Heart of Dorkness

Scourge Twenty - Situation

Scourge Twenty - Situation

Im a bit worried about leaving Bianca on her own. Well, technically shes with Esme, but Esmes still snoring despite her face being wet from the water we splashed on her. I can tell shes starting to wake up, but its going to be a minute.

Bianca asks me to stay in the room for a minute while she dresses. While sliding into her skirts and blouse she says that its inappropriate for people of our station to see each other dressing, but under the circumstances she thinks that a bit of impropriety is the lesser evil.

Once shes all dressed up and armed with the assassins dagger, I nod to her and head out to find Felix.

I find my friend still in the dining room talking to Teo while mopping a plate clean with a chunk of bread. Hey, she says as I get closer.

We have a situation, I say.

What sort of situation? Teo asks.

For a moment I consider brushing him off. I bet if I say its a girl problem he'll clamp right up and let us figure things out. On the other hand, Teo has been pretty helpful. I glance around to make sure there arent too many ears nearby, then I lean forwards so that only Teo and Felix can hear. Someone just tried to kill Bianca, Inigo and Esme, I say.

Teo sits up straighter. Is this a joke? he asks. Because if it is, its in bad taste.

Val wouldnt joke like that, Felix says. You need help with the body?

I nod. Felix really knows how to be a good friend.

Teo stands up. We need to report this, he says.

I reach up and clamp a hand on his shoulder, stopping him mid-motion. Come with us first. Were going to wake up Inigo and interrogate him.

And the assassin? he asks.

Is a bit too dead for interrogating, I say.

He looks at me, meeting my eyes through my hood. Youre serious, he says.

I roll my eyes. Obviously, I say.

I lead the pair of them back through the barracks and to the infirmary. When we near the door, Felix starts sniffing at the air. Smells good here, she says. Like bacon.

Thats the assassin, I say as I arrive at the door. I knock, a quick pattern that both Felix and Esme would recognize. Hey, Bianca, its me, I say.

Something clunks on the other side of the door, and soon it opens up, revealing Bianca standing with a hand behind her back, no doubt holding onto some weapon. Esmes sitting on the edge of her bed, rubbing her face.

The bodys been shoved to the side, and theres a chair in Biancas other hand. I guess she used it to block the door.

We slip into the room and Bianca replaces the chair.

You really did kill someone, Teo says as he stares at the body.

Bianca did all of the hard work, I say. All I did was stab him a few times with some magic. Id venture a guess that he didnt have any skills that made him tougher. Just stealthier ones.

I didnt get the opportunity to observe his classes while he was on me, Bianca says with noble detachment. She flicks up the knife to display it. He had this on him, as well as some symbols of the church of Altum. The knife isnt anything special as far as I can tell.

Did he have a sheath for it? I ask.

Yes, Bianca says.

I nod. You should keep it. Spoils of war and all.

Bianca eyes the knife for a moment, then shrugs and walks back up to the corpse. She kneels down and starts to undo the mans belt to free his sheath.

Teo rubs at his face for a moment, then takes a deep breath. We need to get moving. Ill tell Esteban, and we can load up the carts right away. If were fast, we can be out of the outpost and a few hours down the road before anyone realises what happened.

That sounds like an idea, I say. But before that, we need to find out what the assassin came here to learn.

Unless you know some sort of necromancy, Teo says with obvious disgust. Then we wont be learning that unless we ask those that sent him, and Im not keen on doing that. I saw the group from the church coming in last night. They have a paladin or two in their midst. Cultivators that can likely take us all on.

I meant that we should ask Inigo what he knows, I say. Esme, you up?

Yeah yeah, Esme says. So, uh, someone tried to kill us?

I think it was mostly Inigo. We were just in the wrong room, I say. Can you check on him?

Esme nods and jumps to her feet. Teo turns a bit on seeing that shes still in her nightgown, a blush touching his cheeks. Honestly, there are more important things going on that matter more than a bit of modesty. People are so stuffy around here.

We move closer to Inigo with only Felix staying behind to guard the door. Esme touches the mans cheeks and leans over him to feel his breathing. Hes not feverish or anything, and his colours a lot better, Esme says. I think hes just sleeping deeply.

Think we can wake him up? I ask.

Esme shrugs. Im not that well versed in medicine. I cant say if that would be safe or-- she pauses to yawn. --not, but I can give him a jolt. Thatll wake him up, I bet.

I glance to the others to see if anyone has a better idea, and on seeing nothing but blank faces, I nod to Esme.

She places her hands over Inigos chest, fingers placed in very specific spots, then she takes a deep breath. Theres a snap and Inigo gasps. His arms flail around, but hes still weakened and Teo and I both catch his arms and legs and press them back down onto his cot.

What? Whats? Where am I? Inigo asks. He sounds lost, which I suppose it only fair. He tries to bolt upright, but we manage to hold him down by pinning him to the bed. No, let go of me.

Hey, calm down man, youre fine, youre safe, Teo says.

His eyes are dilated weird, Esme says. I think he might still be a bit rough.

Inigo calms down. Im not at the outpost, he says. Its more of a statement than a question.

Youre not at your outpost. Were further south, Teo says. We brought you with us, to get you healed up. You were the only person at Shortbend. We need to know what happened to the others.

Inigo starts muttering. Its a prayer to Luito.

Hey, Mister Inigo, I say. Come on, stay with us. We need to know who wants you dead so bad.

Dead? he asks. Right, dead. They were dead, but only for a while.

Uh-huh, I say, encouraging him on. Do you know if Altum has anything to do with it?

Inigo gasps. The travelling priests. They came and offered the others wine. We took it, all of us. It was good wine, good wine that killed us.

I send a glance to Teo. Hes frowning, brows drawn together on his forehead and lips turned down. This is all hearsay, from a very sick man, he says. But, theres a dead assassin on the floor there, and I never rightly trusted Altums people.

Why would Altums worshippers kill people? Esme asks.

Felix is the one that answers. Aint he the necromancer god?

Well... thats great, I say. Anyone else have this creepy feeling that Altums creating an army of the undead?

Thats ridiculous, Teo says. The dead cant worship. Besides, thats a big leap to go from killing the members of an outpost to creating an army.

Yeah, but I bet they make for good followers, I say. A gods power isnt just based on the number of people following them. If that was the case, then Mom would be super weak since shes basically not worshipped at all.

Teo leans down next to Inigo. Youre coming with us, he says. Were going to need to sneak you out of here.

Theyre here? Inigo asks.

They are. And theyve tried to kill you already. He gestures to the dead assassin. Im going to wrap you in blankets and carry you out over my shoulder. Gods know you cant weigh much, skinny as you are. Well need you to stay mum while I carry you, can you do that?

Inigo nods. I can. Lutos kept me alive this long, I wont spurn his gift by making myself known.

Good man, Teo says.

We wrap Inigo up in some additional blankets until hes entirely hidden, and then Teo hikes him up onto his shoulder in a firemans carry.

Now we just need to sneak out of this entire outpost, I mutter.

Sneak? Felix asks. I think itll be easier if we just walk out, bold as day. Thats how all the best sneaks did it, back in Santafaria. Grab what you want and just walk out.

I snort. Well see if that holds up here too.

***