Primrose didn't care who was watching her as she stared at the man with the crow tattoo. This was it. She had been waiting for this night for the past ten years, and at long last, the time had come where she would be able to exact her revenge. This man had played a part in the murder of her father, and she was going to carve her dagger into his chest for what he had done. All she had to do was find a way to get him alone and then reach for the knife that was hidden beneath her skirt. Everything would fall into place from there.
The man started to walk towards the door of the tavern soon afterwards, and Primrose felt all of the air in the room get caught in her chest. No, this couldn't be happening. He couldn't just leave that way. She had to catch him and make him pay for what he had done to her father. This was what she had spent so many years waiting for, and she had to make sure that justice was served. She couldn't go another ten years uncertain as to if she would ever be able to carry out the retribution that had become her life's purpose. She had to do it then and there regardless of who got in her way.
Primrose was running towards the front of the building before she could stop herself, the pitcher of water abandoned on the nearest table. She was about to reach out for the knob when an arm stuck out in her path, stopping her in her tracks immediately.
"And where do you think you're going?"
If the arm weighed down by ornate jewelry wasn't enough to show Primrose who her new foe was, the familiar voice of Helgenish was. She turned to see him blocking her path while making as little of a scene as possible. His eyes were trained against her in one of the firmest glares that she had witnessed in a long time, but she could barely bring herself to care. Desperation was mounting in her chest. The man was out on the streets of Sunshade. That meant that he could be gone with the crowd in the blink of an eye, and she wouldn't have a guarantee as to if she would be able to find him again. It was now or never, and she knew it.
Helgenish was seemingly ignorant as to her internalized plight, almost ironic given how he claimed to be able to see every little thought that passed through Primrose's head. "So curious about that man, are you? Was it love at first sight, kitten?" he asked. He was on the verge of laughing at seeing her suffering, as if seeing a mighty bird of the skies trapped beneath his heel was enough to feed whatever twisted desires fueled his every action.
"Master..." Primrose whispered softly, hating how weak and feeble her voice sounded when it left her lips. She almost contemplated taking her dagger out and killing Helgenish then and there, but that would only lead to her getting caught before she found the ability to fully carry out her plan. She had to stop all three of the crows, and killing Helgenish before an audience would bring a halt to her mission faster than anything else.
Her murderous urges went unnoticed by Helgenish as the man continued, his face still contorted into a sickening sneer. "You wouldn't think of abandoning the stage and your customers before the night is through, now would you?" he asked. He didn't want for a response, instead just turning Primrose around after positioning his hands on her shoulders. "Back to work, Primrose." He pushed her back towards the rest of the tavern effortlessly. "I trust I don't need to repeat myself. You do remember what happens to the wicked little kittens who cross me, don't you?"
Primrose nodded and took a step away from him, trying to pretend that the rest of the tavern's noises weren't converging on her mind and leaving her life as little more than a haze of static secondary to her mission. She approached the table where the pitcher was waiting for her and reclaimed it, trying to ignore the way that her hands shook with something between shock and rage at Helgenish's actions and the man of the crow finally appearing before her. Helgenish left soon afterwards, gone with a simple opening and closing of the tavern door.
Primrose stared down at the wine in the pitcher for a long minute, struggling to keep her rage from boiling over. There was no way to say that she was going to get this chance again. It had taken ten long years for her to finally find the man with the crow tattoo, and a majority of that time had been spent in Sunshade, waiting for the stars align in the perfect way that would allow her to see him. Helgenish was clearly acquainted with him given the way that he smirked and laughed at Primrose's struggles, and this meant that he was just another obstacle in her course for revenge. Damn it all, she had to get out there and kill the one behind her suffering, but she wouldn't be able to get past Helgenish. If she was spotted, then-
"Prim? What's the matter?"
Primrose nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt the hand on her shoulder, and she glanced behind herself to see Yusufa standing nearby, concern written all over her face. "It's not like you to look all flustered like this," Yusufa commented, her worry only fueled further by the panic that had crossed Primrose's face at the sudden contact.
