Rigged from the Start

Chapter 64

Double Jeopardy

Counting bricks. That is what I have been reduced to.

It's pretty amazing how many bricks go into building a torture chamber. I've already lost count several times, usually when I get to the mid-hundreds. At that point, I get distracted by the pounding headache I almost always have, pulsing bruises that refuse to stop throbbing, and stinging gashes that stopped bleeding after a while.

I was still not sure how long I had been chained to the wall of my cell beneath the Grimleal Temple, but I do know I have fallen asleep and woken up at least five times. So, at the most, five days have passed. Which would be pretty impressive given I've barely had any water or food during that period, let alone any interaction with anyone. The only person to stop by my cell was a masked Grimleal with a small cup of water and a slice of bread.

So, things could be worse. I may be famished, wounded, and feeling ill, but I haven't been tortured yet. Unless they did not intend to physically torture me. In which case, they're doing a pretty solid job preparing the ground for some mental torture.

Hunger has a way of messing with the mind, after all. Also, uncertainty; that can really mess with mental health. The worst uncertainty, though, wasn't whether I would live or not. Rather, it was whether Severa lived or not.

That question made me ache. Did Severa make it out of Doluna with Exalt Emmeryn? Was she alive? Dead? Was she stuck in the cell next to mine, unaware of the situation we were in? Not knowing was almost torture enough.

… And I just lost count of the bricks again.

A loud thunk rang through my small cell, signaling someone was coming in. I expected it was the Grimleal bringing me my meager meal. Instead, two Grimleal mages stepped in, unmasked, hoods down. Aversa and Lady Raad, of all people, entered next. While Aversa looked highly satisfied with my state of existence, Lady Raad looked unreadable.

Finally, the boss himself stepped in. At this point, I didn't feel afraid. What more could he do anyway?

"Well, well, well," I chimed, making Aversa's smile fail and Grima's eyes narrow. "If it isn't the meat suit wearing scaly? I thought I'd never get the opportunity to chat with you again. How'd that gash I gave you heal up? Nicely, I hope."

An amused smirk twitched on Grima's lips. "You've grown a spine since the last time we spoke, haven't you? I can see my daughter was a positive influence on you that way," He waved his hand to the Grimleal, Lady Raad, and Aversa. "Leave us."

Aversa blinked. "Lord Hierophant you-"

Grima shot her a harsh glare, making her shrink. With a bow, she, Lady Raad, and the Grimleal guards exited. Once the door closed with a loud thunk behind them, Grima uttered a content sigh.

"Ah, I have room to stretch out," He rolled his shoulders and trained his crimson gaze on me. "We have some privacy now, thief. How does that make you feel? Are you afraid? Trembling in your chains?"

My lips thinned. "You know, thief isn't exactly a correct title, now that I think about it. Unless you count all the pastries I stole for Gaius. Wait…" I furrowed my brow. "I suppose it is correct then."

The vile lizard chuckled. "That candy-loving bastard; you gotta love him."

"Shame you didn't."

"On the contrary, Lucky," Grima folded his hands behind his back as he took a step towards me. I swore I thought I saw a hint of remorse on his face. But, it could not be real. "He was my friend. When you told me he died there was a part of me that felt broken up about it. But, when you are opposite sides of a war, bad things tend to happen."

"Usually those bad things aren't caused by a good friend," I replied, my fists clenching tight as I hung from my chains.

Grima puffed out an annoyed breath, taking a step back. "See, we can keep doing this. Going around and around, to no end. A circular argument helps no one."

"You think I want to help you?"

"Don't be silly, I don't think you want to," A sinister gleam entered Grima's eyes. A thin, fillet knife slid down his sleeve into his hand. "But I am going to make you."

My blood ran cold and my throat constricted. Grima stepped up to me, a grin on his lips. Sweat beaded on my brow as the glint of steel caught my eye. A maniacal chuckle slipped from his lips. The cold blade pressed against my cheek, making me squeeze my eyes shut.

"Not much backbone now, hm? Don't worry, all I require is a little blood and flesh."

