Chapter 31: O' Good Huntress...
Fifteen days slipped by in a blur of strange, newfound routine. Waking up in the Hunter's
Quarters had started to feel almost normal. The grumbles, the smells, the way the light from
the Spire painted the floor in the morning—it was all just part of the background now. My
days developed a steady, predictable rhythm that was weirdly comforting.
There was the daily grind of food hunting with Lyra, Finn, and a now-silent-but-recovered
Kora. We'd head out, stick to the safer, picked-over zones, and bag whatever we could find. It
was honest, simple work. My main side project was still my "holy man" act. I'd pray before
meals, help out where I could, and drop a kind word here and there. It was a part I played, but
after weeks of it, the mask was starting to feel comfortable, like a broken-in boot.
Back in our bunkroom, I'd quietly work on my real to-do list. It was a mental catalogue of
names, resources, and future opportunities. Sasrir, now a full Monster, was a silent partner in
it all. He'd just watch from his bunk, a deeper, more substantial shadow than before. We
didn't need to talk much; we both knew the game we were playing. For a little while, life
wasn't about desperately surviving the next hour. It was about planning for next week, and
that felt like a luxury.
Of course, the world outside our walls was in an uproar. The sudden disappearance of the
Stone Saints and the crystal serpent sent shockwaves through the Dark City. They were the
local hegemons, the top of the food chain in that sector. With them gone, it was like a power
vacuum had opened up. All the mid-level Corrupted monsters went absolutely wild.
A massive, chaotic turf war erupted among the creatures. You could hear the distant shrieks
and roars from the castle walls, a constant soundtrack of violence. The aggression wasn't
contained, either. Patrols started reporting packs of beasts in areas they'd never been seen
before, all fighting for new territory. The normal, dangerous paths we used became outright
deadly.
The response from the castle leadership was swift and severe. Gemma and the other
lieutenants called a halt to most long-range expeditions. Hunters and Pathfinders were pulled
back from the front lines. Our job shifted from hunting to reinforcing the outer defences and
guarding the closer supply caches. It was a clear sign that things were bad out there.
For a full week, strict rationing was put in place. The mess hall servings got smaller, and the
grumbling got louder. Nobody was happy about having less to eat, but everyone understood
the reason. Venturing out for a full-scale hunt was a sure way to get your whole team killed in
the crossfire of a monster war. It was better to be hungry and safe inside the walls.
Through it all, Sasrir and I were the picture of innocent cooperation. We followed the new
rules, stood our watches without complaint, and ate our meagre rations without a word of
protest. We blended into the crowd perfectly. The idea that we, the "preacher" and his quiet
shadow, were responsible for upending the entire local ecosystem was so absurd it never even
crossed anyone's mind.I'd hear the other Hunters talking about it. "Must have been a Spire Messenger that came
through," one would say. "Or maybe the Saints and the serpent finally killed each other,"
another would guess. Almost the truth, but nobody considered the factor of two Dormants
starting the whole thing.
The forced downtime inside the castle had an unexpected benefit. It gave me more time to
work the social angles. I helped the Artisans sort through salvage, talking about finding
purpose in broken things. I assisted the Handmaidens with their rounds, speaking about the
virtue of compassion. With the Hunters stuck inside, I was there to listen to their frustrations,
offering a calm presence.
Even Gemma seemed to view my "faith" with a sort of grudging acceptance. In a time of
tension and short tempers, having someone around who was consistently, bafflingly calm was
apparently useful. He didn't understand it, but he didn't stop it, either. My persona was
becoming a solid part of the castle's social fabric.
Sasrir used the time to fully master his new power as a Monster. The deeper, more
threatening aura he now carried made people give him an even wider berth, which he seemed
to prefer. It also meant that on the rare, cautious patrols we did run, he could end fights before
they even started. His control over shadows was now absolute and terrifyingly efficient. I
couldn't recall of Nephis and Sunny experienced such a visceral change upon forming new
Cores, but maybe it was also because Sasrir had digested his Shadow Ascetic and Listener
Potion-according to him, only Secret Suppliant was stubbornly refusing to dissolve.
I had a plan for that, of course, but it would take another month or so to fit into place, at least
three weeks.
After about a week, the constant cacophony from the Dark City began to die down. The
monster turf wars seemed to be settling, new territories established. The castle leadership
cautiously eased the restrictions. Rations slowly returned to normal, and small, well-armed
hunting parties were sent out to test the waters. The crisis was passing.
Looking back, those fifteen days were some of the most productive we'd had. We'd gained
immense personal power, solidified our positions, and watched as the chaos we'd unleashed
actually worked in our favour, keeping everyone else contained and suspicious of the outside
world. Perhaps Gunlaug had gotten lazy and content atop his throne, and the chaos proved an
effective reminder that, Transcendant Echo be damned, he himself was just a Sleeper with a
mediocre Aspect lording over other Sleepers. He wasn't invincible, and he couldn't even
claim to be truly safe either.
All that is to say, when the curfew was lifted, he heightened the training of the Guards and
instructed tighter watch from the Pathfinders. The Castle's poor performance during the
lockdown seemed to have struck a nerve, because he also ordered Handmaidens to crack
down on scavenging and the markets, while Artisans had to shift focus to certain products.