Primrose opened her mouth to try and explain, but the words refused to form. Luckily for her, Yusufa just shook her head and smiled gently. "You don't need to tell me. For you to risk angering the master like that, it must be something important," she said. After a brief pause, determination flashed in Yusufa's eyes. "Leave it to me. I'll keep him busy. You slip out the back door on the upper floor."
Primrose just stared at Yusufa, her heart pounding in her ears. She couldn't believe that Yusufa was willingly offering to help her of all people. All of her nonsensical musings about Yusufa's acts of kindness came rushing back to her, but in the end, they were shoved to the wayside by one thread of certainty among the chaos. "You shouldn't get involved. You will put yourself at risk," Primrose said cautiously. She couldn't tell if she was talking more about the man with the crow tattoo or Helgenish, and visions of murder on the actions of both parties flashed behind her eyes in a sudden, violent series of remembrances.
Yusufa frowned and shook her head. "Look, Prim. Maybe you don't tell me what you're thinking, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm on your side and always will be," she assured Primrose, a smile of pure generosity spreading across her lips.
"On my... Side?" Primrose echoed, still not believing what she was hearing. She didn't know why Yusufa was being so nice to her, and she couldn't help but feel as if she was missing out on something crucial. Suddenly, the pouch beneath her skirt felt much heavier under the influence of the handkerchief that Yusufa had given her just a short while prior (even if it felt like a thousand years had passed already).
"When the other girls would pick on me and tell me to know my place... You were always the one who stood by me," Yusufa explained, her expression softening into something gentle and sincere. "You never say much... You're always so distant. Aloof, even. But I know you just don't want to burden others with your troubles. I know you better than you think, Prim. And I know that, deep down, you have a good heart."
Primrose watched Yusufa in confusion, not understanding in the least why the other girl was so overcome with emotion when she spoke of her. Nothing about Yusufa seemed to make sense, and her analysis of Primrose was striking and perfect in a way that almost unsettled her. "A... Good heart?" Primrose asked, hating the way that her stomach churned at those words. She was seeking blood, so she hardly fell into the category, but Yusufa seemed to believe it with such conviction that Primrose almost wanted to have faith in her too.
Yusufa nodded in response, her eyes so full of hope and love that it made Primrose think her vision was growing dark with disbelief. Still, Primrose managed to take a few steps in the direction of the stairs that would take her to the back entrance. "Yusufa, I... Thank you." Primrose couldn't bring herself to say much else, and she dashed up the stairs as quickly as she could manage without attracting too much attention. Primrose couldn't tell if she was running towards the man with the crow tattoo or away from Yusufa's eyes that confused her with how kind they were despite being directed at someone as disgraced and fallen as she was.
Yusufa watched Primrose's departure from the bottom floor of the tavern, and she just let out a small laugh from behind her hand. "Always a woman of few words," Yusufa commented simply. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Olberic hated Sunshade the instant he set foot in the dreadful excuse of a town.
He had heard all of the rumors about Sunshade and then some. The place was sickening at best and downright disgusting at worst, and Olberic wanted to be rid of the town immediately. There weren't any other towns for miles though, and Sunshade was their only option if they wanted to have a roof over their heads overnight. Olberic glanced over at the rest of his party to see if they were anxious as well. Ophilia's expression was notably uneasy, and she seemed to retreat in on herself when she noticed the way that the probing eyes of passerby glossed over her. Cyrus was unreadable and analytical, searching for the nearest shop for them to replenish their supplies from many battles with monsters. Tressa reached down to examine a few leaves that had been dropped on the ground, and she shoved them into her pocket when no owner appeared before her eyes.