The knife went to my bare chest and slid beneath the skin. My breath hitched as pain flooded the area. Slowly, Grima sliced a slab of skin from me. When he was done, I felt blood running in hot trails down my torso. Sharp hisses left my lungs as my chest heaved up and down, which only made it sting worse.

"See?" I opened my eyes as Grima put the piece of me he took into a jar. "No harm done. That little wound will heal up. And, if it doesn't, well… I might actually be disappointed."

"What are you going to do?" I growled, fear and pain making my voice hiss through clenched teeth.

He pocketed the jar and smiled. "You'll find out soon enough. Now that we have gotten that business out of the way…"

A boot slammed into my crotch. I uttered a sharp yelp and sagged, my chains keeping me from falling to the ground in pain. It hurt to breathe as the sharp pain turned into a dull ache that made me squirm where I stood.

"Not a fun feeling, is it?" Grima taunted.

I uttered a wheeze. "Nope, not really," I drew in a deep, shuddering breath. "Although, I'm surprised you aren't doing your worst."

Grima smirked. "Why in my unholy name would I do that?"

"Because you're an evil psychopath hell-bent on destroying all life for some god-forsaken reason?"

Grima threw his head back and laughed. His laughter bounced off of my cell walls. Somehow, it made me feel more afraid.

He giggled a little more, trying to catch his breath as his laughter ebbed away. "Perhaps in the past. Rather, in the future, if I were to be more accurate." His hands slipped into his coat pockets. "Let me tell you a little story, Lucky."

"Oooooh, storytime in the jail cell. Thrilling," I replied dryly.

"It's the most entertainment you'll get, so enjoy it," Grima said. "You see, there's something… enlightening about what has occurred to us. Tell me, what do you do to entertain yourself, thief? Besides being around my daughter, that is?"

I narrowed my gaze at Grima. "Why are you so concerned about Severa?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Grima clicked his tongue. "Getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? Don't you want to hear the story first? Besides, you haven't answered my question."

I swallowed hard. "Truthfully, I can't recall what I like to do for fun anymore. Trying to survive takes precedence. That whole Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs thing, ya know."

That caused a puzzled expression to cross Grima's features. "Already talking nonsense? I haven't even gotten started with you, yet. Although, I'm sure a hierarchy of needs would make some sense. No wonder you little humans grow so frail when you can barely meet what you need for survival. Ha! It makes sense now."

"Says the frailest person in this room," I deadpanned.

Grima snickered. "Oh, I am only this way because Naga neglected to leave me some blood for the ritual," He winced and rolled his neck, causing a few pops to ring out from the joints. "Nothing like brute-forcing a spell that powerful. Causes a slight thrill. You wouldn't quite understand that though. Everything for you is always so exciting. Running for your life, fighting an unending tide of monsters, feeling wounds; it's all so invigorating! I mean, do you have any idea how dull it is winning all. the. time?"

I gave Grima an incredulous look. What exactly was he going on about? He noticed my puzzled expression, which made his grin waver and his shoulders fall.

"I thought you were quicker than this, Samwise," He continued, a disappointed sigh leaving his lips. "Don't you get it? I was bored! Once you've sacked one city you've sacked them all. Once you've slaughtered a hundred thousand people it all becomes meaningless violence. Bloodshed for the sake of bloodshed. There's no rush anymore."

At this point, he was pacing in front of me. A lazy stroll back and forth, crimson gaze occasionally flicking to see my reaction. His pacing paused when he continued.

"Do you want to know why I didn't cut off your little escape to Mount Prism? Because I very easily could have." He stepped to me, so close I could feel his breath on my face. "I wanted to see what would happen. I wanted to know if my progenies and my old companions had one last trick up their sleeve." Mad cackles left his lips. His breath felt cold against my face. "Little did I know that their trump card involved a thief with knowledge of time travel!

He stepped back and reached into his robes and withdrew two items that made my heart stop in my chest. The first was the tome Naga gave Lucina to open the portal. It was charred. Blackened like a lump of coal, the pages crisping and crinkling between the binding. The second was a small, folded-up sheet of paper. On the sheet of paper, I saw my name written in Anna's loopy scrawl.