The change was large, and unprecedented from my perspective: nothing of this sort had
happened in the novel short of the Bright Castle Civil War.
We were back in our corner of the Hunter's Quarters, the relative calm of the castle feeling
almost surreal after the chaos we'd indirectly caused. Sasrir, who had been quietly sharpeninga dagger, finally broke the silence, his voice dry as dust.
"So," he began, not looking up from his work. "The Stone Saints. The Fallen Terror. The city-
wide monster war." He finally lifted his head, and I could almost see the raised eyebrow
beneath his shadowed hood. "Remind me again how this was 'laying low' and 'not making a
big impact'?"
He was right, of course. Our little expedition had kicked over the biggest anthill in the
neighbourhood. I shrugged, a casual gesture I didn't entirely feel. "The plan was to acquire
Saint. We acquired Saint. The rest was just... unavoidable collateral damage." I waved a hand
dismissively. "The reshuffling was bound to happen eventually. We just gave it a nudge."
Sasrir let out a soft snort, a clear 'I told you so' he didn't need to voice. He went back to
sharpening his blade, the rhythmic sound filling the space between us. "A nudge. You have a
gift for understatement."
I ignored the jab. His skepticism was a constant, like the hum of the castle itself. My mind
was already miles ahead, fixated on the next problem. The fight with the crystal serpent, and
even the minor scrapes before it, had driven a point home. The Unshadowed Crucifix was
powerful, but its "blood tax" was a brutal limitation. Every time I pushed its power, it left me
weak, drained, vulnerable.
I needed a way to offset that cost. I'd been spending every spare moment I had haunting the
Memory Market, my eyes peeled for one specific type of enchantment. I wasn't looking for
raw power or flashy attacks. I was searching for something that granted regeneration, or at
the very least, a significant boost to my natural recovery rate. If I could heal faster, I could
use the Crucifix more freely, turning it from a last-resort weapon into a more regular tool.
The market was a frustrating place. I saw Memories that could summon phantom blades,
ones that hardened skin to stone, and even one that let you breathe underwater for ten
minutes. But a straightforward healing or regeneration effect? It was incredibly rare. The few
I'd heard whispers of were either snapped up instantly by the top brass or priced so
astronomically high they might as well not exist.
This brought me to my second, related problem: funds. My gaze drifted across the crowded
room, as if I could see through the walls to a specific stall. Stev, the jovial giant, still had the
Mantle of the Underworld. It was damaged, yes, but its potential was mouth-watering for the
squishy and vulnerable me. It would no doubt save my life countless times in the future, plus
the added thrill of stealing another of Sunny's achievements. Yes, after stealing Saint, it
turned out I did have a bit of Amon in me after all.
But I'd had to make a choice. Advancing Sasrir to Monster had been the correct strategic
move, a massive increase to our overall combat power. It had also drained the majority of our
shared pool of Soul Shards. What I had left was enough for necessities and the occasional
bribe, but not nearly enough for a major purchase like the Mantle. My funds were, to put it
bluntly, tight.
"Still brooding over the armour?" Sasrir's voice cut through my thoughts again. It was
unnerving how he did that."It's not brooding. It's resource management," I retorted, a little too defensively. "The Mantle
is a strategic asset. But so was making you a Monster. We just have to prioritize."
"And your regeneration Memory is the current priority," he stated, finishing my thought. He
sheathed his dagger. "A sensible one. A dead manipulator is no use to anyone. The armour
will still be there later. If it's meant to be, it will be."
I grimaced. I hated it when he used my own "holy man" language against me, even if he was
right. The Mantle was a want. The regeneration was a need. Surviving the next big fight was
somewhat important.
"The problem is finding one," I sighed, leaning back against the wall. "The Artisans say true
regenerative Memories are often bound close to the Crimson Spire or come from specific,
nasty plant-based Corrupted we haven't even seen. The Handmaidens hoard what few trickle
in for their critical healers."
"Then we find the source," Sasrir said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the
world. "We identified the problem. Now we identify the solution. If the Memory isn't in the
market, we find the monster that carries it."
He was right, again. The Market was just the middleman. The real treasures were out in the
chaotic Dark City, waiting to be taken. Our little "nudge" had created a new, dangerous
landscape out there. But danger also meant opportunity. New territories meant new monsters,
and new monsters could mean new Memories.
A slow smile spread across my face. The setback with the Mantle was temporary. The search
for a regeneration Memory was now a clear, defined objective. Sasrir was stronger than ever.
We had Saint in our pocket. The turf wars outside were settling down, opening up new
hunting grounds.
"Alright," I said, my mood lifting. "New priority. We start gathering intel. We listen for any
rumors about Corrupted with healing abilities or strange, vitalizing energies. Start with the
closest obviously, work our way out. Hopefully without having to leave the Dark City-I don't
like the Labyrinth."
Sasrir and I made our way out of the castle's main hall, heading for the front gate. The
morning air was its usual chilly self, and the routine of it all was almost comforting. We'd
only just passed through the main archway, however, when we saw something that broke the
daily monotony.
There was a strange altercation happening at the gate itself. The usual guard, the big guy who
was normally the picture of lazy arrogance, was standing ramrod straight. His face was pale,
and he looked like he was one harsh word away from pissing himself. It was a complete one-
eighty from his usual demeanour.