Olberic's eyes found the tavern soon afterwards, and he was almost desperate when he turned to the rest of the group, trying to usher them in the right direction. Being out in the open was a death sentence in Sunshade, especially with two young women such as Ophilia and Tressa. Olberic just wanted them to be safe, and that involved minimizing their time in Sunshade as much as possible. They would duck into the inn, stay there overnight, and leave as soon as they were able to when morning arrived. Olberic made a silent note to start focusing on buying camping gear when they were out of Sunshade. For the time being, they had to keep moving. He refused to stay in Sunshade any longer than they had to, and having camping gear would minimize such concerns in case they came across unfortunate towns in the future.
Olberic's hand practically never left his sword's hilt as he started to walk in the direction of the inn. Ophilia followed in his shadow like a duckling desperately trailing in the footsteps of its mother. Tressa's eyes were careful, making it clear that she was starting to understand that something was wrong. Cyrus remained at the back of the party, trying to find anything else of note that would aid them in their travels.
Olberic's gaze settled upon something unexpected as they moved towards the inn. At this time of the night, he expected all of the dancers in the town to be down at the tavern to fulfill the darkest whisperings about Sunshade's nighttime activities. He certainly didn't anticipate a woman in resplendent red moving in the shadows of the back alleys of town with panic etched across her face. It was almost concerning that she was so nervous, and Olberic found himself staring out of worry for her. Ophilia noticed the dancer from her place behind Olberic, and she watched with wide, agitated eyes as well when the woman settled herself behind the shadow of a rock that overlooked a back exit of the town where two men stood in the gentle glow of torchlight.
Primrose's fingers pressed against a rock that bordered Sunshade. The town was carved into the middle of nowhere inside the Sunlands of southern Orsterra with large rocks that hid the town from the light of day and masked the darkest activities that took place between ignorant eyes. Primrose used the landscape to her advantage to ensure that she wasn't seen by Helgenish or the left-handed crow while still being close enough to overhear their conversation.
Her suspicions about the two of them knowing one another were being confirmed with each passing second. The crow man was the one to speak first, his voice so casual that it almost seemed criminal. "You will bring the women I need-won't you now?" he questioned, his voice the same unsettling cadence that it had been ten years prior. "Competent help is so hard to come by these days. Whatever is a man to do?"
Helgenish, so in charge of every situation normally between his imposing aura and domineering behavior, actually flinched and stammered under the gaze of the crow man. "I-I can assure you, m'lord, I am doing all that I can-"
The man shook his head to silence Helgenish, and his voice took on an almost dangerous quality. "Helgenish. We are friends, are we not?" he asked, each word a threat dripped in nauseating honey. "Friends take care of one another, yes? They do not... Disappoint each other."
Helgenish was starting to squirm more openly because of the man's words, and Primrose would have enjoyed it if she wasn't quite so filled with rage at the sight of the crow man going about his life so casually when he had ruined hers all those years ago. "I-I will do everything in my power-"
"I saw a fine dancing girl in the tavern. I would rather like such a girl for my own," the left-hand man remarked. "The girl in the red. She truly was splendid... And she would do well to fit my own ends."
Primrose could have sworn that she saw red, the same bright and dangerous color as both her dress and the blood that had been spilled from her father's body, but she did her best to stay grounded. Her fingers dug into the rocks to ensure that she didn't lose focus completely. As soon as her vision returned in full, she focused in on the sight of the left-handed crow man and the one who bowed so eagerly to his whims.
"Bring the women to Stillsnow," the man with the crow tattoo said, starting to walk away through the tunnel found nearby. He paused after a few steps before turning his head over one shoulder to look at his companion. "And Helgenish? Try not to keep me waiting."
"B-But of course, m'lord!" Helgenish squeaked despite his regular aura of power. The man with the crow tattoo disappeared into the tunnels of Sunshade, a series of caverns that offered an alternate route to the outside of town in case someone didn't want to be seen. It wasn't a recommended route because of how many monsters were found inside, but due to the man's experience with killing, it likely didn't matter in the least to the man of the crow.
Helgenish turned to start walking back towards the tavern afterwards, and Primrose pressed herself as hard against the rock nearby that she could while praying that he didn't see her. Luckily, Helgenish passed her by and kept moving on his merry way.
