Chapter 8
"So, was peeking your intention?"
"Doppy!" Whice blustered, her face again flushing red.
"Oh C'mon, I saw that look in your eye. You're totally into him aren't you?" Doppio smirked.
"I-Uhm, I…." The Dhampir trailed off as she tapped her index fingers together, swirls of embarrassment replacing her eyes.
Doppio clapped a hand over the dhampir's shoulder sporting a confident grin. "I wholly support your conquest, Whice. Just don't make Scipio cry over it too much."
"Wh-Whatever! We have more important things to discuss right now!" Whice stammered with a stamp of her foot.
"Fine….Have you found any leads?"
"I have. Though I don't know if they'll actually yield results."
"Hm?" Doppio raised an eyebrow. "Whaddaya mean by that?"
Whice instinctively folded her arms. "I managed to capture the ringleader and two goons of a slaver party I was tracking, that's how I ran into Murnax."
Doppio's face stretched in surprise. "That's some crazy luck right there."
"I know right?" Whice grinned enthusiastically. "It was a miracle I found him there, but now we have a prisoner who's gotta know the location of the Enchères de Mari!"
Doppio held her chin in thought. "Whether they're willing to spill the location or not is a whole other can of worms though."
"Mm." The Musketeer nodded. "Think you'll be able to make some kind of truth potion for them?"
"Do you have any idea how rare truth potions are?" Doppio lectured. "The Order and Sabbath branches always snatch up what few willowby leaves there are, and even if I had the herbs the process would take a month minimum."
"We don't have that kind of time.…" Whice grumbled as she mirrored her friend's chin in hand gesture.
"Did you ask Murnax if he overheard anything about it?"
"Yeah, but he didn't recall anything useful. You think I'll just have to beat it out of em?"
"You really willing to do that?" Doppio deadpanned.
Whice clenched her fist as a fire lit in her eyes. "If it's to save thousands of men and throw a wrench in Druella's schemes then without a doubt."
There it was again. That absolute resolve that inspired Doppio so much. If Whice was determined to accomplish something, she would do it.
"Hmm, realistically that's the only way to obtain information, so knock yourself out." The girl chuckled. "Just try not to knock them out too fast either."
"No guarantees." Whice giggled back. "That Dale asshole deserves a good beating anyway for roughing up my Murnax."
"'My'?" Doppio shifted her glasses down with a smug grin.
"I-I mean just Murnax!" The Dhampir bumbled, her arms drawing invisible shapes with their flailing. "Just my friend Murnax!"
"Suuure." The alchemist said with a shrug of her eyebrows
"It's not like you ha-"
"Doppio!"
The two flinched at the sudden shout and slamming of a door.
"Scipio?" She turned her head in concern. "What's wrong?"
"He's here. Saint Ozech's here." Scipio panted.
"What?!" exclaimed the chemist. "He was just here two weeks ago!"
"That's what I said! Regardless he's headed straight to our cottage his instant! I hid Murnax and our equipment in the cellar, but there's no telling what he'll do if he finds them!"
"Wait, what's going on? Who's 'Ozech'?" Whice glanced between the siblings in confusion.
"An Inquisitor of the Order." Doppio darkly answered. "He comes every month to collect tax payment through lost technology. If we don't fulfill the quota he'll massacre the village."
"What?!" Where's posture went rigid. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!"
"He wasn't an immediate problem then." Doppio quickly paced around in stress weighing her options.
"Well I'll just have to fight him off!" Whice slapped a fist on her palm. "A stupid Inquisitor doesn't stand a chance against me!"
"No!" Scipio and Doppio shouted in unison.
"Why not?! Both of you know I'm strong!"
"We can't risk him finding you here. If he sees you we're in deep trouble!" Scipio frantically explained.
"But I'm under the disguise of the Lady Crescentria! I ca-"
"Whice." Doppio huffed. "That may work for the typical peasant or soldier, but this man knows better. You really think a mid-ranking officer will believe a famous Order hero's mucking around ten thousand miles from Lescatie?"
"Bu-"
"No, Whice. You stay here, and that's that. If he finds out we have connections to the Initium Novum this village is doomed. There's another door leading up to the cellar where Murnax is, your priority should be protecting him anyways."