As we got closer, I could see why. He was being stared down by a woman. And not just any
woman. She was ridiculously tall, easily a head taller than the guard, with a powerful build.
Her hair was a wild mane of hazel, and her skin was a tanned olive. She wore practical,rugged clothes that, despite their functionality, struggled to conceal a frankly voluptuous and
muscular figure.
I stopped dead in my tracks, my brain struggling to process the sight. I was utterly stunned.
How could I not be? I had been searching for her, or at least for information about her, for
weeks. And now, here she was. The famous Raised by Wolves herself, Athena, also known as
Effie. She had appeared before me entirely on her own initiative, though she most likely
wasn't here for me, and the sheer force of her presence was enough to turn a lazy guard into a
trembling statue.
"Well I'll be damned" Sasrir muttered from beside me, clearly just as caught off-guard. I
didn't have time to savour the rarity though, as by now we had approached close enough to
hear what they were arguing over. "The hell you mean I have to pay five?! It was always
three Soul Shards, not five!"
"Listen, listen, it's not up to me, okay? That damned monster wave or whatever has the boss
spooked, and we had to go under lockdown. Resources are scarce the Artisans are being told
to focus on new projects, which require materials we don't usually stock up on. Taxes go up,
you know how it is."
"Oh I know, but I sure as hell don't like it," Effie growled back, stepping closer threateningly.
To my respect, the guard managed to stop himself from falling, though his legs visibly
trembled. Even still, he refused to let the bronze Amazon pass, stubbornly holding his
ground. "If you don't like the rules, take it up with Gunlaug!" he shouted, his own confidence
bolstered when he saw Effie hesitate. After all, even she greatly feared the Lord of the Bright
Castle, and who in their right mind wouldn't? She wasn't Nephis after all.
It was at this point that I, being the kind gentleman I am, stepped in to settle the dispute.
Seeing me, the guard's eyes widened in recognition and something like relief. "You! The
preacher. Maybe you can talk some sense into her." He practically shoved the responsibility
onto me. Effie turned her formidable gaze my way, her eyes scanning me from head to toe.
Her expression shifted from anger to pure dismissal.
"A kid?" she scoffed, looking me over. "And a pretty one at that. Run along, boy. The adults
are talking." Her words were meant to brush me off like a fly. But then, her eyes flickered
past me to Sasrir, who had moved to stand silently at my shoulder. Her dismissive posture
vanished in an instant.
Her body tensed, her gaze locking onto Sasrir's shadowed form. She couldn't see his face, but
she could feel it—the cold, predatory aura of a Monster. She recognized a serious threat when
she saw one. The pretty boy had a very dangerous shadow. Her stance became that of a
fighter assessing a rival.
"Let me help," I said, my voice calm and gentle, playing my part perfectly. I turned to the
guard. "I'll cover her toll. The Lord teaches us to be generous to those in need." The guard
just shrugged, happy to be done with the confrontation. He'd seen me pay for a few desperate
souls before; this was just another act of charity.I produced two soul shards and handed them over. Effie watched the transaction, her
suspicion warring with a more basic need. I saw her eyes dart toward the castle, toward the
promise of food and shelter. "I don't take handouts," she grunted, but her resolve was
cracking.
"A meal isn't a handout," I said softly. "It's a gift between potential friends." Her hunger
eventually won out. With a curt, reluctant nod, she muttered, "Fine. But I pay you back." I
just smiled and gestured for her to follow me through the gate.
We walked into the main courtyard, the sounds of the castle enveloping us. Once we were a
good distance from the gate and out of anyone's immediate earshot, I stopped and turned to
face her. The gentle, pious expression melted from my face, replaced by a look of direct,
calculating intensity.
"The truth is," I began, my voice now low and devoid of its earlier softness, "I didn't pay your
way out of kindness." I held her sharp, wary gaze. "I paid it because you're exactly the person
I've been looking for."
"Heh, I knew it" Effie scoffed, raising an eyebrow at me. "But are you sure you have the
guts? That shiny bastard on the throne made it clear nobody is to get involved with me."
"Well, what Gunlaug doesn't know won't hurt him," I replied simply, stroking the crucifix
around my neck. "And the truth is, he won't be much of a problem soon enough anyways."
Her eyes widened at that, before shrinking dangerously small, like a feline hunter's. "If
anyone reported that, he would probably have your head. Your hand, at the very least. Aren't
you afraid I'll run and snitch?"
"No."
My denial was curt and certain, with no doubt or hesitation across my face. After studying
me closely for several more seconds, a swell as glancing over at where Sasrir leaned against
the wall in silence, she relaxed her posture and scratched her chin. "Alright fine, then what do
you need me for? I'm warning you, this won't end well if Gunlaug hears about it."
"A very important matter, but not one particularly complex for someone like you. In essence,
I need your help killing some specific monsters."
"Oh yeah? Which ones?"
"A Spire Messenger, a Fallen Devil, an Awakened Terror, an Awakened Demon and probably
a shit tonne of of other horrors located by the Hollow Mountains"
Much to my amusement, the look of nonchalant-ness quickly slipped from the Huntress'
face.Chapter 32: How to Train your Effie
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Suffice to say, Huntress Athena was not impressed by my antics. She had nearly stormed off,
and it took a near-grovelling amount of pacification to bring her back. After apologizing, I
finally got down to serious business.