Primrose stared into the Sunshade tunnels with horror in her heart. Her chest was tight, but she knew that she had to do this. The man was waiting for her, and she was going to get to him. Worst case scenario, she knew his destination. Stillsnow. Heaven above, she finally had what she needed, and she was going to find the victory and vengeance that she had been searching for all those years.
Olberic was still staring at the dancer when she was suddenly overcome by relief. He didn't understand what it was that had caught her attention, but a man overdressed in jewelry soon answered his question, and Olberic found his hand curling tighter around the hilt of his sword as Helgenish came closer. Everything about the man was dangerous, and Olberic could feel it deep in the core of his body.
Olberic felt like he was going to scream when he saw Helgenish stop and face in their direction. "Sweet girls you are... Lovely little kittens," Helgenish commented, his eyes finding Ophilia and Tressa in a way that seemed downright criminal to Olberic. "Are you in search of work? I would be more than happy to provide."
Ophilia was stuck to her spot in pure terror, cowering within the hefty shadow left behind by Olberic's broad shoulders. Tressa's lips curled into an agitated snarl, and Cyrus stuck out an arm in front of her as a way of covering her from Helgenish's eyes as much as possible. "I would advise you to keep moving, good sir," Cyrus said, his voice somehow more threatening than Olberic would have thought possible. There was a fierceness to his eyes that was murderous, and he wouldn't hesitate to lash out at Helgenish if he was given the reason. That much was clear as day.
Helgenish was clearly on the verge of snarling back some witty remark that would only aggravate the rising conflict between himself and Cyrus, but he backed off as soon as he saw Olberic's hand on his sword. Helgenish, for all of his dark curiosities, seemed to have at least some sense of self-preservation. He was a coward, but he knew when to quit when push came to shove. Instead of snapping back at Cyrus, he grumbled something Olberic would rather not repeat under his breath before storming off, leaving the party of four alone once more.
"Disgusting," Cyrus muttered angrily with a shake of his head. Tressa's anger was boiling over, as if she had half a mind to go after the man that had harassed her with an arrow nocked against her bow. Ophilia remained shaky, and Olberic placed one hand on her shoulder as a way of doing what he could to soothe her fears. The tension in her body started to dissipate soon afterwards, and she gave him a grateful nod.
Olberic's attention moved to the dancer in red next. She had to be involved with Helgenish somehow, and the strange blend of emotions in her eyes made it seem as if there was something wrong involving Helgenish. It was Olberic's sense of justice that prompted him to move in her direction, Ophilia, Cyrus, and Tressa trailing after him for matters of safety and curiosity.
The dancer was starting to return to her full height when Olberic arrived at her side. "Are you alright?" he questioned, eyes overflowing with concern. "We saw that man come by from this direction, and I doubt he was up to anything good."
Primrose was flustered at first before she managed to regain a grasp on her composure. "I'm doing well enough, kind travelers," she said, though it was clear by her tone that everything about her had become stilted and uncertain as a result of Helgenish's actions. "However, I have other business to attend to, I'm afraid, and I cannot linger here for long."
"It's because of that pompous boil in the satin, right?" Tressa questioned, her hands crossed over her chest. Somehow, her rage had only grown at the mention of Helgenish, and her face was so red that Olberic almost feared that she was going to explode if she was pushed too much harder.
Primrose's eyes shifted in the direction of the tunnels nearby once again. "He is connected with someone who I know as my enemy. I cannot stay here. I have to go and find him before he leaves town," she explained hurriedly, clearly desperate to leave. Her previous mask of composure had been pulled away, stripped by the tragedy of circumstance, leaving her seeming somewhat bare by comparison to how she would have been under better circumstances.
Ophilia let out a small gasp, and she glanced up to the dancer as she tried to retreat. "Let us help you!" Ophilia cried out. Primrose turned to face her, flabbergasted at the proposal, before Ophilia cleared her throat and explained. "I... We would like to come with you. Is that alright?"