"Talk about flipping the game board," Grima snickered. "You pesky little creatures knew you lost and decided to prolong the game by starting it over. You broke the original board, shattered all the pieces, and yanked a new set from out of nowhere. All a gift from dear, sweet, benevolent Naga," His amusement morphed into venom as he said the divine dragon's name. "She couldn't leave things well enough alone. I don't know if I should thank her, or find her alter and piss on it."

"Sounds to me like you should thank her," I gulped. "You don't sound very bored now."

Grima titled his head. "You're not wrong," He slipped Anna's note and Naga's tome into his robes without a second thought. "Do you know how much excitement I felt when I figured it out? Why, it was as if I was alive all over again. When I reached Mount Prism's temple, went inside, and only found two dead shepherds, I felt everything. Rage, hatred, fear, excitement; just…" He let out a wistful breath. "So fulfilling. That was only the second time in my life where I did not know what to do next. To have to think on the fly like that is beyond entertaining!"

My mouth hung open in horror. Everything, all the bloodshed, horror, terror, violence, destruction, and despair was because Grima was bored? He dragged out the world's suffering simply so he could be entertained while doing it? That realization alone was enough to make me feel sick and terrified. I was staring at a true psychopath. Even more terrifying, this psychopath had a strange fixation with me.

What does he want from me?

"So," I swallowed hard as I trembled in my chains. "Are you planning to do the same thing again? You know, Destroy the World Two: Electric Boogaloo?"

Grima chuckled. This time, he brushed a hand against my cheek, then gave it a small pat. "Oh Lucky, why would I do that? I've already played that game. You and Naga inadvertently gave me the opportunity to play a brand new one. No two games of chess are ever played the same, after all. The outcomes, the moves, the pieces gained and lost, are all different from one game to the next. Maybe the world ends again? Maybe it does not. I'm still making up my mind." He raised a finger, making me go cross-eyed as I stared at the deadly appendage. "But, I do know this: it will not happen the same way twice," His hand fell to the side and he beamed at me. "I don't know what's going to happen next. I have no idea what you Naga-spawn could be planning. And, most importantly, I am not quite ready to annihilate all of you. The start of this game is on mostly even ground. Our pieces are all set. Well… yours are. Mine? Not yet."

My stomach dropped. "W-what do you mean by that?"

Grima gave me an evil smile. His crimson eyes twinkled. With a sweep of his coat, he turned away and moved to the door. At first, I thought he would leave me hanging. Leave me wracking my brain for the answer to a question that burned my mind.

My heart stopped in my chest when he glanced over his shoulder, grinning ear to ear.

"A world is no fun if you have no one to share it with."

With those cryptic words, he left my cell. The door closed, and I was alone again. Only this time, I couldn't bother myself to count the bricks.

Six-hundred-forty-five beers on the wall. Six-hundred-forty-five bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around; six-hundred-forty-four beers on the wall…

A deep breath went in and out of my lungs. My wrists constantly ached now, along with my ankles, legs, arms, everything. Hanging by chains from a stone wall did little in terms of comfort. But, this was not the first time I have been in this situation. Although, this is the longest I've been stuck like this. Maybe, at some point, I'll atrophy enough to slip through these chains and finally be able to lie down. Oh, that would be nice.

I'll never take lying down for granted ever again. I puffed out another long breath. Six hundred-forty-four beers on the wall…

No visitors came, other than a guard stopping by with my meager daily meal. No voices kept me company, no one acknowledged my existence here. I was nothing. Cold, unrelenting silence, warm water, and stale bread had become my existence. That, and counting the imaginary beers on the wall. Of which I'm at… at…

Did I lose count again?

A heavy thunk hit my ears. I perked up. The imaginary bottles of beer faded from my mind. Why would someone be coming in? Judging by the number of beers I counted, it wasn't mealtime yet.

First Lady Raad stepped inside, surprising me. Then Tharja stepped in, surprising me even more. Finally, Aversa and Grima waltzed in, not surprising me at all. I gave those two a weak grin.

"Hello again. Come to visit little old me in your basement? Should I be flattered?"

Grima snorted. "It sounds like you've grown a bit cynical in your two-week-long solitude down here."

I arched an eyebrow. "Two weeks? That's it?" If I could lean back in my chains, I would have. "Well, if that information is not an excuse for me to be cynical then I don't know what would be. Feels like I've been down here a lifetime. Also, nice to see you Lady Raad, Tharja. How's the war going?"

"None of your business," Aversa snarled before Lady Raad could answer, earning sharp glares from both Raad women.

"Swimmingly," Grima answered, stunning Aversa with his cheery admission. "Gangrel is gathering his forces to march north against what remains of the Ylissean-Feroxi alliance near the Longfort. It's taking some time though considering General Mustafa has gone missing."

Oh, that was new.

"Has he?" I tilted my chin up. "Well, that's a nice surprise. Where do you think he ran off to?"

"Not only has he gone missing, but so has a certain dark mage I had my eye on. You might know him. His name is Henry."

I leaned forward in my chains, wincing a little as my shoulders stretched. "I didn't hear an answer to my question."

"You presume to be the interrogator here, thief?" Aversa sneered. "You are lower than dirt before the Hierophant of the Grimleal. You-"

"Oh for crying out loud, does she have to be offended by everything?" I lazily swung my gaze to her. "What are you going to do? Lock me in a dungeon?" Aversa opened her mouth but I spoke first. "Quiet now. The adults are talking."

Grima uttered a quiet chuckle. "Even after two weeks of starvation and isolation you still have some fire in you. I can respect that. And, to answer your question, I do not know where he ran off to, but I think you do."

I blinked. "Oh?"

"Care to tell us?"

I puffed out a loud breath. My jaw moved back and forth as I thought for a moment. "I'm going to need you to be more specific about what you want me to tell you?"

Grima arched an eyebrow. Aversa fumed behind him. Lady Raad looked amused, and Tharja was as silent as my cell usually was. Although, I did see her dark eyes look up from the floor to me and the rest of the cell every so often. Also, were my eyes deceiving me, or was she muttering something under her breath?

Grima's boots tapped against the floor as he drew closer to me. My lips parted in a pained smile again as I looked him right in his crimson eyes. I could faintly see my reflection in those bloody pools set in his sunken face.

I look like hell.

A flash of steel caught my eye. Pain exploded through my abdomen. Before I could scream, Grima slapped a hand over my mouth, muffling me. A knife dug into my gut, tearing and twisting as Grima held it tight.

"You will tell me where Mustafa is, now," he growled in my ear. "Am I clear?"

His hand slipped from my lips, and the knife remained in my gut. I sucked in a shaky breath, exhaled sharply, and swallowed hard, fighting to not cry out. The last thing I wanted to do was give Grima the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting me.

"Mustafa is?" Grima said.

"Where is: nowhere you can find him," I growled.

Anger flashed across Grima's face. The knife twisted in my gut. My eyes squeezed shut as burning pain washed over my entire body. A croak sputtered from my throat as I tried to take a breath, only for all my air to be forced out of my body by a sharp punch to my chest.

"You are proving to be remarkably resilient, Lucky. Or, should I call you Samwise Baggins? Although, I doubt that is your real name," Grima said. The knife slid out of me as he took a step back. Warm blood rushed over my skin as sudden weakness shot through my body. "Lady Raad, the potion, please."

Potion? What potion? A dry, pained laugh left my lips.

"If you think you can truth serum me… well, you probably can. Doesn't mean I won't fight it."

"No, no, no," Grima shook his head as he took a vial of clear liquid from Lady Raad. He held the vial aloft, gave it a small shake, then nodded, satisfied by whatever he saw within the concoction. "I am not going to give you a truth serum. After all, what is true to you could be a lie to me and vice versa. But, there is one universal constant that I have discovered. Care to know what it is?"

He popped the cork from the vial. For some reason, upon seeing the vial opened, a shiver ran up and down my spine. The hairs on my neck stood on end as he drew closer once again. My eyes were glued to the potion even as I answered him.

"That doesn't happen to be a rhetorical question, does it?"

Grima flashed a smile. "If you want it to be, then sure."

A strong hand gripped my jaw. I tried to jerk away, but Grima's grip was like a vice. He squeezed, and my lips opened. Swift as a snake, he dumped the contents of the vial into my mouth, then slapped his hand over it, keeping me from spitting it out. The liquid burned against my tongue. It felt like I had eaten hot coals. My eyes burst wide open as a scream erupted from my lungs, even though I couldn't open my mouth.

"Swallow it," Grima whispered in my ear as he tilted my head back.

The fiery liquid ran down my throat. When it was all gone from my mouth, Grima let go of me. Harsh coughs exploded from my chest as I gasped for air. My lungs felt like they were lit on fire. As the potion worked its way into my gut, heat blasted my core. Sweat built up on my bare torso as I continued to struggle to breathe.

"That will keep you alive," Grima said, patting my cheek with his hand.

"For… what?" I gasped, chest heaving.

Grima stepped back and nodded at Lady Raad, who stepped forward and produced a thunder spell in one hand. "I need to learn where that traitor Mustafa ran off to."

Lady Raad pressed the crackling spell against my skin. I hissed, teeth clenching tight as electricity pulsed through me. After a couple of agonizing seconds, she pulled her hand back.

"I also need to know everything you know about the Ylisseans," Grima continued.

The lightning touched my skin again. Blinding heat flashed over my skin. Small arcs of blue lightning arced over my chest and arms. Tendrils of smoke wafted up to my nose. It felt like I was being cooked. But I did not lose consciousness. I could not no matter how much I wanted to. Whatever potion I was given kept me awake and breathing.

When Lady Raad retracted her hand again, I let out a long groan. "Oh, if there's one thing I can say about you, it's that you're not a liar."

Grima smirked. "I never saw the point in lying when it comes to these sorts of matters. I hope you feel the same because this final question I have will be crucial," He folded his hands in front of his body. "Where is my daughter?"

The lightning pressed against me. This time, a scream tore from my throat. I convulsed in my chains as spots and stars danced in my eyes. Each second felt like an eternity. Finally, the lightning left me again.

Through my bleary, spotty vision, I saw a look of pure glee on Aversa's face, and a look of resigned acceptance on Tharja's. She bowed her head when my eyes met hers, and her lips moved again as she started muttering under her breath.

"You…" I drew in a shallow breath. "You already know where Severa is."

Grima chuckled. "True. She's with the Shepherds near the Longfort. If I were to make a bet, I'd say she's hoping to somehow rescue you, if she even believes you are still alive."

My eyes widened. So, Severa was not only alive, she was safe. She got out with Exalt Emmeryn. After days of not knowing, relief flooded me. A renewed resolve surged to life within me. I raised my trembling gaze and met Grima's crimson glare. A weak, defiant smile crossed my lips.

"Thanks for letting me know we beat you."

Grima's grin evaporated. With a vicious snarl, he yanked Lady Raad out of the way. A massive ball of condensed dark magic exploded to life in his hand. Instead of shoving it against my torso, he squeezed his fist. The ball turned into a steady stream of smoke. It shot towards my face, slipping into my nose, ears, and mouth.

All of my breath left my body, suffocated by the smoke. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't smell, couldn't scream, or even croak. I stiffened. My body then twitched on its own, as if strings I had not previously seen attached to my limbs. As I twitched, I saw the skin on my arms. My veins pulsed, turned dark by the fell magic coursing through my veins.

"As amusing as it is to see you think you won," Grima growled. "We are discussing the wrong daughter."

Terror filled me as I spotted something crawling on the floor. The smoke spilling from Grima's fist and into me was attracting little, purple and black beetles that scuttled along the ground. They chittered and chirped a terrifying song. Aversa looked less than comfortable. Lady Raad was unreadable. And Tharja… she had taken a step back towards the door.