"Alright, cut the crap this time, I'm too hungry to deal with another smartass in town" Effie
huffed, still annoyed by my previous "prank". Being the understanding person that I am, I
naturally agreed to move onto business.
"Well, I wasn't entirely joking with you, Miss Athena. I do intend to kill those monsters I
mentioned, but that is quite a while in the future, Right now, my primary concern is defeating
a Fallen Devil that resides the that big cathedral to the south. I'm sure you've passed by it
once or twice, it's hard to miss."
Athena looked at me, scanning my face to see if I was serious or not. "Alright, that's better,
but you're still mad if you think you can kill a Fallen Devil with just three Sleepers. My Core
is nearly filled, but what I've been here a year and you've only been here less than a month.
Do you even know what powers that Devil possesses? Nobody who entered the Cathedral has
come out again."
"As a matter of fact, we know basically everything about that Devil" Sasrir spoke up from the
sides, voice calmly cutting across the room. "It's a Knight wrapped in black armour wielding
a great sword, capable of travelling trough darkness and turning invisible. Inside the armour,
its' true form is a shadow wraith that destroys anything it touches. Its eyes are made to look
like its' weak point, but it's actually the sword it holds. Break that, the armour falls off and
you can exorcize the spirit within."
Effie squinted at Sasrir, before turning back to me. "Alright, and who's the shadow man? I got
your name from the guard, but who's he?"
"Sasrir" he answered curtly, his tone decidingly unfriendly. It seemed Athena's attitude
towards me rubbed him the wrong way. While watching him bristle like a protective mother
cat was certainly musing, it was also counterproductive for what I needed.
After giving him a "play nice" look, I chose to pre-emptively assuage any doubts she had.
"Miss Athena, you don't need to worry. I possess the means to both restrain the Black Knight
as well as purify it once the armour is gone. For you, who wields a Lord Shard, breaking the
sword shouldn't be too difficult. Sasrir will naturally assist you with that."
Now, Athena was looking at me with thinly-disguised hostility. "You talk like you know me."
It was a harsh question, but not unreasonable.
"Is there anyone in the Forgotten Shore who doesn't?""Humph, maybe so, but the way you talk is still too strange, like you're familiar with me on a
personal level. Let me tell you, my memories pretty good, and we've never met before."
Ah, I was on the backfoot. I wasn't quite the master manipulator I aspired to be in the future,
so I still couldn't control my laxness and reaction to seeing Effie in the flesh. Damn.
Thankfully, Sasrir came in for the rescue.
"Let's just say we all have our secrets and leave it at that. If you still feel threatened by us,
there is little we can do. But if you're willing to give us a shot, we promise you a shot to
finally escape from this place."
Athena went silent for several long seconds, before looking Sasrir straight in the eyes. "Who
says I want to leave?"
The two of us wet into stunned silence, before I felt like slapping myself in the face. Right,
Effie basically hated the Waking World because her real body was crippled there. She had a
nihilistic view of Earth, believing that the planet was doomed anyways and the Dream Realm
was some sort of paradise. How could I have forgotten that?
Quickly trying to salvage the situation, I stepped forward. "Alright, my bad, maybe I was too
presumptuous. But, Miss Athena, surely you aren't satisfied with the way things are? You
might not mind, but how many dozens of people live in fear and squalor outside the Castle
gates? And let's be real, the inside isn't much better off. By helping us clear out those
monsters, you're helping the other survivors improve their lives and making the Dark City a
safer place."
That seemed to finally strike a chord with her, though she still seemed unwilling to trust us.
"Saying that's all well and good, but what have you ever done for those people? I recognise
him-" she gestured towards Sasrir -"as the newest star of the Hunters. But what about you?
Why should I believe anything you say, and not that you're simply using me to steal the
Bright Throne for yourself?"
Now, this really left me stumped. Was Athena so oppositional when Nephis tried to recruit
her? She definitely refused at first, but then Nephis brought her around somehow. Think,
Adam, think...
"You want proof?"
Saved by the bell-or, by the shadow.
She looked back to Sasrir, who had leaned off the wall and was standing near us. "Just go to
the outside settlement, ask around. It may take a bit, but there are plenty who've received his
help and grace over the last few weeks. See before you judge, Lady Athena, and then come
back to us with your answer. We've already paid your toll for the day, you might as well make
the most of it."
Effie considered the proposal in silence, glancing between me and Sasrir repeatedly. After a
while of contemplation, her eyes became determined. "Fine, I'll go and have a look. But first,
I require personal proof of character.""Oh?" I raised an eyebrow at that, half-amused. "What do you require, Miss? We don't have
many Soul Shards on hand I'm afraid, or really any material goods at all."
"That's fine, what I want from you is much simpler."
"And what is that?"
"Food."
*******************************************
I stared blankly, chin in palm, as the woman in front of me ate enough meat to satisfy a pride
of lions. Around me, the crowd was split in two-one half watched with the same doubt and
disbelief as me, while the other half simply carried on as normal. Clearly, they had gotten use
to the inhuman appetite of Huntress Athena.
Sasrir was amongst them, calming cutting up his steak and methodically eating it. Even as
Effie ate her fifth leg of monster meat in ten minutes, he didn't so much as wobble a shadow.
At this point, I was wondering if he was truly indifferent or just trying to play it cool.