For a long moment, Primrose just stared at Ophilia, confused as to what it was that she was implying. She glanced in the direction of the other members of the group as well before her expression slipped into determination. "If you're going to come, I suggest following me now. We don't have a moment to waste."
Her name was Primrose, Ophilia learned.
The Sunshade tunnels had offered the perfect chance for the dancer to explain herself. Her words were hasty, and all she really said was that she was in search of someone who had harmed her greatly in the past. Still, Ophilia was more than glad to hear her story, and something inside of her said that this was what she needed to do.
The Ember was the reason for her deciding to follow Primrose in the first place. That was something she had noticed previously when she met the other members of their party; the Ember glowed when it was around someone who Ophilia felt oddly attracted to, as if there was a thread of destiny keeping them all close together regardless of how impossible such a thing sounded. It had offered light when Ophilia met Primrose, and she knew that this was something that she had to do. Primrose needed their help whether she was willing to admit it or not, and Ophilia was more than happy to contribute how she could, whether that be through regular means or otherwise.
Primrose was also quick with a dagger. That was the second truth that Ophilia learned. Once she found herself in her element, Primrose's skills in battle came to her fluently, and all it took was a simple slash of her dagger across the throat of a monster to end everything. She was without hesitation and without mercy, knowing her purpose and always pursing it regardless of what threatened to get in her way. It was as admirable as it was terrifying.
Primrose was a woman of few words, preferring to keep to herself where possible. The way that she moved through the tunnels of Sunshade made it terrifyingly clear that she was a dangerous woman, and Ophilia stared from afar, uncertain as to how she was meant to approach this mystery dancer. Primrose hadn't explained much about her purpose beyond the fact that she was searching for someone that had wronged her, and Helgenish was seemingly a symptom rather than the sickness. Her dagger was carved with a handful of words, but Ophilia was too far away to fully read them, not that she wanted to invade Primrose's privacy to do so in the first place.
"I've heard many things about the town of Sunshade," Olberic remarked simply in the lull of time between attacks from monsters within the caves. Nearby, Tressa leaned over and pulled a chest open from its place among the rolling sands of the tunnels.
"The rumors are likely true," Primrose commented, her lips turning up into a dead smile that refused to fully influence her eyes. The way that she walked, as if she was always putting on a show with no way of backing away from the alluring power of her own performance, was silent confirmation as to this much.
"That man is the owner of the tavern of Sunshade, I presume?" Olberic prompted. He grunted when he saw a nondescript beast lunging towards him, and all it took was a quick stab of his blade to finish off the monster in question. Primrose watched him with a raised eyebrow, surveying his every motion the way that she had come to do with all of them since their departure from the town itself.
"Helgenish," Primrose stated simply, and Ophilia knew that this had to be the name of the mysterious man that had harassed her and Tressa upon their arrival in the town. Somehow, the name sounded just as vile as he was. "He does many things, though I suppose that phrasing could easily be applied to many of the people who live here in Sunshade. It's hardly a place that you would want to find yourself in during the later evening... On that subject, what is it that brings you here? If you knew so much about Sunshade, I would have expected you to be smart enough to not stop here." She didn't elaborate further, but Ophilia could tell by the way that Primrose's eyes drifted in her direction before falling on Tressa that it had everything to do with Helgenish's despicable attitude.
"We're on our way to Saintsbridge," Cyrus explained, his voice sharp and on edge. A moment later, he heard a monster start to creak from the shadows, and he turned to release an attack. Primrose beat him to it, unveiling a strike of dark magic that consumed the beast in question. Cyrus hit the beast with his staff before Primrose dealt the finishing blow with her dagger, her eyes still devoid of anything resembling mercy.