Whice's perfect face twisted to one of confliction. "...Fine. But if things get hairy I'm busting out there to slice things up."
"No, Whice. You stay hidden no ma-"
*knockknockknock*
"Shit, he's here." Scipio muttered. "Let's go Doppio."
The alchemist nodded as they both scurried up the stairs.
"Be careful!" Whice whispered, entering the cellar door.
All I could do was sit there in the dark and shiver. The arguing voices downstairs only heightened my dread as I white gripped my crossbow. Fuck man, I didn't think I'd have to deal with the Order this early on-, no, in fact I'm lucky I didn't encounter them first thing I got here. Still, I should've known better than to be so naive. A loud creak from behind caused me to whip around and train my weapon on the intruder.
"It's me, Murnax! Calm down!" Whice whisper-yelled as she shut the door.
"Did they brief you on everything?" I whispered back.
"Yeah," Whice curtly nodded. "We just need to stay quiet here."
Our talking fell silent as a nauseating door creak echoed above. We were right under the entranceway so staying deathly quiet was a necessity.
"Greeting, greetings!" A sickeningly cheery voice called out. "It's such a pleasure to see the two Siciliano siblings this afternoon!"
I peeked through the floorboards to see the dreaded Inquisitor with two hulking Paladins covered head to toe in armor behind him. A fist-sized glowing stone was hovering at his side, wrapped in chains. His scrawniness rivaled mine, fancy white robes with gold and navy blue trims rustling as his arms outstretched in a grandiose manner. His whole presence was deeply unsettling, hitting that weird goldilock zone of old but not too overall youthful look was lined with slight wrinkles, a tight-lipped grin painting his face like a vintage clown. Two beady eyes with an awful shine sent shivers down my back.
This guy gave me the impression of a sociopath. Or a child molester. Or both.
"Greetings, Saint Ozech." Doppio's gentle voice came from above. "What brings you here this early?"
"Oh, I humbly ask that you pardon my rude visit!" His words slow and clear. "You pair must be muddled, addled, befuddled to why I'm standing at your door!"
"Y-yes, Saint Ozech." Scipio submissively replied. "Does it have something to do with the tax?"
"Why of course!" The inquisitor responded just a little too loud. "I have come to your village to inform of a deadline decrease!"
"P-pardon?"
"'Pardon'?" The man rhetorically asked. Why, it's not proper etiquette to make one repeat themselves, young man!" His arms slithered like snakes with his words, the creepy mannerisms reminiscent of a puppet. "I've announced that there shall be a deadline decrease. Instead of every five weeks I shall come every two and bless you with my presence!"
"B-but-"
"'But'?" A slight mocking tone seeped through his voice. "What is your meaning behind the word 'But'? I acknowledge that expeditions for long lost technologies of yonder must be spine-crushing labor, but this discussion berths no room for negotiation."
Jeez, calm it with the adjectives Shakespeare.
"I think Scipio means it'll be...more difficult to fulfill your quota now." Doppio cordially replied.
"Why of course it will, that is basic human logic. To find the same quantity in less than half the time will obviously be more challenging, but you two are an intuitive pair."
"Well, it takes time to evaluate our findings." Scipio reasoned. "At least two weeks of intensive testing. We have to determine what they do, how dangerous they are, whether they even work at all."
The man's unblinking eyes twitched in response. "I don't have to repeat myself on the fact that most of your practices are considered wild blasphemy against our beloved Chief God, but she loves you all the same! You can obtain the divine pleasure of forgiveness if you use your heretical knowledge for her aide."
I grit my teeth glaring at the religious prick. The hypocritical words and threats he spouted only made me grip my weapon tighter. A firm hand clasped my shoulder, causing me to look back at Whice. Her grimace conveyed one single word.
Don't.
I broke my gaze and looked back upwards, but I felt my death stare only contort deeper.
"Why of course, we only conduct this research to aid our Lord and Savior," Doppio responded. "But it's also exceedingly dangerous to increase our trips there, the place is riddled with gremlins and automatons."
"Ah, yes. Monsters." Ozech's rictus grin died along with his cheery attitude. "Blasphemous devil spawn which irreversibly corrupts men's souls, damning them to eternal hellfire. Such vile beings deserve no less than genocide." The last part spat a glick of spit through the planks onto my glasses much to my disgust. Blood trickled from his chalk-white fist, a testament to how hard he was clenching it.
"Uhm, Mr. Ozech?" Scipio gently pointed at his fist. "I think you're bleeding at the hand."
The demonic scowl on Ozech's face faded to confusion before opening his palm. "Oh, silly me! Silly, ridiculous, humorous me!" He licked up the trail of blood to clean it off, but it only smeared all over from the action. "You must forgive me for my childish display! Tis merely a habit which I've been trying to break."
Jesus, this nutcase fuckin freaked me out. If you didn't know any better you wouldn't think twice about his pleasant demeanor, but he's clearly a lit fuse prone to psychotic mood shifts.
"Nevermind that, there is one more thing I must ask before I depart." His amiable tone and hand gestures returned as fast as they'd vanished. "Have either of you caught sight of a young man donning cherry blossoms?"
My heart froze, swallowing from overwhelming stress. I held my breath instinctively, breaking out in the worst cold sweat of my life. A soft hand enveloped mine and gave it a tight squeeze. Looking back again Whice gave me a small nod. Her eyes told me she'd protect me if worst came to worst.
"Cherry blossoms? I'm afraid neither of us has encountered anyone like that, right Scipio?"
"Yeah. But cherry blossoms? Is this person from the Zipangu continent?"
"No, actually," The Inquisitor replied. "Let's just say he's from somewhere much….farther."
"A heretical of some sort?" Doppio innocently inquired.
"A Drifter. What I can say about him is he's very high on the Order's wanted list. Equal level to the Demon Lord's generals in fact."
Another anxiety attack started bubbling under the surface. The only thing keeping me from crumpling to my knees was Whice's hand wrapped around mine.
"I thought Drifters were just myths!" Scipio exclaimed in faux surprise.
"Far from it, young man," Ozech replied. "We are also looking for two others, one in a green checker pattern shirt and another with an odd black leather coat."
"Hmm, can't say we've seen anyone with those descriptions either." Doppio sighed.
"If you haven't seen them then it can't be helped!" Ozech declared with a clap of his hands. "I shall expect astounding results from you two like always!"
"Wait, Ozech….please." Doppio pleaded. "If there's any other way we can extend the deadline I will gladly take it."
"Ah-, ah-, ah…." The shitbag wagged a finger annoyingly close to her face. "I said that there shall be no room for negotiations, yes?"
"Please, is there any other kind of payment we can offer?"
"Hmmm…." Ozech rubbed his chin in thought. "Ah!" he exclaimed, now slinking towards Doppio. "Today I am feeling most generous! I have decided on an alternative form of taxation."
"May I hear it?" Doppio nervously stuttered, the inquisitor now too close for comfort.
"In exchange for extending the deadline…" Ozech's voice now low and sleazy. "I shall accept other services." His hand slid between her legs in a disgusting manner as it started to rub against the lab coat.
*THUMP!*
Without warning The hand holding mine yanked me along as Whice exploded through the floorboards. A shing of a rapier sliced through the wood, slamming Ozech and his cronies into the wall.
"What are you doing to my friend?"
I was too bewildered to realize what happened, only noticing Whice holding me under her arm like a log. Ozech rubbed his head in pain attempting to stand up from the assault.
"Who daresatta-"
'KRRNG!'
I stumbled and fell on my ass via being put on my feet way too fast. A flash of white briefly lit up the room with a weird shifting sound. Whice was now in front of the knocked down inquisitor trying to stab through a stone wall that wasn't there prior.
"Not only do you attack a diligent subordinate of the Chief God, you have the audacity to INTERRUPT HIM?!" Ozech twisted his fingers in a weird handsign prompting the chained rock to quiver. A large stone spike jutted out from the barrier near impaling Whice before she leaped back.
"-amn elemental" I heard her murmur as she skidded next to me. The behemoth knights were finally back on their feet, guarding Ozech in a defensive position. He and I locked eyes for a moment before his face went total nightmare mode.