After a loud burp, Athena wore a satisfied expression and relaxed against the chair, one arm
swung around the back. Seeing her like this made my mouth twitch, since the majority of
food on the table was bought by me and Sasrir. Thankfully we got a discount as Hunters, and
the server was a closer acquaintance of mine, so he slipped a slightly bigger portion my way.
I was honestly grateful for the results of my acting, because otherwise, I would have had to
take one of Aiko's atrocious loans to pay for this. If it meant getting Raised by Wolves on my
team though, it might not turn out to be a loss...
Seeing she was done, I hurriedly raised the point before she asked for more. "Miss Athena,
are you satisfied with our sincerity? We will gladly accompany you to the Settlement to shake
any lingering doubts about our character."
She gave me the side-eye and an amused snort, but her tone was considerably friendlier than
before. "Alright pretty-boy, I'll admit you've settled me a bit. I'll still ask a couple of my
friends if what you say is true, but if it is, I suppose I wouldn't be entirely opposed to a
partnership. But it would be just that-I'm not your subordinate or slave."
"Of course not, Miss Athena" I managed to keep the obvious relief from my voice and face.
"Rest assured, you would be paid handsomely for you work in Soul Shards or...er, food."
That got a chuckle from Sasrir, but he didn't look up from his plate even as I glared at him.
Observing our antics, which the rest of the Hunters merely looked at fondly, Athena
narrowed her eyes and re-assessed the two men in front of her. To be honest, she had actually
already heard a little about the two.
Sasrir was easy: Shadow Aspects are quite rare, especially one with such lethality and utility.
Having joined the Hunters only recently, replacing Roric-a guy she knew for a while-and
swiftly becoming known as the Reaper of the Dark City. While she hadn't heard anythingabout it, she knew Gunlaug would definitely be keeping an eye on him. That was why she
was so surprised he and Adam were blatantly trying to curry favour with her, and even
showing off to every other Hunter in the hall. Did they not know the report would be in front
of Gunlaug before the hour ended?
Speaking of Adam, the rumours were far less about him than his companion. His Aspect had
something to do about reading emotions and desires, which put her on guard from the very
start. Mental Aspects were also rare, not as much as Shadow or Healing, but still uncommon
enough that defences against them are few and far between.
From what she had gathered, the man was deeply religious and strictly moral. His skills with
a sword weren't anything to look twice at, and though he was fairly handsome, nothing about
him stood out. However, he had Sasrir wrapped around his finger, and the Reaper followed
every order unquestionably. Already, a few voices were whispering parallels between him
and Harus, the mad hunchback that served as the Bright Lord's right hand and assassin.
Not a very flattering comparison, but not without basis either.
"But even if I agree, it won't be easy. The Cathedral is located near the zone where that
monster horde wrecked havoc recently. Turf has changed hands, and even I'm slightly
concerned about heading there blind."
"No need to fret. Sasrir and I will scout the path before we begin, obviously. In fact, Gemma
has ordered a general mobilisation of Hunters and Pathfinders to make up for lost time and
regain our understanding of the streets. By the time we've prepared to face the Black Knight,
all that will be left to do is actually kill the damn thing."
"Alright. In that case, I guess I might as well head out now and start investigating your dirty
secrets and evil deeds" Athena flashed me a smile as she stood up, and I relaxed at her
teasing tone. It seemed the food had put her back in her usual mood, which I was grateful for.
Dealing with a tense Effie was like being stuck in a room with a tiger strapped in dynamite.
Giving her a small wave off, I watched as she walked out of the hall and vanished from sight.
Once she was gone, Sasrir leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear. "And now what?"
"Now," I began, pushing his face away from me, "We wait for Gunlaug to call upon us. Well,
it will probably be Gemma or maybe Tessai. You are famously lethal after all, and I'm sure
the average Guard would piss himself if told to arrest you."
"Will we be arrested?"
"Questioned, at the very least. But just plead ignorance, and let me do the talking. Besides,
we've been here just under thirty days, but we haven't even seen the Bright Lord yet, have
we? Or even the other Lieutenants."
Before Sasrir could respond, the sound of scraping chairs and shuffling of bodies echoed in
the hall. Looking around, I saw that a gap had appeared in the crowd of Hunters, and Gemma
was walking towards us with a complicated expression. Standing beside him was a woman
with a taller than average build and a professional smile on her lips. As she walked though,anyone she may have touched made sure to move out of the way. And when she got closer, I
realised her skin was an off-colour, like silt grey.
Stopping before us, Gemma looked like he didn't want to be here, while Seishan scanned us
from top to bottom-the top for Sasrir, the bottom for me. I raised an eyebrow at her, but she
just kept smiling, and then turned to Gemma, indicating for him to speak first.
"Sorry about this guys, it isn't personal, but.." Gemma took a deep breath. "Under the orders
of the Bright Lord, the two of you are to report in the throne room. Now."
We stood up silently, expressions calm and unruffled. As Gemma led us out of the hall, I gave
an extra glance to Sasrir, reading the question in his shadowed expression.
'Are you sure about this?'
To which I replied with a wink.