"I see," Primrose replied, clearly not seeing at all. "You didn't have another town to stop in, I'm willing to guess. In all honesty, you would be better off stopping in the wilderness than Sunshade." Something about her voice was so raw and painfully honest that it stung to Ophilia's ears in a way that she struggled to describe. Ophilia swallowed dryly, and she wondered if perhaps there was something deep down that was pushing Primrose to open up to them the way that Ophilia had been nudged to offer her aid back in Sunshade.
"At least it gave us the chance to meet you," Tressa offered, a smile on her face. She nocked an arrow on her bow, and a moment later, she sent the strike spiraling through the air. A monster groaned before falling limp from the shadows, and Ophilia wondered just how observant the young merchant was as part of the path that came with pursuing her specific field.
"So it seems," Primrose hummed noncommittally. Everything about her was impossible to understand, but there were a few facts that Ophilia could see when she glanced in the dancer's direction. Given how little Primrose was willing to yield in terms of her personality and mission, it was up to Ophilia to put the pieces together on her own terms.
First and foremost, Primrose was lost and found at the same time. There was something tempestuous in her eyes that made it clear that she struggled with a sense of purpose, but at the same time, her gaze was so focused like nothing else that it seemed as if the entire world made sense to her given her ideas as to what her life was meant to be like. It was a strange paradox, and it was odd to see the most defining traits of Olberic and Tressa pulled apart and then fused together into perhaps the most cryptic and detached woman that Ophilia had ever found herself with the pleasure of crossing paths with.
Secondly, Primrose was not normally this flustered. It was something that Ophilia could see easily given the way that she would have had to carry herself as an occupant of Sunshade, but Primrose seemingly dropped the mask around the other members of their small traveling company. If Ophilia had to guess, Primrose's skirt was part of the act while her dagger was not, and part of her daily routine was fooling others into thinking that she was appealing enough to survive in the brutality of the Sunlands' ethically darkest town. The way that Primrose swung a dagger was hardly befitting of a performer, though that did little to stop Primrose's urges to follow in the footsteps of the nameless figure that had brought her such grief in the first place.
Finally, Primrose was part of something much darker than she was willing to admit to people that she had first met. The fact that she was pursuing someone through the tunnels of Sunshade was proof enough of this, but Ophilia couldn't shake the feeling that she was stepping into something much more sinister and grand than she could have ever anticipated. She shoved this sensation aside in favor of fighting alongside Primrose and helping the dancer to pursue her goals. The Ember had not failed her previously, and Ophilia was allowing herself to listen to its whispers and trust its judgement as it lit the path through the tunnels towards Primrose's masqueraded ambitions.
Before anyone could even consider continuing the conversation beyond Primrose's small response, light appeared at the end of the tunnels, and the dancer let out a gasp before starting to run. She didn't bother looking back in the direction of the other members of the group, expecting them to either follow her or be left in the dust. Ophilia's choice was already made before she checked with the others, and she followed after Primrose. Their footsteps fell with echoes across the exit stairway as they stepped into the light and everything that rested beyond.
100k words already? God damn.
I already love writing the interactions of Primrose with the rest of the team. This chapter is pretty different from the previous chapters with both Primrose and Olberic because it's an immediate overturning of everything that has built up to the somber, muted atmosphere shared by Cobbleston and Sunshade (albeit in different ways). It's tons of fun to work with, and Ophilia's analysis of Primrose with a side of Olberic's observations only added to the fun. I hope that you enjoyed Ophilia's empathetic perception, because there's only going to be more of that from here on out.
Speaking of the rest of the party, I think that I will now drop kick Helgenish into the sun. Given the specific series of events that leads up to Primrose meeting the rest of the party, it was only natural that he cross paths with them, and I think that it would be great if they all teamed up to kill him as soon as possible. *checks notes for next chapter* Huh. Who would have thought? He deserves it. Yusufa is amazing, and Helgenish can rot. Typical Octopath stuff.
That's about all that I have to share for this chapter, so I'll leave it here. Next time, we'll wrap up Primrose's first chapter with the boss fight of the town! Until then, I hope you all enjoyed. Feedback is always appreciated. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital