It’s too dangerous. Do you know what they’ll do to a young noblewoman such as yourself?” He shook his head, “No, I can’t allow that.”
“It’s fine, I’ll take care of myself. You’ve treated me well and I thank you for your hospitality, but it’s time.”
He stared into his cup for a moment. Shoulders bent in, posture slumping. “I fear it’s the end of the world, soon.”
“What?”
“The thing that killed our mages yet lives. It’s loose.”
Oh, I didn’t say, you mean me. Yeah, here I am, in your tent. “That’s, uh, terrifying. You think it made the storm?” He hasn’t stabbed me, so he probably didn’t see the dead and I having a nice chat. I’d been awake then, and they intruded on my life. Frustrating, yes, but I didn’t know what to make of it. If the dead treated me like a god, I was a god, and the Others would know to deal with me. Powerless, little me.
“It’s a demon. Looks like a girl. The men we are joining up with transported her – sorry, it – to The Northern Temple. A prison for beings like her. But she somehow escaped and came here to kill our mages.”
“And why do you believe it’s the end times? Maybe, you know, maybe she left after that. Is there a prophecy or something involved? Never trust prophecy, it lies to you.”
“The demon wants power. It’ll travel back to the temple and use it to suck the life out of the other beings trapped there.”
“Why’d it come down here first, if that was the creature’s goal?” I picked up a mug, poured myself a little wine. Maybe I could get information or something out of him. Probably not, he certainly didn’t know what he was talking about. Yet, for some reason, his claims were bothering me. Calling me a demon! That’s not very nice. “I don’t think she wants power. Or to destroy the temple. I bet she’s just wants to go home.”
“Why do you have Laemacian eyes and skin?”
“Uh, pardon me? I was born this way.”
“I’m sorry, how rude of me. Your eyes are captivating. I fear I’ve been giving too much thought to you these days.”
“I, uhm, yeah. Ok. So, my mother is Laemacian. That’s it, that’s how it works.”
“Then perhaps you will enjoy our trip to your home country.”
“My parents are likely very worried about my whereabouts. I don’t think we should continue to worry them.”
“We don’t have time to return you home or men to take a message.”
“You’re basically kidnapping me, then.”
He tapped his fingers on the table. “Lady Sarah, do you know what bandits will do to you if they catch you? A pretty young lass like yourself.”
“That’ll be my problem.”
“I couldn’t forgive myself.”
I stared at him a while, taking a sip of wine. After what Cresida had revealed, I just couldn’t trust him. And I really didn’t want to sleep in the same bed as him. Bandits weren’t the problem here.
Though, if I stayed, I could get more information about the sole remaining wizard. Kill him if possible. I’d have to do so before anyone recognized me. Before he recognized me. I had no idea how to go about that.
Life really sucks when you’re a former deity in the body of a teenage girl, hereditary ruler of two nations that were, oddly, at war with each other. Events always want your attention.
Hell, maybe I could go with him all the way to Laemacia, overthrow their leader – sorry Serce! – and stop the war. Then I’d be the most powerful person on the planet. Speaking purely in terms of politics and not like, last week’s Cayce. I won’t lie. A large part of me missed being able to melt mountains.
“Alright. You’ve convinced me to remain within the safety of your army. And, thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Lady Sarah,” he said, standing, “I must be off for another meeting. I’d hoped to tell my wife I won’t be home until dawn, likely.” He put his hand to his forehead, rubbing. “Too many details to work out. No rest for the wicked.”
I rose, gave him a nice little curtesy, “Captain.”
And that was it. He left. I did not finish the remaining wine, but brushed my teeth, climbed into bed on the opposite side of the doorway, with Cresida’s snoring body between me and potential danger, just in case.
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