Chapter End Notes
I was actually putting off this chapter because I was so nervous on how to write Effie's
character lol. Hopefully I did okay, let me know if you think I missed a few mannerisms.Chapter 33: The Bright Lord and the Grey Witch
Gemma led us through sections of the castle I had only ever heard described. The architecture
shifted, becoming grander, the stonework more precise and imposing. Tapestries were hung
up on the wall telling stories, real or imagined. The air grew colder, and the ambient light
dimmed, sourced from glowing crystals set in sconces.
We approached a set of massive, reinforced doors, flanked by two members of the Host.
Their armor was polished to a high sheen, and their faces were set in grim, impersonal masks.
They looked at us with flat, assessing eyes before nodding to Gemma and pushing the heavy
doors open.
The throne room was vast, its ceiling lost in shadow. At the far end, on a dais carved from the
same dark stone as the castle, sat Gunlaug. He was the only one seated. His golden armor was
unlike any metal I had ever seen; it flowed like liquid over his form, shimmering with a low,
hypnotic light. A palpable pressure radiated from him, a mental weight that pushed down on
my consciousness, urging silence and submission.
Flanking him were his three standing lieutenants. To his right was Harus, the Butcher. He was
a gaunt, skeletal figure, his posture bent into a pronounced hunch that made him seem
smaller, yet somehow more sinister. His long fingers twitched slightly at his sides. On
Gunlaug's left stood Tessai, the Guard Captain, a mountain of muscle and grim duty, his arms
crossed over his chest and his face permanent marred with a scowl. Beside Tessai, Seishan
took her place and completed the triangle, her silt-grey skin and professional smile looking
utterly alien in the oppressive atmosphere.
We were led to the center of the room and then left there, Gemma moving to stand slightly
apart from the other three, beside a woman I could only presume was Kido. The five of them
formed a half-circle around us. The silence stretched, thick and heavy under Gunlaug's
suppressive aura. It was a test of will, and I focused on keeping my breathing even, my mind
my own.
It was Tessai who broke the silence, his voice a low gravel rumble. "The Priest and his
Shadow," he said, his gaze a physical weight. "You've been busy." He let the statement hang,
an open-ended accusation.
I bowed my head slightly, a gesture of respect that also helped break the intensity of his stare.
"We have been trying to contribute, Captain Tessai," I said, my voice carefully neutral. "As
all Sleepers must."
"Contribute?" Tessai repeated, the word a blunt instrument. "Is that what you call it? A Fallen
Terror dies. A nest of Stone Saints is wiped out. The eastern districts are in chaos for a week.
And you two, newcomers, broke the Bright Lord's rule by consorting with that beast of a
woman now of all times?" He took a single, heavy step forward. "Explain the coincidence."
I kept my eyes downcast, playing the humble part. "We were back hunting in the eastern
sectors after the chaos calmed, sir. The zone has indeed changed too much, so we sought helpto map it out. And Huntress Athena is hailed as one of the best."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Harus the hunchback shift. His head tilted, and though his
eyes were clouded, I felt an unnatural focus settle on me. "Lies..." he rasped, his voice like
dry leaves scraping stone. "I can smell them on you, boy. Tell us what you really have
planned."
A chill that had nothing to do with the room's temperature went down my spine. This was the
real threat. Not Tessai's brute force, but Harus's uncanny ability to discern the natures of
others, and the fact he held the Bright Lord's ear.
"We fight for our lives, like everyone else," Sasrir spoke for the first time, his voice cutting
through Harus's whisper like a shard of ice. His simple statement carried the weight of cold
truth. "We are mere Sleepers in a city of Awakened and Fallen. Gathering allies and forming
connections is the only way to survive in this world."
Tessai's scowl deepened, but he shifted his attention to Sasrir. "Your companion doesn't speak
much. And his... presence has grown lately." It wasn't a question. He was stating a fact he
found suspicious.
"He has always been quiet," I interjected smoothly, drawing the focus back to me. "And the
Labyrinth changes everyone, does it not? We are all just trying to adapt and survive under the
Bright Lord's protection." I dared a glance toward the dais, aiming my words at the silent,
golden figure.
Gunlaug had not moved. His gaze, from within the helmet of flowing gold, was fixed on us.
He offered no reaction, no cue. He was a judge, allowing his prosecutors to make their case.
"The preacher is as silver-tongued as they say," Seishan commented, her voice a smooth,
neutral counterpoint to Tessai's gruffness. "But words are one thing. You say you need the
Huntress to explore the ruins, but why not come to your fellow Hunters, or to Gemma?"
This was the most direct question yet. I had to answer without revealing any flaws for the
paranoid hunchback to capitalise on. "Sir Gemma has been very busy frequently,
coordinating the rest of the Hunters and Pathfinders. Besides, and while I do not blame hem
for this, most of the other Hunters had made it clear the didn't want anything to do with the
newly established zone over the lockdown."
Harus let out a wet, rattling chuckle. "So you believed your fellow comrades to be too
cowardly? How... convenient." The pressure in the room seemed to intensify. They didn't
believe us. Not fully. But they had no proof we were plotting anything. However, in the
Forgotten Shore, truth and justice were a long way off.
"It...was not entirely on them, I suppose." I revealed a hesitant and torn expression, fidgeting
with my fingertips a bit. "While the Hunters did make their apprehension of the new zone
clear, there were still a few who seemed excited to achieve glory. However..."