Several of the beetles jumped onto my skin. Their legs felt like needles pricking my skin as they crawled all over me. That was when I finally uttered a blood-curdling scream. As my voice echoed through my skull, I heard Grima, not the Hierophant, speak.

"Where is my Morgan?"

I don't know when exactly I passed out. All I know is this: I'm alive, I'm in a lot of pain, and I'm still chained to a wall. Also, I did not wake up on my own. I probably would have stayed asleep had it not been for a cold hand smacking my face.

"Hey," A voice said.

My eyes opened. The entire cell looked blurry to me. Dark shadows loomed all around me. The temptation to close my eyes and pass out again felt so strong. I hung my head to do just that when sharp fingernails raked through my scalp then yanked my head up.

"Wake up, Baggins!" Tharja hissed.

My eyes widened. After swallowing hard, feeling my dry throat tighten and ache in the process, I wheezed out a single word.

"What?"

The chains gave way. I fell to my hands and knees on the cold, hard ground. As soon as I touched the ground, my entire body trembled. My hands swept over the stone floor as disbelief filled me. Slowly, my head tilted to look up at Tharja. Once again, the most intelligent word I could think of came out of my mouth.

"What?"

She yanked me to my feet. I staggered a couple of steps, my legs wobbling and knees knocking as my body learned how to walk again in the span of ten seconds. I almost had to laugh to myself. Despite major muscle atrophy, starvation, and torture; walking was like riding a bike.

"We're getting out of here," Tharja hissed.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Are you incapable of forming a proper response?" Tharja snarled before scoffing. "Doesn't matter. I don't need you to talk. In fact, the quieter you are the easier this will be for both of us. So shut up and follow me."

I nodded, content with that arrangement. Tharja pulled my cell door open. A hiss shot from her lips. Before she escorted me out, she reached for a pouch on her hip, withdrawing a leather cord and a blindfold.

"You'll have to put these on."

Now, if I was still semi-coherent, I would have rebuffed such an idea. I would have said "hell no", or "why". But, I am not in my right mind at the moment. Not only does everything look foggy, my mind feels fuzzy. So, instead of giving Tharja a rational response, I spat out the first words that came to my addled brain.

"Shouldn't you buy me dinner first?"

Rage briefly flashed in Tharja's dark eyes. She held up a finger, her nostrils flaring as she glared at me. "That is the one, and only, time you can say anything like that to me."

"Like what?"

"Oh for Grima's sake," She took the leather cord and tied it tight around my wrists. Then she wrapped the blindfold around my eyes. "Not a word," She reminded me before grasping my arm and urging me forward.

I said nothing. All I did was walk with Tharja as she walked me through hallways and up endless flights of stairs. Occasionally, I heard footsteps other than our own pass by us. Some briefly paused to speak with Tharja. She dismissed them with a curt "Raad family business", which was more than enough to send any questioners scurrying away.

The dank, musty smell of an underground dungeon eventually gave way to the dry feeling of desert air. When the sun touched my skin for the first time in weeks, it almost felt like fire. I hesitated in my steps, causing Tharja to jerk to a stop. Her grasp on my arm tightened, causing her fingernails to dig into my flesh.

"Keep moving," She growled.

I resisted the urge to say anything. Slowly, my brain was starting to de-fog. But, it would be best if I remained the quiet, obedient prisoner in the hands of the Raad family.

My bare feet strode atop scorching hot, stone pavers as we made our way out of the Temple grounds. I knew we were beyond the Temple walls when the silence in the air gave way to the constant din of street traffic. Horses whinnied and camels… what sound do camels make again? Doesn't matter, camels made their noises and... and...

Do they bleat like sheep? Or are we passing by actual sheep?

"Ah, Lady Tharja!" A voice cheerfully called.

Tharja's grip tightened again, and she hissed at the man calling to her.

"Keep it down! I'd rather not be discovered right now."

"Oh, that explains the heavier robes and mask and-"

"Do you intend to continue prattling, Elias, or are you going to hand me the reins to the camel?" Tharja growled.