"It's him. It's-him-it's-him-it's-him-it's-him-IT'S-HIM!" shrieked the inquisitor, furiously jabbing a finger at me. "SEIZE HIM BATHOS!"
The Paladin to his right lowered his sword preparing to charge. I tensed up in fear as Whice jumped in front of me forming a pflug stance.
"Take Murnax and evacuate the residents!" She shouted.
A faint "Got it!" was barely audible over the Paladin's deafening roar. Without warning a bronze appendage wrapped around my waist and yanked hard left. A flash of purple was followed by a loud boom, Scipio and I bursting through a freshly formed opening in the cottage side.
"Put him somewhere safe, I'll evacuate everyone!" Scipio threw me at his sister now wearing a jetpack...thing? With a yelp I landed in a giant mechanical hand which closed around me in a safe but secure grip.
"Finally, I can put this gremlin mecha to use!" Doppio exclaimed. Glowing thrusters purred before throttling full force as we shot into the sky.
"IS WHICE GONNA BE OKAY?!" I shouted through the turbulence.
"I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE-"
*SLAM!*
A huge mass collided with us from behind, damaging the machine and sending us careening towards the ground. I'm pretty sure I blacked out a couple times before we made impact, the mecha violently bounce-rolling twenty some feet before slamming into a tree.
Wuuuh, everything's spinning. The mecha's fingers around me limped open and dropped me to the grass. Everything hurt like hell, but thankfully nothing seemed broken. I clutched my head and took deep breaths trying to calm the nausea only to see Doppio's state.
"Doppio! You Okay?!" I lighty shook her shoulders in stress. Blood trickled from the side of her head as she tried to stay awake, one of her lenses cracked beyond repair..
"Go….escape…" Was all she could muster before her head bobbed a final time.
"Doppio!" I shouted in panic. I started tugging at the straps holstering her, only for a slow clap to draw my attention.
"Well...well...well." An insane voice called out. "I had my suspicions of the Siciliano siblings hiding machinas, but never would I have guessed a holy Drifter!"
Ozech was slinking towards me with a Paladin-, no, a giant by his side. The suit of armor somehow doubled in size to at least twelve feet tall, and the leaking pebbles from the joints made me realize the wearer was composed of dirt and stone.
Ozech stretched his arms towards the sky, looked upward with that same rock creepily pulsing next to him. "Oh Divine Chief God of our holy theocracy, I thank you! I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for which you have guided me to the Fourth!"
I cradled my friend as he lowered his head and arms, grinning his puppet smile way too hard.
"We have much to discuss, Murnax."
"Tch!"
Whice's grimace curled deeper with each attack. Her rapier wasn't meant for parrying a sword the size of a coffin. No matter how many times she cut it the blasted thing just kept reforming itself.
While she was busy with one knight Ozech mounted the other and launched towards Doppio and Murnax. Paranoia fueled her psyche from hearing a faint thud in the sky. She wanted, needed to go after them, but the golem was keeping her grounded.
Whice again tried to get close and cut the armored knight's joints, but the massive sword prevented her from closing the distance. Luckily it was like her Stepfather; big, slow, and stupid. Bathos swung a low horizontal swing, only for Whice to jump over and land on the sword's fuller. With its sword stuck in the wall she stabbed through it's exposed neck, concentrating her mana into the rapier.
A blinding white emitted from the golem's breastplate as the rocks inside were reduced to dirt. The limbs and head fell off the torso due to lack of support.
Bad idea.
Now a disembodied suit of six pieces, the limbs flailed furiously in an effort to flatten her. Whice skipped out of the way from the two legs kicking hard against the walls, causing the whole cabin to creak. Meanwhile the arms stood upright and balled into fists, repeatedly pounding against the floor. A stray kick barely tapped her foot, tripping her onto the floor. Instead of writhing in pain Whice rolled left to right dodging an arm trying to pound her to death. Another random kick flattened the side pipes causing pink and green gases to spill into the room.
In the smokescreen Whice got to her feet and sidestepped for her life. While she was busy the dirt slinked out of the chest plate, attaching and dragging the limbs back together. The arms and legs clinked back in place, the Paladin standing up looking no worse for wear.