Here I took a deep breathe, maximising my role as young, calm and well-intended but
ultimately still naïve to the ways of the world."I also wanted to acquire the glory for myself, the glory of being the first Hunter to establish
a path through the eastern sector. So, I avoided calling upon the other Hunters or Sir Gemma
and instead searched for someone from the Settlement, someone who was known for keeping
to themselves and not being loose-lipped. This naturally led me to Huntress Athena."
There, I had said it. My "Shameful" secret and motive, laid bare for the big and scary adults
to judge me. Peeking up at the leaders of the Host with the expression of a child caught
stealing from the cookie jar, I struggled to keep the sneer off my face.
Tessai looked back at Gunlaug, seeking a command. The Bright Lord remained immobile for
a long, heart-pounding moment. Then, the faintest nod. It was barely a movement, but it was
enough.
"You will abandon your appointment with the Huntress," Tessai commanded, his tone leaving
no room for argument. "And you will be confined to the Hunter's quarters until this matter is
investigated further. Your movements will be watched and you are not allowed to leave the
Castle. If nothing is found, you will be released."
It was a setback, but not a disaster. They were suspicious, but they weren't throwing us in a
dungeon. We had room to manoeuvre. "We understand," I said, my voice humble. "We only
wish to prove our loyalty."
As Gemma stepped forward to escort us out, I chanced one last look at the ruling council.
Tessai was still scowling. Seishan was still smiling. Harus was still staring with those
clouded, knowing eyes. Kido was the only one who didn't seem to care either way and was
merely twirling a strand of hair with her finger, a bored expression on her face.
And Gunlaug, in his liquid gold armor, was still a silent, suppressing monolith. Throughout
the whole interrogation, he hadn't even spoken a word, revealed nothing of his thoughts, and
kept the ultimate judgement to himself. Still, our necks were off the immediate chopping
block, and as long as we were still alive, I could guarantee I could figure something out.
The walk back to the Hunter's Quarters with Gemma was utterly silent. He didn't look at us,
his shoulders tense with a frustration I couldn't quite place. Was he annoyed at us for causing
trouble, or at the order itself? He left us at the door with a grunt, not bothering to see us
inside.
I let out a long, controlled breath, the tension from the throne room finally starting to ebb. I
crossed the room and flopped backward onto my bed, arms folding behind my head as I
stared at the ceiling. Just a few minutes of quiet was all I asked for.
The door creaked open. I bolted upright, swiftly correcting my posture into something more
collected and poised. My carefully reassembled facade nearly shattered on the spot when I
saw who it was. Seishan stood in the doorway, her silt-grey skin a stark contrast to the dark
wood. Her eyes, cat-like and perceptive, swept over me with clear amusement.
She took a few silent steps into the room, her gaze lingering on me before shifting to Sasrir.
The amusement vanished, replaced by a flicker of serious assessment. She knew he was thereal danger in the room. Then, her attention returned to me, that faint, knowing smile back on
her lips.
"You have impressive nerves, little preacher," she began, her voice smooth as polished stone.
"Not many can stand before Harus's gaze, let alone under the weight of the Sun's Gaze armor,
without cracking." She paused, letting the compliment hang in the air before her tone
sharpened slightly. "But don't mistake a stay of execution for a pardon. You are still deep in
the bog of suspicion."
I simply nodded, keeping my expression neutral. I knew better than to think we were in the
clear. Her visit wasn't a social call.
She didn't wait for a question. She began to speak, her tone conversational, as if discussing
the weather. "Our illustrious Bright Lord," she said, "did not always command this castle. He
was a scavenger, like all of us once." Her eyes seemed to look through me, into the past. "He
found his power on the shore, a Transcendent Memory pried from the corpse of a dying
leviathan that had washed up from the black sea. He was the only one brave or foolish
enough to touch it."
She took another step, her movements fluid and unnervingly quiet. "He slaughtered his way
to the top. He didn't build alliances; he broke them. He didn't earn loyalty; he demanded it,
and killed those who refused." Her gaze sharpened, pinning me in place. "That is the man you
just stood before. He understands only one language: power."
Then, she delivered the piece of information that explained everything. "That is also why the
wild girl, Effie, is forbidden." A cold smile touched her lips. "She was strong. Useful. But she
refused to kneel. She would not become a subordinate." Seishan shrugged one grey shoulder,
a gesture of cold, pragmatic finality. "So, she was cut off. Isolated. Made an example of. In
Gunlaug's world, you are either a tool in his hand, or you are a threat to be removed. There is
no in-between."
"And what does that have to do with the fact you are standing before us now?" Sasrir
interrupted, faint hostility leaking through. "By your own words, meeting you like this could
also be seen as a sign of treason, of revolution. Are you trying to get us beheaded, and
yourself by extension?"
"Perish the thought," Seishan laughed daintily, holding her hand to her mouth like a pure
maiden. "I am merely here to talk to you because, since Huntress Athena is naturally out of
the equation, you must be searching for someone to take her place, yes? Your house arrest
will only last three days at most, then Gemma will lobby for you to be released. That man
was always strangely protective of his own. No different from me, I suppose."
"Why would you want to help us?"
"Because you are different from the usual pattern."