"Oh, yes. And this man must be the new slave for the estate? I'm sure Kasim will be more than prepared to whip him into shape," The man named Elias chuckled. All I could do was frown at the tasteless joke.

"I'm sure he is more than prepared, but I must get going now."

I felt a rope wrap around my wrists, lying on top of the leather cord that already bound them. Next, I heard a bunch of travel gear being moved around me. A pair of straps wrapped around my shoulders and a bag smacked onto my back.

"Make yourself useful," Tharja muttered.

Following her orders, I said nothing. That earned me a sharp slap across my cheek from a calloused hand.

"What do you say to the Mistress, slave?" Elias snapped.

"Elias!" Tharja sounded close. "You are in no position to punish him." A smaller hand with long nails crashed against my cheek. "What do you say to me, slave?"

I gulped. "As you wish, milady."

Tharja sniffed. "Good," The camel made a noise and the rope tightened. "Come along now," She sounded taller than me now. Was she on top of a camel? "The estate is outside of the city grounds."

The rope jerked me forward. Soon, I was shuffling along behind a camel, still bound and blindfolded. I remained that way for a long while. Long enough for the road beneath my feet to turn from stone pavers into loose, hot, sand.

I wasn't sure how long or how far we traveled before Tharja paused. My entire body stiffened when I heard Lady Raad speak.

"Does anyone suspect?" The Raad matriarch asked.

"No, mother. Are you sure this is the right decision?"

"A life debt is a life debt," I drew back, stunned, while Lady Raad spoke to her daughter. "We do not allow such things to go unpaid. Do not fear, my child. It will all work out for our benefit in the end."

"How?"

A light chuckle came from Lady Raad. "You are smart enough to figure it out. Now go, before the Temple guard learns of what you have done. I'll do whatever I can to delay them." Sand shifted nearby, "As for you, Samwise Baggins." The blindfold was torn from my eyes. Blinding sunlight hit me. As I blinked spots from my vision, I saw Lady Raad glaring at me along with a small retinue of family guards. "Know that the debt is paid. The next time we meet, we are enemies."

"D-debt?"

A bell rang from the city. I swung my head around and saw guards scurrying atop the walls. Whatever that bell meant, it wasn't something good.

"Get moving Tharja," Lady Raad said. She snapped her fingers. "Help the frail one onto the camel."

Two of her burliest guards grabbed me and threw me like a sack of potatoes over the camel's rump. Somehow, this was the most comfortable position I have been in in a long time. It definitely didn't draw any complaints from me, which pleased Tharja and Lady Raad.

Lady Raad bowed her head. "Farewell."

The Raad matriarch and her guards turned and started moving back to Doluna. Tharja lingered a moment, her gaze focusing on the city before she turned her back and spurred the camel forward. The beast broke into a quick trot, kicking dust and sand up behind us as we raced north into the massive Plegian wastes.

Once the city was far in the distance, I sagged on top of the camel. Relief flooded me, and I uttered a long, thrilled exhale. So far, Tharja managed to spirit me away from the enemy without being pursued. Weariness flooded me as all of the stress and anxiety I had over the past few weeks ebbed away. The pain remained, but the joy I felt dulled it.

My eyes began to close. As sleep claimed me, I heard something that made me feel strange.

A quiet scratching.

And chapter! This is an early update folks. Normally, I would post on Sunday, but I am expecting to be EXTREMELY busy this weekend and therefore I thought I would get the chapter out now rather than it end up being too late. So, here ya'll go! Sam's been through hell (probably literally), but... all that stuff in our little one year layover in Plegia paid off, didn't it? Turns out, "saving" the daughter of one of Plegia's most powerful noble families has good consequences in the long run. But, I wonder if that's the entire scope of this, or if there's something else at play, hm? We'll eventually find out now won't we? Also, writing Grima like this is so much fun. Giving him more layers than he has in the game is such a treat and privilege to do. I hope you all find him just as fun to read as I find him to write.

Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!

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