I need to cut off the source. Whice thought. Bathos would just keep rebuilding itself as long as the spirit energy link still existed. She needed to kill the user.
"Screw it." Whice attempted to dash out the cottage towards Doppio, only for the golem to extend its arm like a tendril. The appendage wrapped around her leg and yanked back, brutally slamming her against the wall.
Her hazy vision saw two giants overlapping, as if unable to decide whether they were separate or one. The Dhampir's senses rejuvenated just in time, leaping out of the way of the sword which nearly cleaved her in half.
Now standing on her feet, Whice growled in determination as she charged back at the enemy. The pseudo-knight horizontally swung its sword in another broad stroke, but the Musketeer ducked under the blade last second. Sliding under the Bathos's outstretched arm she counterattacked with her own slash under the armpit. The crumble of dirt along with the clang of a blade hit the ground as the arm was chopped clean off.
"Not getting it this time!" The musketeer quipped and kicked the sword across the room. The swordswoman rolled out of harm's way just in time as the golem's other arm smashed her spot through the floor. Bathos's other arm hoisted itself up and reattached itself via the shoulder.
Various stones started rolling towards Bathos's sword. Whice stabbed as many as she could, but the ones that got through started inching the weapon towards its owner.
"Not again…" Whice grumbled, flicking her stone-kabob to fling the rocks off. She didn't have time for this, Murnax and Doppio were in trouble, not to mention the townspeople.
I can't afford to use that move, it's too taxing….
Seeing the giant trying to pull his fist out of the floor where he'd smashed gave her an idea.
"What if…That might work!"
Whice backed up to the wall and jabbed her sword through the floorboards. A crafty grin lined her face as she sprinted along the perimeter of the room, dragging her rapier along the planks.
With its sword now retrieved Bathos pivoted around like a clock tracking Whice. The sword repeatedly sparked against the walls trying to impale the dhampir, but its compromised position and slow movements couldn't match her agility.
After running the room's entire perimeter with her rapier Whice stopped at the busted cottage opening. The golem grunted and roared, furiously swinging his sword at the girl just out of reach.
"Bye-bye, Mr. Stoney!" the Dhampir waved with a chipper tone. The floor slightly shifted, halting Bathos's attacks. The brute looked down at the floorboards in confusion, only for the planks to collapse underneath and fall into the bottom floor.
Whice wasn't finished yet. She steadied her breathing and focused her mana to her rapier, the blade now a shining white. With a clean backflip the musketeer leaped away from the house into a spinning ball, emitting two diagonal slashes followed with a single vertical one. Three large crescents phased through the cabin, seemingly unaffected before the structure completely collapsed.
"Try crawling out of that, Rocky." Whice snarked with a grin.
But Murphy's law loved people who spoke too soon.
A faint rumblerumble could be heard over the settling debris. The Musketeer looked into the pit of rubble to see tiny pebble pillars forming at the corners.
"Oh, you gotta be shittin' me…"
On the bright side that bought her some time to rush to Murnax and Doppio. Even when Bathos got out there's no way it'd be as big, nor would it have its armor or sword.
The stench of smoke drew her attention away from the pile to Aubernbeuge. Her eyes narrowed in horror upon seeing the village; cottages were burning, people were fleeing, and man-sized golems were murdering. A blur of movement zipped between buildings like a spider, snatching up townsfolk as it bobbed and weaved through the boulder-men. It was Scipio.
Whice clenched her fists as she weighed her options. Help the villagers or help Murnax? Murnax and Doppio were obviously the priority here, but even with Scipio many would definitely die without her help. Even so, just sitting here debating this trolly problem was hurting both sides. She needed to make a choice. Now.
"Whicehelpme!" A hysterical voice screamed in the distance. The dhampir's fair skin paled even whiter when she recognized its owner.
That desperation belonged to someone who was about to die.
She ultimately turned around and sprinted towards Murnax.
I'm sorry Scipio...be safe.
Holy shit, writing action scenes is hard. Hopefully it was easy to visualize the fight, I edited out a shit ton of purple prose which took soo long. I also apologize if the dialogue in the first half felt dragged out, I feel I have a problem making them too long and therefore boring. Next chapter will focus on my SI's side of the battle of course. Look forward to next friday!