"Patterns?" I asked, keeping my voice light, playing her game. "What sort of patterns?""Oh, the usual," she said, her gaze drifting around our sparse quarters as if studying art in a
gallery. "Newcomers arrive. They keep their heads down. Or they make a delightful, holy
spectacle of themselves." She gave me a pointed smile. "But you two... you create a different
kind of ripple. The kind that, if one knows how to look, suggests a swimmer moving with a
destination in mind, not just treading water."
Sasrir didn't relent. "Your metaphors are as opaque as your skin. State your purpose."
"My purpose is the well-being of the garden," she replied, her tone shifting to one of mock
solemnity. "A good gardener notices when a new sapling isn't just growing, isn't just settling
in its' roots, but striving upwards to reach something. And she wonders, what is it reaching
for? The sun? Or something shinier?" Her eyes flicked to the ceiling, a clear allusion to the
throne room above.
"You seem to be suggesting we have ambitions we haven't declared," I said, walking the line
between denial and engagement.
"Ambitions? Such a strong word," she mused. "Let's call them... appetites. Everyone here is
hungry. Most are hungry for their next meal. A few, like our dear, exiled huntress, were
hungry for something more. For a place at a table that wasn't offered." She looked back at
me, her expression unreadable. "I find myself curious about what whets your particular
appetite, little preacher. Is it pleasures of the flesh... or seats of power?"
"We're just trying to survive," Sasrir stated flatly, a wall of cold truth.
"Survival is the baseline, shadow-man. It's what you do with your survival that determines
who you are," she countered, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "For instance,
causing a ruckus in the Eastern Sector that caused the entire local ecosystem to collapse."
I froze up at that, but hopefully managed to catch myself before I let anything slip. "What is
the blazing hells are you talking about? We weren't anywhere near the place when it went up
in flames."
"Oh, but you were," Seishan pressed, her full lips curving into a smile. "One of my sisters
saw you returning from that direction, covering in dust and dried blood. Not your own, from
the way you're looking now, so probably a monster's or a corpse's. But that old snake is very
territorial and doesn't care to go beyond it, which makes the fact it died in a different zone
entirely very strange. Unless it was provoked and lured there. And we just happen to have
someone who can move unseen and untouchable, don't we?"
Here she focused on Sasrir, and my heart hardened. I had sent him scouting around Bright
Castle of course, but made sure he specifically avoided Seishan: she had detected Sunny in
the original novel after all, and I wasn't keen on provoking her. Yet it seemed Sasrir wasn't
sneaky enough despite all our precautions. Well, that or she just asked any of the Hunters
who had witnessed Sasrir meld with the shadows. Yeah on second thought, it wasn't really
surprising she knew...
"You speak in circles," Sasrir growled, his patience visibly thinning. "Do you have a
proposal, or are you just here to waste our time during our 'respite'?""A proposal? How dreadfully formal," she chuckled. "I am merely extending an invitation to
a conversation. The guest list for such conversations is... highly exclusive. And the topics
discussed are never so crude as 'proposals'. They are more about... mutual appreciation for a
well-tended garden, and a shared interest in what new and interesting fruits it might bear."
"So you know nothing," I summarized, feigning disappointment. "You just have... suspicions.
And you're hoping we'll confirm them for you."
"Knowledge is such a heavy burden," she sighed theatrically. "Suspicion is so much more...
flexible. It allows for possibilities. For instance, the possibility that a gardener might, on
occasion, provide a bit of extra fertilizer to a promising plant, without ever needing to know
its exact species." She was offering help without ever stating it, admitting she didn't know our
full plan but was willing to invest in it.
"And what would this gardener want in return for this... fertilizer?" I asked.
"Why, to see the garden flourish, of course!" she said, her smile widening. "And to perhaps
have a favored flower remember who provided a little extra sunlight on a cloudy day when
the official gardener was... distracted." She was insinuating a future where Gunlaug was no
longer the sole authority.
"...You're putting a lot of faith in a flower that has yet to even bloom," I said, the suspicion in
my tone blunter and more human, no longer beating around the bush. Hearing this, Seishan's
smile also faded and for the first time, a cold expression took its' place on her face.
"The gardener feels they have been here far too long already, and desires to move on to
greener gardens. For this, a little bit of reshuffling is acceptable."
With that, the woman turned on her heels and left, gently closing the door behind her. Sasrir
and I stared at it silently for several seconds, making sure she was well and gone with no one
to replace her, before I let out a tired sigh and resumed my position on the bed. "Well, that
was mildly concerning."
Sasrir loomed over me. "Adam, this is no time for jokes. How did the Witch gather out our
intentions? We acted strangely compared to others, but a few nutjobs isn't rare in the Dream
Realm, so how did she specifically link us to regicide?"
"Seishan tends to think the worst of people," I waved away his concerns, literally, and let out
a yawn. "She thinks everybody is scheming and killing because that's all she is doing. We just
have to play along with her expectations and then dump her at the appropriate time. Let her
little spider of a mind spin whatever reason it wants."
"You are leaving the initiative with the enemy."
"I'm confidant in my preparations."
"You-!"Sasrir pinched the bridge of his nose before sitting down on his bed beside me. "Fine, just
promise me you will be careful. Gunlaug doesn't need much of a reason to send Harus after
their head, so please, for the love of God, don't provoke him."
"Pfft, who do you think I am, Medici? Relax, I have the whole thing figured out. We just
need to sit back, soak in the view, and everything will turn out juuuuust fine in the end..."